Kifaru/Tyvek field chair, was Re: trekking pole lengths?

[Susan Thoreson]

Hi Bill,

You get a lot of multi-use out of your poles. The Tyvek chair sounds
interesting. How do the trekking poles connect to the Tyvek?

Thanks,
Sue

On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 11:19 AM, Bill <bpl@...> wrote:

>
>
> I've got Black Diamond Contour poles (not the elliptical ones). They
> have the "binary" adjustment on the bottom section; it just snaps to one
> position. All the adjustment is between the top and middle sections.
>
> I also use them to hold up the side tie-outs of the tarp over my
> hammock, to form the back of my Tyvek field chair (similar to the Kifaru
> Field Chair), and (when tenting) they form the A-frame at the front of
> the tent. So I definitely need adjustable poles.
>
>

[Bill-182]

Hi Sue,

I don't know how to give short answers, so here goes...

Bill's Tyvek Field Chair

1) Get a piece of Tyvek 3 feet wide and about as tall as you are.  A
little narrower is ok, but it sells in 3 foot widths.  A little shorter
is ok too.  You can trim it once the chair is finished.

2) Run it through the washer agitate cycle without detergent.  Once
through is enough, about 10 minutes.  I haven't seen much difference
between hot & cold water.  You might need to push it down into the water
until it softens up and stays on its own.  If some of the ink rubs onto
the agitator, you can remove it with alcohol.

3) Pinch up one end of the Tyvek into a point.  Try to fan it out so it
stays flat across the fabric as it leaves the pinch.  Lash the pinch
tightly with nylon cord.  You want to end up with maybe 4 inches of
lashing.  Tight!

4) Tyvek is slippery and that lashing will tend to slip towards the end
of the fabric.  Fold over the lashed part and lash it again.  Tight!

5) Take a fairly long piece of cord and tie a double constrictor knot
around the lashing.  Pull it tight!  Use the long ends to tie a square
knot on top of the constrictor so it won't work loose.  You should still
have two flying ends about a foot long.

The chair is done!  To use it....

1) Collapse your poles and stand them together.  Use the two flying ends
of cord and tie an ordinary shoestring knot around the pole grips.  Tie
it tight!

2) Fan out the pole points to make an A frame for the chair back.

3) Stand on the fabric and set the poles down, keeping the fabric
reasonably taut.  Settle down into a sitting position on the chair.
While you're sitting in it, you can reach back to adjust the poles for
maximum comfort.  It takes a little tweaking to get it comfortable.  For
napping, the X of the poles can form a nice crutch to rest your head.
You'll find the chair is a bit slippery until you get some dirt worked
into it.

4) If you want real luxury, take your CCF sleeping pad and put it on the
chair before getting on.  That's excellent on cold or rough ground.

I keep the chair at the bottom of my pack under some bungee.  That way
it's instantly available, and it takes the abrasion when I set my pack
down, instead of the pack.  The fabric also works as a sit pad on damp
ground, and as a footprint to keep my kitchen kit off the dirt.  I've
been able to sit snoozing against a tree in light rain, waiting for the
rest of my crew to come back from a side hike, with the extra fabric
folded over my legs keeping me dry.

There is a lot of cord used, and I haven't spent a lot of time
optimizing the lashing.  That's how I did the first one, and it was good
enough.  A series of constrictor knots might be better and lighter than
the lashing.  If you make any improvements, please let me know.

Bill

Susan Thoreson wrote:

>  
>
> Hi Bill,
>
> You get a lot of multi-use out of your poles. The Tyvek chair sounds
> interesting. How do the trekking poles connect to the Tyvek?
>
> Thanks,
> Sue
>
>

[Susan Thoreson]

Hi Bill, thanks for all the details! I'll have to get my hands on some Tyvek
and give it a try. It might be the answer to one of my husband's complaints
about backpacking.

Sue

On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 10:31 AM, Bill <bpl@...> wrote:

>
>
> Hi Sue,
>
> I don't know how to give short answers, so here goes...
>
> Bill's Tyvek Field Chair
>
> 1) Get a piece of Tyvek 3 feet wide and about as tall as you are. A
> little narrower is ok, but it sells in 3 foot widths. A little shorter
> is ok too. You can trim it once the chair is finished.
>
> 2) Run it through the washer agitate cycle without detergent. Once
> through is enough, about 10 minutes. I haven't seen much difference
> between hot & cold water. You might need to push it down into the water
> until it softens up and stays on its own. If some of the ink rubs onto
> the agitator, you can remove it with alcohol.
>
> 3) Pinch up one end of the Tyvek into a point. Try to fan it out so it
> stays flat across the fabric as it leaves the pinch. Lash the pinch
> tightly with nylon cord. You want to end up with maybe 4 inches of
> lashing. Tight!
>
> 4) Tyvek is slippery and that lashing will tend to slip towards the end
> of the fabric. Fold over the lashed part and lash it again. Tight!
>
> 5) Take a fairly long piece of cord and tie a double constrictor knot
> around the lashing. Pull it tight! Use the long ends to tie a square
> knot on top of the constrictor so it won't work loose. You should still
> have two flying ends about a foot long.
>
> The chair is done! To use it....
>
> 1) Collapse your poles and stand them together. Use the two flying ends
> of cord and tie an ordinary shoestring knot around the pole grips. Tie
> it tight!
>
> 2) Fan out the pole points to make an A frame for the chair back.
>
> 3) Stand on the fabric and set the poles down, keeping the fabric
> reasonably taut. Settle down into a sitting position on the chair.
> While you're sitting in it, you can reach back to adjust the poles for
> maximum comfort. It takes a little tweaking to get it comfortable. For
> napping, the X of the poles can form a nice crutch to rest your head.
> You'll find the chair is a bit slippery until you get some dirt worked
> into it.
>
> 4) If you want real luxury, take your CCF sleeping pad and put it on the
> chair before getting on. That's excellent on cold or rough ground.
>
> I keep the chair at the bottom of my pack under some bungee. That way
> it's instantly available, and it takes the abrasion when I set my pack
> down, instead of the pack. The fabric also works as a sit pad on damp
> ground, and as a footprint to keep my kitchen kit off the dirt. I've
> been able to sit snoozing against a tree in light rain, waiting for the
> rest of my crew to come back from a side hike, with the extra fabric
> folded over my legs keeping me dry.
>
> There is a lot of cord used, and I haven't spent a lot of time
> optimizing the lashing. That's how I did the first one, and it was good
> enough. A series of constrictor knots might be better and lighter than
> the lashing. If you make any improvements, please let me know.
>
> Bill
>
>
> Susan Thoreson wrote:
> >
> >
> > Hi Bill,
> >
> > You get a lot of multi-use out of your poles. The Tyvek chair sounds
> > interesting. How do the trekking poles connect to the Tyvek?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Sue
> >
> >
>  
>

