The Reed Huts and the Trappers Roof
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Recreation & Sports > Camping
Apr 25, 2007
The Reed Huts and the Trappers Roof
Two of the huts which are quite common in the market are the reed huts and trappers roof. Find out in this article the different between both of the huts. Reed hut You can make both the pyramid hut and the gabled hut out of reeds. Reeds have the advantage of being rainproof and very warm as well. To be sure, you do need a great many reeds to make a good covering. The method you use depends on whether summer (green) or winter (dried) reeds are available. If you have pliable summer reeds, take a handful with the cut edges toward the top and the tips pointing down, and bind them, once again starting at the bottom, over the first horizontal support, under the second, over the third, and so forth. Since the fresh reeds shrivel quickly and leave gaps, dry winter reeds are much better. Gather bundles of reeds by the armful, tie bunches together at the end, and then fasten them on the framework of the hut like roof shingles, pushed close to each other and overlapping. Huts covered with dead leaves or reeds dry out quickly in the sun and become parched. Therefore, it is dangerous to have a fire in the hut or even to light a fire nearby. The Trappers roof This model of the trapper's roof lies about halfway between the gabled hut and the ranger's tent. It is usually rain proofed with reeds and intended as a nook to slide into on a rainy night an emergency refuge rather than a cozy shelter. You can build a large, roomy trapper's roof in an afternoon, and then gradually improve it until you have built a regular hut. You can move the trapper's roof around and place it where it will best protect you from the rain. In spite of its simplicity, it still offers good protection. It is also easily adaptable as a movable roof over cooking sites, but you'll have to be very careful that no sparks hit it. First get two solid forked supports and stick them in the ground, then connect them with a horizontal pole. This is the crossbeam of the roof, where the upper edge will be bound. The lower edge rests on the ground or you can put it on a board, into a wood pile, or against a rise in the ground. The different examples of gypsy tents shown on page 19 may give you ideas for such constructions. It is best to cover the roof with reeds, using the same methods as for the reed hut. Complete the frame of the roof with a lattice of branches or cords, and then weave in the reeds. In an emergency, you can also use straw, ferns, and so forth, but you will have to make each layer much thicker than with reeds. Since the slanted roof lacks side walls, you must carefully place it against the direction of the wind and rain. Set the roof at a steep or a gradual angle according to the angle at which the rain is falling. Don't forget the ditches or drains or you'll quickly be flooded out. Since this airy hut has no walls, it's a good place to light a fire; the smoke can draw off freely. You can spend a comfortable night under this roof with a warming glow next to you. See the illustration of the trapper's bivouac on page 16. This sort of hut has still another advantage you can take it apart easily and set it up again in another spot. I know some fellows who cycle out to a river in the country for swimming during the summer. The reed roof they set up there provides shade during the day and shelter at night. Before they start for home, they dismantle their trapper's roof and store it away in a little shed at a nearby farmhouse. The next time they come, they simply pull it out again and set it up. Very cautious people prepare more than one set of vertical supports so they can immediately shift the roof around in case the wind changes. This is also advantageous when you are using the roof as a sunshade, because you can always adjust it at any time to suit the position of the sun. Choose the huts or the tents according to your need. Learn the condition of the ground where you will build the tent before you go for camping. This will give you more idea to prepare for your camping journey.
Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for http://www.best-scopes-n-binoculars.com/, http://www.campingforme.info/, http://www.goodbudgetholiday.info/
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