rendezvous tent

I was just wondering if anyone had instructions for making a small to med.size rendezvous tent or if they had one they would be willing to trade? I dont really care for wall tents,they are nice just alot of trouble for when I go by myself or just me and my son. every once in a while my wife and daughter will go but right now the kids are small so it doesn't take alot of room for us! Thanks for any help Buck

Buck, have you looked into just using a simple "diamond" shelter? There's plenty of info on 'em here on the forum, and I can't think of a simpler or less expensive shelter than what's essentially just a tarp.

a Diamond tent thats what I am making for my civil war impression. I got tired of setting up a dog(too many sticks) when all I need is a nice walking stick that will do double duty. And a few home made oak tent stakes. Weight will be considerably less to carry also. Making myself a 7x7.

I made this one from a hemp canvas painter's tarp I bought at Lowe's or Home Depot. It's dyed with walnut hulls and "waterproofed" with Thompson's Water Seal. Please excuse the modern items in the pic. It's 8'X8' you don't need to hem the cut edge BTW. They sell 2 weights of tarps. You want the heavy weight.

Wow thats really cool and I think it will fit the bill for me and maybe me and the boy.thinkI will give it a try Thanks!! But I dont think there is enouhg privacy for my wife I guess I still have to figure that out :shake: WOMEN you know!Thanks Buck

that is the same tent that I started with. Mine was a 10 x 10 tarp and there was enough room for me and my 2 kids. as far a privacy goes you can always drap another tarp over the front and that will close it in. as far as my wife went, I had to get a lodge with 4 walls and a door to get her to spend the night at a voo. With a diamond you can stay covered up and get your fire going in the mornin and get breakfast going with out getting out of bed.

Yep I been lookin at the pics and I think I can sew a couple of pieces on part way up toward the front so I could tie it off like a door and I could still tie them back to have the fire like you said. Just a little modification :thumbsup: Thanks Buck

diamond is the way to go, so many ways you can set it uo, modify and add to.

Buck there's good advice here, and here's a link I tote out every so often to illustrate the utility of a tarp: Tarp tents
However. . . I must play the devil's advocate. you asked for the best Rendezvous "tent" and not a leanto. I'd say that the best tent for your situation is a wedge tent. it's portable, authentic (if that's a criteria) and very weather tight. also, if you so choose, you can add a fly onto the front to greatly enhance the livability.

I'll add a vote for the wedge if you plan to have the wife and kids with you. We use one for overnight events and the three of us do fine.(after Dad sets it up) An awning is good to have and worth the extra money...

I agree that with more than 1 adult a wedge tent is the way to go. When my son and I do the civil war events together we often just take the wedge. We prefer the one with just one door. A bit more security(no-one sneaks in the back). And thats where we store our stuff on the back pole. We also use those nice rifle hangers that the smithies sell.

The Sep/Oct 2004 issue of BackWoodsman Magazine had a dandy article on setting up a primitive camp for cheap. I followed the instructions and made the tent from a 12' X 15' canvas dropcloth purchased a a home improvement store. There was a little bit of sewing but a plain old sewing machine handled the chore without any problem. The tent has room for two adults and even allows you to stand upright inside. It's fully enclosed and is quick to set up. send me a private message if you're interested and I'll scan the article and send it to you.

Stomper: Any chance you'd post a photo of your tent setup?

yessir that would be nice!! Thanks Buck.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the tent and since we just got new snow, I'd rather not haul it out for a photo shoot. These may work even better though...a diagram of how to lay out the tarp and some photos of the scale model that I made from a brown paper bag prior to making my tent.

Now how cool is that? How many poles and where do you put them? Thanks Buck

Just one pole in front at the door. It makes for real quick and easy set-up. You could also use two poles lashed together in an A-frame to hold the peak up and it would give you unobstructed access to the door flaps.

I just answered your PM but I'm not sure the scan attachment worked. If not, PM me again and give me your regular email address and I'll send you scans again in .pdf format tomorrow.

Thanks alot for your help! Have you used this alot? looks pretty good! Thanks again Buck

It'll get you through a few seasons. I made mine a couple of years ago. It's not perfect though. Rain has a tendency to migrate under the canvas where it's folded under on two of the three sides. I'm also considering sewing on a 12" door overlap and sodcloth along the bottom of the door. All told though, it's a good starter tent and well work the $40-50 to make it. When I get a bigger tent, this one simply becomes a fly for out front! It's still basically just a tarp.

Stomper: Thanks for the informative diagram and photos. I've fiddled with a tarp/diamond but never enough to get it tweaked and tight. Guess I had better revisit my efforts now that halfway decent weather is arriving.