Need some geometry help!!

[MiniMag_Crazy_Greg]

With having a little financial breathing room now that the holidays have been paid for and with a (hopefully) modest tax refund on it's way, I am torn on what to do with a small portion of it.

Being a flash-a-holic (I need professional help), and an avid camper, I need to decided whether or not to expand my light collection, or upgrade some of my camping gear, I really don't need any more lights since I've got a collection of lights that needs thinning (don't we all?!?!).

So far, I've lost arguments with myself all day on what to do. As seen in the photo below, I car-camp alot and my poor attempt last year to tarp my tent, I feel that 1). I need to get a bigger tent, and 2.) improve my back-up anti-rain tarp deploying system.

I am looking at a basic Coleman 9x7 foot dome tent but as it's about 30-40% less expensive than my backpacking tent shown in the photo below, that has served me VERY well in the past 11 years, with no leaks or floods, BUT it is very small, so small that it's only good for sleeping. The Coleman I'm considering, would be big enough for sleeping and having enough room for setting up a complete "bedroom" with enough room for an air mattress and a chair or two for a game of chess or backgammon with a camp-mate.

As you can see, the tarp in the photo is so small that it doesn't even cover 1/2 of the tent. It is tied to the roof rack of the truck and supported on the other end by a Cabela's 7 foot telescoping tent pole with guy-lines holding it taught.

Now I am considering adding the new tent, a larger over-tarp, and 3 more telescoping tent poles to support it. I camp in a lot of state and federal-run camp sites that do not allow tying ANYTHING to the trees on their campsites, so truck-tent-pole system is my only answer. I only want to buy one tarp that's big enough to cover the tent and have enough breathing room to be comfortable. I'm thinking that I need a tarp that's 2x the length and width of the foot print of the tent (9x7 foot).

Sorry this is so long-winded, but with camping gear, I want it to work and work well, so I hope I've made my point.

Any other camping buffs out there that can give me hints on their set-ups? After all, being a flash-a-holic, camping is second nature to us....there's no power where we camp......perfect excuse to bring all of our lights!!

Thanks!!

 

[Stress_Test]

This should get you in the ballpark. This is assuming you use a simple A-frame type drape of the tarp.

"h" will be the height of the top bar you're draping the tarp over. "x" is half the width of the tent floor. "L" is the length of the tarp for that one side of the triangle, so you'll need 2 times "L" for the length of the tarp. The width will be whatever the dimension is of the tent in that direction.



So, to find L, just add the square of h to the square of x, then take the square root of the result.

x^2 + h^2 = L^2 ------------> L = sqrt(x^2 + h^2)

If this is incomprehensible, try Googling "Pythagorean Theorem" and that should do it.

 

[MiniMag_Crazy_Greg]

This should get you in the ballpark. This is assuming you use a simple A-frame type drape of the tarp.

"h" will be the height of the top bar you're draping the tarp over. "x" is half the width of the tent floor. "L" is the length of the tarp for that one side of the triangle, so you'll need 2 times "L" for the length of the tarp. The width will be whatever the dimension is of the tent in that direction.



So, to find L, just add the square of h to the square of x, then take the square root of the result.

x^2 + h^2 = L^2 ------------> L = sqrt(x^2 + h^2)

If this is incomprehensible, try Googling "Pythagorean Theorem" and that should do it.

Thanks for the reply!! Been 30+ years since I used geometry, thanks for the refresher!! I think I've got it, now just have to wait for warmer weather to go camping again!!

 

[Stress_Test]

.....

, now just have to wait for warmer weather to go camping again!!

You and me both! I haven't been camping for probably 15 years, but I've picked up a basic tent and sleeping bag, and I'm gonna give it a shot when the weather warms up a bit more.

I'm new at this but I figure if worse comes to worse, I can always sleep in the car (which is warmer, bugproof, and waterproof!) if things get foul.

 

[DVN]

well i've been camping for about 15 years and am still trying to figure out what works best for me. I have settled on a few things for my basic needs...


