the new old school

The first real workshop offering of 2012 is basically just a new twist on an old Roy Robinson poncho tarp-tent. Roy is the father of Brian Robinson, record-holder of the Barkley Marathons. I remember following Brian's AT shelter entries back in 2001 from his unprecedented 2001 Calendar Triple-Crown hike, a catalyst to my own interest in ultras, fast packing, etc. Good stuff.

Poncho on Colorado Trail in 2002

Trapezoidal rig on CT in 2002

The first couple versions built in 2002 and 2003 were from sil-nylon, as recommended. In 2009, I tried out a lighter weight cuben fiber. This fancy fabric is expensive and corners were cut. Consequently the dimensions of this poncho tarp-tent were a bit too slim to provide adequate protection from the elements.

Within the last couple weeks, I purchased a slightly burlier cuben fiber (CT2K.08) and went ahead and built a newer version, increasing the dimensions to approximately 70" by 104", which requires 4 and 1/3 yards of fabric (still rather pricey, even on sale). So far I'm happy with the finished 5 oz. product, which seems to allow enough space to be set up in the protective trapezoidal shelter configuration that I fondly remember. The Roy Robinson poncho tarp-tent is a good beginner's sewing project that I would highly recommend.