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From: LVH
Category: Category 1
Date: 8/11/01
Time: 10:55:52 PM
Remote Name: 208.51.135.213
Rusty, I believe that if a fabric is vapor permeable (breathable) it will allow moisture in.Where I'm from in the north east there are periods of high heat and humidity (probably rare or not the case in the mid west or west ect.Due to the high moisture content of the air/ground I dont believe any fabric or combination of fabrics would have the ability absorb/release moisture fast enough to be practicle.I think the principle behind Gore Tex and similar fabrics is to provide (simply stated)small holes that would keep water out and allow vapor to pass through.Voodoo,B>S and smoke and mirrors!If the fabric holes are small enough to keep water out they are to small to let enough water vapor out to be practicle.If the holes are big enough to let a high volume of moisture out they would also let the water in unless of course its magic!I'm not being a wiseguy just making an observation.When these miracle fabrics came out and in fact up until recently , I bought many,many hundreds of dollars worth of these products.I wanted to believe and put the blinders on regarding my experiences.I always got wet and cold wearing these garments.From Quebec caribou to New Brunswick bears to countless days in a whitetail stand,stationary of moving the results were always the same - WET AND COLD ! My perspitation and normal body moisture always condensed on the inside of these garments.The only reason you dont notice it right away is because of the lining typicaly used in these garments.It keeps the moisture away from your skin until it becomes saturated and collects in the lower sleeves and waist area of the garment. It is impossible for warm moiste air to pass through a cold wet fabric without condensing on the inside!I also relied on the advertising by wearing these garments in dry,cold windy conditions.I froze my but off.Moisture never made it through the fabric.Several of my friends hunt in plain fleece,wool and polyester fill garments (all very inexpensive in Wall Mart ect).They stay warm and dry.They put on PVC or rubber rain suits when it rains and take them off when it stops.They stay warm and dry for a fraction of my expenses (thank God for Cabelas excellent return policy).I seriously urge everyone to stay away from the "breathable fabrics"They do not work! On to venting the tipi. Not being the sharpest tool in the shed it is somewhat difficult to describe my idea for venting the tipi.My proposal is to only remove "portholes" of tipi fabric from the panels between the pre existing seams toward the top of the tipi (not all the way to the top).This would leave plenty of fabric between the portholes for tipi support.Additional support would come from sewing the one piece tipi shaped porthole covering to the top of the tipi panels then sewing it all as one unit into the nose cone.The covering is then sewn between the portholes along the existing seams effectively doubling the fabric strength between the portholes.Minimal additional strength would come from replacing the removed porthole fabric with mosquito netting.There would be no additional seam sealing as you would be stitching the same areas as exist in the current manufacturing process and then sealing the same seams.As for the bug problem if the netting keeps the bugs from coming in the doors then it should keep the bugs from getting in through the portholes.As for additional weight,the mosquito netting replaces fabric removed from the tipi , thats a push.The fabric used in the ultralight tents is so lightweight that a few extra feet at the top of the tipi would add a couple ounces at best (I bought an 8X10 foot tarp of the same material as is used in the tipi from Camp Mor and wouldnt notice the difference if it fell out of my pocket).As for the Mechanical means to hold the window open ,I would use short sections of carbon arrows as pegs to hold them open.They weigh practicaly nothing.The shoe lace sized grommets needed to slide the arrow through the tipi wall (in and out) weigh less then a gob of spit.The same with the small strips of Velcro used to hold the window closed when not in use.As far as adding to difficulty of manufacture Patrick and co seem to be some of the sharper tools in the shed !After heaps a plenty of playing (I mean field testing)the final alterations would add an hour to the process.As far as the cost , make it an option to be paid for according to its value.I'll take a second job to pay for something if its worth it! For your consideration LVH