Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Just in Time for Christmas!



I acquire gear like some women stock up on shoes. And like some of those women, I may get something and then wait a long time before I actually use it. Such was the case with the Swack-Shack. I got this piece of WonderGear some time ago but I just didn’t have time, couldn’t find time, wouldn’t make time to go play with my new toy.

Well recently I took the time to do some Woods Walkin’ with my new puppy to the far reaches of the realm were we set up camp, hung out, and howled back a coyotes. Well, I did, Mahdi barked back.



So just what is this “Swack-Shack”? To call it a tarp would be to do it a grave injustice. To those in the know, it is more properly called a “basha” and it was designed by a friend of mine, George Jasper who wrote the most excellent book, 6 Ways In, 12 Ways Out and with whom I sometimes work. The basha is 8.5 feet long and over 7 feet wide – it is big. But it folds up small as you can see. It folds up much smaller and is much lighter than the two ponchos I used to carry. It is made of rip-stop nylon, is very light weight and comes with multiple, very well made loops and grommets to allow for a variety of tie out options. You can see more pictures, read more details, and yes, order a couple for Christmas here: Survival Solutions



The Swack-Shack stood up to a mild rain with absolutely no problems. I was in a hammock and I was completely covered and remained completely dry. I had seam sealed it when I first got it and I suggest you do the same – Sur-Sol who runs Survival Solutions also sells the stuff for very reasonable prices. His customer service is excellent and he is not just a merchant – he is a practitioner of the arts of preparedness and survival.



Due to the numerous grommets and loops, this piece of kit just begs to be played with. I typically set up my hooches as depicted in the other photos but as I was packing up I decided to see if I could make a tipi by suspending it from the center loop. I did and it would have made a nice hasty shelter to eat lunch under or take a nap or what not.

So there ya go – a great piece of kit, reasonably priced at $84, and it comes in a cammo pattern that will make your gear queer buddies drool. All this and just in time for Christmas!

And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts. - Numbers 1:52
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If you have any comments I’d love to hear them.
If they really interest me, I may even post them.
You can reach me at Joe

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2 Comments:

At 12/11/09 06:29, Blogger WoundedEgo said...

So how do you compare/contrast this with a "solar blanket" - the mylar sheet, such as you find here:

http://scientificsonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_3053604

Thanks for all of your informative postings.

 
At 12/11/09 07:15, Blogger Joe said...

There is very little comparison.
A mylar blanket is designed primaily to wrap about oneself to maintain body heat and reflect it back on you. Yes, they are waterproof. Yes, they can be used as a shelter - but not very well due to the fragility of the material.

The Swack Shack is designed to be used as an over head shelter. Rig it up to keep the elements off. Yes, it can be wrapped around one like a solar blanket - it will keep you dry and reflect some heat but this is not it's primary purpose.

 

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