[thelimsndavis]

Do you have any pics of your chair setup?

>
> Hi Bill, thanks for all the details! I'll have to get my hands on some Tyvek
> and give it a try. ...............................
>
> Sue

[Bill-182]

Lemme see if I can take some over the weekend.

What is the best way to distribute them to this group?  Is there a
posting area somewhere?

Bill

thelimsndavis wrote:
> Do you have any pics of your chair setup?

[James D. Marco-2]

You can also google it, if not Bill's exact chair.
        Thanks!
                jdm
At 10:15 PM 11/5/2009, you wrote:

>Lemme see if I can take some over the weekend.
>
>What is the best way to distribute them to this group?  Is there a
>posting area somewhere?
>
>Bill
>
>thelimsndavis wrote:
>> Do you have any pics of your chair setup?
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>
>+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+
>BackpackingLight Mailing List
>To unsubscribe, send a blank message to:
>BackpackingLight-unsubscribe@...
>
>Post messages by E-mailing them to:
>BackpackingLight@...
>+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

James Marco
Computer Operations Manager, Desktop Support
Biomedical Engineering and
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Cornell University
B78A Olin Hall,
Ithaca,  NY  14853
Office: 255-7312

[Bill-182]

thelimsndavis wrote:

>  
>
> Do you have any pics of your chair setup?
>
> >
> > Hi Bill, thanks for all the details! I'll have to get my hands on
> some Tyvek
> > and give it a try. ...............................
> >
> > Sue
>
>
>

I made another chair using the constrictor knot instead of the lashing,
as I suggested in my previous post.  In the group's photo area, look for
an album entitled "Bill's Tyvek Field Chair".  The pics are not the
greatest, but I hope they communicate the idea effectively.  For some
reason they uploaded out of order, but they are numbered so just follow
the sequence.

Here are the updated instructions:

Bill's Tyvek Field Chair

1) Get a piece of Tyvek 3 feet wide and about as tall as you are.  A
little narrower is ok, but it sells in 3 foot widths.  A little shorter
is ok too.  You can trim it once the chair is finished.

2) Run it through the washer agitate cycle without detergent.  Once
through is enough, about 10 minutes.  I haven't seen much difference
between hot & cold water.  You might need to push it down into the water
until it softens up and stays on its own.  If some of the ink rubs onto
the agitator, you can remove it with alcohol.

3) Pinch up one end of the Tyvek into a point.  Try to fan it out so it
stays flat across the fabric as it leaves the pinch.  

4)Tie a double constrictor knot very tightly to keep the Tyvek pinched.  Use braided nylon mason's twine to tie this knot.

5) Take a fairly long piece of paracord and tie a double constrictor knot on top of the mason's twine.  Pull it tight!  Use the long ends to tie a square knot on top of the constrictor so it won't work loose.  You should still have two flying ends about a foot long.

The chair is done!  To use it....

1) Collapse your poles and stand them together.  Use the two flying ends
of cord and tie an ordinary shoestring knot around the pole grips.  Tie
it tight!

2) Fan out the pole points to make an A frame for the chair back.

3) Stand on the fabric and set the poles down, keeping the fabric
reasonably taut.  Settle down into a sitting position on the chair.
While you're sitting in it, you can reach back to adjust the poles for
maximum comfort.  It takes a little tweaking to get it comfortable.  For
napping, the X of the poles can form a nice crutch to rest your head.
You'll find the chair is a bit slippery until you get some dirt worked
into it.

4) If you want real luxury, take your CCF sleeping pad and put it on the
chair before getting on.  That's excellent on cold or rough ground.

I keep the chair at the bottom of my pack under some bungee.  That way
it's instantly available, and it takes the abrasion when I set my pack
down, instead of the pack.  The fabric also works as a sit pad on damp
ground, and as a footprint to keep my kitchen kit off the dirt.  I've
been able to sit snoozing against a tree in light rain, waiting for the
rest of my crew to come back from a side hike, with the extra fabric
folded over my legs keeping me dry.