simple fast shelters, and other structures.

For a couple of summers, when I was in my twenties, I lived on a beach on Haida Gwaii in a semi-primative structure.  I  just came across a video by a new favorite YouTuber that sort of reminded me of it.  This guy took some of this stuff to a new level, though I had some improvements that he does not have, he has many things to share that I have never done.  He also built kayaks using the same principals.  I hope to try that out as well.  This guy is super inspirational and I am very interested in many of his designs and project, and highly recommend his channel.  

Am I the only person wanting to spend some stimulus money on plastic wrap to try this out?

Hi Amy,

It did grab my attention long enough to examine the frame.  I doubt if I will follow through though.  That said, I did live for about 4 months in a conventional tent in MN.  If I were to do it again, this might be a way to go.

In our wet climate in the winter, the simple arched  canopy over his tent would be quick to build if we ever get hit by The Big One (that's west coast code for the overdue large earthquake). We've got good tents and sleeping bags, but keeping stuff dry would be a challenge that his long tunnel would help us manage.

This is amazing. Thanks for posting.

If I could figure out how to do 101% biodegradable plastic wrap this would be like my number 1 portable lightweight "shelter and transportation that fits in a backpack" solution. Wow!

Pretty.

I think we can find a much more eco-friendly/permaculture-friendly way to make a structure like this.

I would absolutely hate that.  Soft plastic like that emits fumes that make me feel ill.  Besides, that's a lot of plastic to gather up and recycle correctly so it doesn't harm the soil or wildlife.  

Then there are the health issues of having an air-tight space - especially one that small.  

And then the bit about heating with a fire on the outside as the warmth will easily pass through the transparent wall - um... this also means that the warmth will pass easily through the transparent wall, Outwards.



If I was making something like this, I would probably use cloth, maybe even make some oilcloth to make it a little more transparent and waterproof.  
Then again, I am not a big fan of having people see inside my tent, so maybe a canvas like Duck Cloth or better yet, wool felt.   I can either pack up the cloth at the end of the season or leave it to decay into the wild.

Oh, I agree - wool felt would be awesome as it has a degree of waterproofing even when it's not stretched tight. Things like duck tarp on tents seem to very much rely on being very taught and sensitive to wind.

That said, for us coastal people, someone recently loaded an article about using dried eelgrass for roofing and supposedly it's long-lasting and waterproof. A little frame like in the video, covered with "thatch" would not only be decomposable,  but either look adorable or simply disappear - better mark your trail people!  

Hi there that is nothing new it is called bender in the old English, the old gipsie travelers have been using that builds.

michal mucka wrote:Hi there that is nothing new it is called bender in the old English, the old gipsie travelers have been using that builds.

What did they make it out of? It would be helpful if you could post a bit more information.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

michal mucka wrote:Hi there that is nothing new it is called bender in the old English, the old gipsie travelers have been using that builds.

What did they make it out of? It would be helpful if you could post a bit more information.

I came across this recently - not sure if it was here on permies or elsewhere, but here are some brief history links:
https://paleotool.com/2015/06/02/bender-tent/
http://www.enslin.com/rae/gypsy/bender.htm

I've been OD'ing on ancient history - as far back as Neanderthal.  It's amazing what they're starting to realize people were capable of that far back! Much of our "technology" has been around for not just hundreds of years, but thousands and tens of thousands. By comparison, I feel like an uneducated wimp!

Landscaping fabric covered with a portland cement slurry is a good roof covering.  It has some structural strength if you use multiple layers, but it will need framing underneath it. The framing supports the cloth while it is wet to shape the structure, and also supports it after it cures.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF9ktRLX8ug

I have experimented with landscaping fabric and cement, and have some parts sitting outside to see how long they last in the weather.  The parts I made are not as stiff as shown in the above video, but I did not add stucco, just made a few examples with one, two and three layers of fabric/cement.  One thing that worked very well was to cover foam insulation with fabric and cement, the result is a stiff, hard board-like material that insulates. I might use such a foam/fabric/cement board to plank the outside of a longhouse, holding the boards in place with landscaping fabric/cement.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/kVS5zrb

I hope to build a "cattle panel greenhouse" type structure and cover it with landscaping fabric/cement slurry to make a small longhouse type shelter.  I don't have land so its not happening soon.   I would rather use natural materials for a project such as building a wigwam or longhouse, but would not want to strip trees of bark.  We don't have the natural resources available to us that were available in the past, so using industrial age building products may be a better choice if the building lasts a long time and is more sustainable in design than typical construction methods today.

I would finish this type of structure off with a mixture of latex paint and portland cement.  I have not tested this yet, but have heard promising reports.

http://velacreations.com/howto/latex-concrete-roof/

Paul VandenBosch wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF9ktRLX8ug

Hey sorry to zombie this thread but this video link seems to be dead, you wouldn't happen to remember who it was by or know another way to find it would you?

Paul VandenBosch wrote:Landscaping fabric covered with a portland cement slurry is a good roof covering.  It has some structural strength if you use multiple layers, but it will need framing underneath it. The framing supports the cloth while it is wet to shape the structure, and also supports it after it cures.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF9ktRLX8ug

I have experimented with landscaping fabric and cement, and have some parts sitting outside to see how long they last in the weather.  The parts I made are not as stiff as shown in the above video, but I did not add stucco, just made a few examples with one, two and three layers of fabric/cement.  One thing that worked very well was to cover foam insulation with fabric and cement, the result is a stiff, hard board-like material that insulates. I might use such a foam/fabric/cement board to plank the outside of a longhouse, holding the boards in place with landscaping fabric/cement.

/

This sounds similar to 'Poor Mans Fiberglass'  
Which uses cloth and woodglue / woodgluexlatex housepaint mix. Instead of fiberglass and epoxie / resins.
It is often used over foamboard to create lightweight home made campers. (foamies)