I use a tent FLY..... I got it at a tent store that repairs & sales reconditioned Coleman tents, I got a 10x10x 7high tent with 4 giant full length zippered windows, which makes a good kitchen or outdoor shelter in some of our very buggy but more beautiful northern camp sites. I noticed the store (only) had some extra ( tan & green, nylon, dacron?) full size tent flies, so I got one.... has all the reinforced shocked corded corners, grommets, sewed in loops etc... I always carry it van camping (& sometimes the tent), I can connect the shock cords from one side of the fly to the drivers side gutter rail and pull it all the way over the van, off the sliding door side, and then I just run some lines to a few trees (which we have lots of in Northern Ontario) or in rare occasions, when I'm saying put for a while, I'll maybe thin out some poplar saplings & make some fast poles to fit. Buy going OVER the van, there is no flooding on the sliding door side in real downpours. The tent has an awning out over the entrance and it is possible to set the two up so that you can walk from the van into the tent without getting wet, if you are the type who is so sensitive that you might melt from getting just a little wet :^)........ I've known a few bush guides who carried only a tarp and small kitchen box (wanigan)... yes things used to be much different in the bush before the high tech kids and their Polar fleece kayaks appeared.

Oh yeah that store has a web site & does mail order

www.kingsol.com

then of course there is Mountain Coop in CDN

or one of the higher line (as in mountain climbing) US stores

www.rei.com

all these places carry the basic stuff, you just have to,

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Rob

----- Original Message ----- From: Marshall Ruskin <mruskin@PANGEA.CA> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 1999 11:30 PM Subject: What's a good brand of tarp?

> Hi Volks: > > A fellow listee (Mr. Joel Walker) and I were just emailing, and he mentioned > to me to stay away from "el-cheapo" tarps (this was in the context of making > an awning - which is what's being most talked about lately) > > So, is there such a thing as a good quality, inexpensive tarp? > > I'd like to get one for no more than 2 X the price of an el cheapo. More > than that, and my North-end Winnipeg roots will start to tingle > uncomfortably. > > All the ones I see seem to be made of this coated woven plastic material - a > step up from handi-wrap - but not a big one. Usually made in China or Korea, > and usually with a store brand label. > > Marshall Ruskin > 84 Westy "Iron Igloo" > Founding Member of "Vanagon's Anonymous" >