Screen Tent
THE SCREEN tent is
perfect for a dining shelter or as a camp kitchen
shelter, as long as you are not trying to cook on a wood fire.
It usually does not have a floor, so you stand on the grass or
sit in chairs.
Camping stoves are okay for cooking in a screen tent; just
keep the flames well clear of the side walls. Of course,
if the flames ever touch the tent roof, then you're in deep,
deep trouble!
Tent fires are very dangerous, they
can flare up in seconds. So, please, be aware and be
careful when cooking inside.
Your screen tent will be used for dining, cooking or
working, you will need some furniture. Squatting or sitting on
the grass is uncomfortable as well as being
impractical. You will probably need a folding table
and some camp chairs, just for a start. Having a two
burner propane gas stove turns your shelter into a
real kitchen area. I'd have a couple of buckets for carrying
fresh water, and a plastic tub for doing the washing up
afterwards.
Washing-up water can be heated in a large pot or kettle, but
a propane gas camping water heater can really make life easy at
camp. Some water heaters even work in conjunction
with a 12v battery-powered pump to give you a hot shower when
you want one. That's a real touch of luxury when you are miles
away from civilization.
Other items to consider for your screen tent are an ice
cooler (we call these an Esky here in Australia) or a
propane gas-powered fridge-freezer to keep your meat and dairy
foods as fresh as possible. A camping lantern (which can be
battery-powered or run on fuel) will allow you to use the area
in the early morning before sunrise and after nightfall.
Remember that bugs are attracted to lights, so be sure your
insect screens stay closed and that any rips and tears in
the canvas are repaired a.s.a.p.
Of course, if you have an electric generator or are at a
campground with mains electricity, you are laughing. You'll be
able to run ordinary household appliances there as well.
Other uses for these portable screen shelters are as
temporary command posts for emergency personnel dealing with a
large incident. For example, firefighters dealing
with large forest fires (bush fires to us
Aussies) or groups conducting search and rescue. The
commanders and radio operators need comfortable
well-lit shelter to plot the action on maps and co-ordinate
proceedings via two-way radio communications. A
purpose-built, air-conditioned communications vehicle is
great, but not every organization has that kind of
funding.
Some pop up tents designed for beach use don't have bug
screens at all. Instead they act as a windbreak and give
you a shady spot to leave the cooler box with your picnic lunch
and six pack.
Some tents take a lot of work to set up correctly, others
are quick and simple to put up, like pop up tents.
Safety Warning:
Make sure you have plenty of air circulation when
using a camp stove or a portable heater. If there
is not enough air, you'll die of carbon monoxide
poisoning. |
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