I usually camp with a larger group of people. Since it always seems to rain when I go camping, I have invested in a larger tent with a built in screen porch in the front. I've found that spending the day cramped with a few people in a tiny tent just is not good. It's nice to have some room to stretch your legs.

You can invite others over for a game of cribbage in your porch and be protected from the weather and/or bugs.

However, in your case im not sure how many people you camp with. In that picture your tent looks like a 2-person. I would almost suggest that you keep your water proof 2-person tent just for sleeping and to get an instant canopy shelter with wind guards or mesh screens for having buddies over. They are usually 10ft x10ft and can fit a picnic table under them very well. Last time I went camping it rained for 3 days straight. Everyone spent lots of time under my canopy and we were able to stay dry for the card games and have somewhere to cook and eat. While coleman is an ok brand, i think that your old tent with the full rain-fly is much better at keeping the water out.

Also, the canopy doubles as a rain tarp for your tent. You can just pick it up and put it over your tent instead of having to bother with tying tarps everywhere. You could even tie your tarps around the side of the canopy and place them at a 45 degree angle with your tent under the tarp. Then when you get out, you are right under the canopy.

 

[MiniMag_Crazy_Greg]

You and me both! I haven't been camping for probably 15 years, but I've picked up a basic tent and sleeping bag, and I'm gonna give it a shot when the weather warms up a bit more.

I'm new at this but I figure if worse comes to worse, I can always sleep in the car (which is warmer, bugproof, and waterproof!) if things get foul.

LOL! My truck is usually the mule when it comes to camping, kayaks, bikes, fire wood all get thrown in or on my truck.

At least with my tent, I'm protected from the cold, bugs, and water.....for now. I waterproofed it last year and so far so good. Recently grabbed a great deal on a larger Coleman tent ($80 normally now $20!! ) at target thanks to the good deals thread in CPF Market Place lovecpf , and it's 10x bigger than the one I use now, but hope it's as waterproof as the one I currently use.

I don't think I could wait 15 years to go camping again!! Lemme see, it's Feb, camping season starts in like 4 months around here, Memorial day usually kicks off my season.

Take care!!

 

[MiniMag_Crazy_Greg]

well i've been camping for about 15 years and am still trying to figure out what works best for me. I have settled on a few things for my basic needs...


I usually camp with a larger group of people. Since it always seems to rain when I go camping, I have invested in a larger tent with a built in screen porch in the front. I've found that spending the day cramped with a few people in a tiny tent just is not good. It's nice to have some room to stretch your legs.

You can invite others over for a game of cribbage in your porch and be protected from the weather and/or bugs.

However, in your case im not sure how many people you camp with. In that picture your tent looks like a 2-person. I would almost suggest that you keep your water proof 2-person tent just for sleeping and to get an instant canopy shelter with wind guards or mesh screens for having buddies over. They are usually 10ft x10ft and can fit a picnic table under them very well. Last time I went camping it rained for 3 days straight. Everyone spent lots of time under my canopy and we were able to stay dry for the card games and have somewhere to cook and eat. While coleman is an ok brand, i think that your old tent with the full rain-fly is much better at keeping the water out.

Also, the canopy doubles as a rain tarp for your tent. You can just pick it up and put it over your tent instead of having to bother with tying tarps everywhere. You could even tie your tarps around the side of the canopy and place them at a 45 degree angle with your tent under the tarp. Then when you get out, you are right under the canopy.

+1 on the canopy!! And yes, my current tent is a 2-man tent and I love it!! I once spent 18 hours in it during a torrential rain storm in AK with my best friend. We read, slept, and slept some more. We were hiking with no car and thank goodness that we were dry otherwise she and I would no longer be friends. I just bought a 9x7 Coleman from Target for a great price!! Now, I'll be able to stand up in my new tent and have room for a small table for card games, chess, etc with a friend if it rains. Usually when I camp, there's a whole army that comes with us, kids, aunts, etc. and there's a main tarp raising over the picnic tables first thing when we get there.

Camping is a hobby I love and I could go on for hours and my friends are getting P.O'd that I am already making lists for them on what to bring.

Thanks for the input.

 

[MiniMag_Crazy_Greg]

place holder for pict