Recent content by hjcruger

  1. hjcruger

    Inhereted a singer - beginner project suggestions welcome

    There are a lot of fun projects to get started. My first project was making rags with roll hems out a spent flannel. Making dry bags is also an easy project once you're comfortable with the machine that will save you a lot of money compared to buying retail. Here's a video walking through that...
  2. hjcruger

    One-man Shelter

    I haven't been able to get out into the field with it yet. That being said, leaving it pitched for a few hours in the lawn left some condensation from the grass. I haven't been in a shelter with a single layer of fabric that doesn't get some condensation on the inside, but it's never been a...
  3. hjcruger

    Sewing with Paracord Loops

    Hi, everyone. I see a lot of shelters that have paracord sewn into the seams, both as tieouts and means of tying doors up. Has anyone had any luck sewing paracord into seams, and in particular, flat felled seams? I've sewed a bit of cord into the face of fabric by hand before, but I've never...
  4. hjcruger

    One-man Shelter

    Yes, I am considering that. There's plenty of room inside without guy lines coming off the walls so I may not pursue that modification, but it would be relatively easy to do. If I do add those tabs, it will look the same as the corner tieouts with a circular ballistic nylon patch sewed into the...
  5. hjcruger

    One-man Shelter

    This is the fabric I used. It's supposed to be quite a bit stronger than Plain Jane silnylon, and it has a higher waterproof rating than most non-poly coated fabrics. As far as shelter size goes, I think that depends on your hunting style and whether you prioritize mobility over comfort. I...
  6. hjcruger

    One-man Shelter

    I definitely had problems with my feet and/or head touching with most of the pitches I've tried. In the top photo of my flat tarp with the pyramid pitch, I had to curl my sleeping pad and body around my trekking pole to fit inside the shelter. An a-frame pitch resolves that problem, but it...
  7. hjcruger

    One-man Shelter

    I had no idea that existed until your comment prompted me to look it up. Nearly identical design and specs (aside from weight, with mine being a fair bit lighter). I was actually trying to make something that was akin to a paratarp with an annex, but all one piece.
  8. hjcruger

    One-man Shelter

    I do use it during the early season, but the places I hunt are pretty cold that time of year so bugs aren't much of an issue. The picture below is from the last week in September last fall. That being said, I lived out of a tarp in Grand Teton National Park for three weeks this summer while...
  9. hjcruger

    One-man Shelter

    Something like 9.5' x 9.5'. The fabric is usually 58"-60" wide, and I made a square out of two pieces of fabric. You lose some to the seams and hemmed edges. As far as getting into sewing goes, youtube is your friend. I had never sewed until the fall of 2018. As a graduate student, I don't have...
  10. hjcruger

    One-man Shelter

    That's quite a shelter. What weight fabric is that? Looks like some sub 1.0 ounce Dyneema.
  11. hjcruger

    One-man Shelter

    For the last couple seasons, I've been running a flat tarp that served as my first sewing project. It's served me incredibly well as the pictures below show, but I've been wanting something that suits my hunting style a bit better. I like to hunt until dark with camp on my back, kick out a...
  12. hjcruger

    Tipi Time Activities

    Howdy, everyone. I've wrapped up my deer season without a deer but with a whole lot of new knowledge about mule deer. I have a cow elk hunt coming up in November, but I won't be hauling a rifle in with me until Thanksgiving week. My dad is coming out from Vermont to tag along, and I have no...
  13. hjcruger

    An Unusual Boot Recommendation: Danner IronSofts

    A lot of guys will badmouth these boots just because they are Danners. Others might think I'm crazy because I'm recommending a boot meant for working on concrete floors for backcountry hunting. Let me explain. When I bought these I was a college student with little money, and now I'm a graduate...
  14. hjcruger

    Metcalf load shelf

    I know exactly what you're talking about. I use my pack a bit differently than most. The lab I work for does sensory ecology work, and we often have to haul RV AGM batteries into the mountains to power playback speakers. I often haul 2 batteries at a time, which comes out to a little over 130...
  15. hjcruger

    What's the smallest mule deer buck you would shoot?

    This year I decided I was going to hunt hard and go for a big buck. After a couple days of not seeing anything 8 miles back, a buck popped out above me while I was hiking. As soon as I saw antlers I dropped down on a rock and anchored him. I had no idea how big he was until I walked up to him...
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