Old Classic Pole Structure

[Alaskan Survivalist]

Old Classic Pole Structure

I was out playing in the woods today trying out a new saw. I won’t mention it beyond that because it was crap but one of the tasks I use small pack saws for is making pole structures to support tarps. I use this method more than any other and is strong enough to hold up to winds and even snow loads. Along the same lines as the tipi thread I started I think it a good excercise for people just starting and maybe don't have much money for a tent.

The first step is to tie two poles together to form a bipod. Use it to support one end of a longer pole you anchor to a tree to steady and brace structure. Just these three poles are much stronger than just tying tarps with rope and I have used just 3 poles before for quick shelters.

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Then put another bipod under rear of ridge pole.

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Then throw tarp over ridge pole, position bipods and then with length established lash base poles on each side. This adds a lot of support to the tarp.

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Tie tarp over the poles.

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I leave ridge pole extended out the front for hanging clothes to dry. I build a fire off to one side of front entrance and in warms interior and keeps bugs away. Ridge pole is good for hanging gear and clothes under tarp. This is used more than you can imagine in Alaska’s cold, wet conditions.

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This structure can be made much bigger. If you remember my tent on the Yukon was supported with same style structure and I have even set them up and built cabins under them. In the winter you can add more poles and it will stand all winter. You don’t need a lot of money for a tent or great skills to construct one of these and is a great, instant shelter.

[rwc1969]

The construction of that first pic is almost identical to the outhouse we build when up north deer hunting. It works quite well with a small hole, milk crate with a toilet lid on top and a big blue tarp to cover it all up.

But, going out there @ 4 in the morning when it's 10 degrees or so is a wake up call.

[crashdive123]

Nice set-up AS. Thanks for taking the time to show us.

[Rick]

Great post, AS. A little rep for the tutorial.

A note to any new comers. When setting up any type of shelter in the woods make certain to check overhead for any dead limbs that could fall. Widow makers earned their name for a reason.

[Sourdough]

Well done, nice post. I have a suggestion: I use lashing a lot, but many here may confuse lashing with just tie stuff together. Maybe someone could teach the proper way to lash for rigid construction. Lashing and knots is clearly the most valuable tool I learned in Boy Scouts.

[pgvoutdoors]

The Dump is a website of scouting materials from the BSA, Canadian, and UK scouting programs. Much of it is older materials can be downloaded as a PDF file.

http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/nonfict.html

Below is a old Pioneering Book that has many of the common lashings use to make field prodjects.

http://scoutmaster.typepad.com/pioneeringbook.pdf

http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/pionprinciples.pdf

http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/progpioneering.pdf

http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/pioneering.pdf

[hunter63]

The older Boy Scout manuals seem to be big in chopping things down, then lashing them back together.
I thinking a lot of it was just to practice those lashing skills, but I still haven't figured out the signal tower thing.

AS, another great tutorial, on a very basic solid shelter.

[Rick]

Phil, as usual, that's a great set of links. Some really good stuff in there. I've downloaded them for same keeping.

[Rick]

I sure hate to break this to you but the shovel is $9.99 now. Yeah I know. But it's not 1976 any more.

Great write up. A couple of questions for you. Have you sharpened the edge of the shovel? Yours looks sharper than the pic on the Coleman page. Also, what's the weight?

[Sam]

I think we often tend to complicate things too much in our desire to relate as much information as possible. This is something I learned in Boy Scouts years ago. I wish I could find an old Boy Scout manual. The new ones don't have much of this kind of information. I guess it only stands to reason that with higher usage of parks people can't go around cutting trees like we did when we were Boy Scouts but IMO the old Scout manuals are the best I have seen in my life on wilderness survival.

My friend gave me a 1960 edition with artwork from Norman Rockwell in it.
He found it in a used book store in the 'thumb' of MI. It is pretty awesome.

[RangerXanatos]

Pole Structures were some of my favorite things to build. Last one I did, I covered with a matress and boxspring plastic. My mom decided it would be a great place for her hanging plants and I never got it back.

[Justin Case]

Not a rant,, very sensible post IMO.

[Rick]

AS - That may well be one of the best posts (best all around advice) we have on here. I think a lot of us feel the same way. Figure out what you want to try, try it, figure out what went wrong, modify and try it again. If you keep doing that it won't be long until you have the system that's right for you.

I do like your coot kit (kootkit?). That's a great basic set of tools and you should be able to get out of anything you get into with it or make camp or anything else you need to do.

the strings of my old one would dig into me unless I was wearing clothing

[Rick]

Oh, well there you go. I have a picture of that somewhere. Now where did I put that?

[crashdive123]

No rant at all. Many of us have been saying the same thing for a long time.

[Winter]

Good thread.

[Rick]

Sterno isn't designed to boil things. It's designed to hold foods at a warming temperature. It's designed to maintain at least 140°F, which is the minimum safe holding temperature for foods. It won't boil water.

However, in your climate especially Sterno may be a good choice. It won't freeze and even 140 degree water is a pretty good drink if you are cold. It could keep hypothermia at bay. It's flash point is around 55°F so it ignites pretty easy. I've never tried to light it with a fire steel, which might be a decent test.

[Rick]

It's actually on the bottom but...yeah. (it's not really). I did the same thing last year and did some digging as to why it wouldn't boil. It's an alcohol base so it should work, so I thought. Turns out the pink stuff added to the alcohol is designed to hold it just above that 140 mark. That's why they can sit it under dishes of food for hours and not have the food burn.

[Justin Case]

Everything I know I learned the hard way. Please don't tell me that's written on the side of the can.

LOL,,,, ha ha,,,, Thanks for the early morning chuckle

[Rick]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of fresh water fish do you have?