Odd Man
Thru Hiker
Below is the link with instructions, but they are in Finnish. If someone is interested, I can help with the translation.
http://www.kettunet.com/loue-tee-itse/
Loue - Finnish open fire tarp
- Thread starter Odd Man
- Start date
Below is the link with instructions, but they are in Finnish. If someone is interested, I can help with the translation.
http://www.kettunet.com/loue-tee-itse/
Odd Man
Thru Hiker
There are certain precautions of course.
I've slept in this kind of tarp in the middle of the winter
and we had a fire, which was two full tree trunks cut to about 2m length and fixed on top of each other with the fire burning in-between them, called rakovalkea, a traditional Lapp winter fire. This was a safe distance away from the shelter, but close enough to keep us warm throughout the night. Mind you this was 33 years ago and my sleeping bag was 100% cotton down bag.
Teepee
Thru Hiker
They are nice shelters until the wind swings round and turns your Loue into a smoke and leaf filled parachute. 
Not such an issue in Finland as it's not the windiest place on the planet.
My winter hammock tarp is made from the same 3oz Vihe fabric. It does the same job as a fire reflector if needed but closes up for storms. It always mazes me how warm it is inside compared to non reflectives.
Sjöfallet hängmatta
@OwenM it's quite a thick metallized coating and seems to be pretty much spark proof.
Not such an issue in Finland as it's not the windiest place on the planet.My winter hammock tarp is made from the same 3oz Vihe fabric. It does the same job as a fire reflector if needed but closes up for storms. It always mazes me how warm it is inside compared to non reflectives.
Sjöfallet hängmatta@OwenM it's quite a thick metallized coating and seems to be pretty much spark proof.
Odd Man
Thru Hiker
They are nice shelters until the wind swings round and turns your Loue into a smoke and leaf filled parachute.
We'd still stink like a tar barrel after each trip and that includes all the gear and when unpacked the whole house. Luckily we have saunas which act as great drying rooms with plenty of space and the smell of burn wood is not out of place.
OwenM
Thru Hiker
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@OwenM it's quite a thick metallized coating and seems to be pretty much spark proof.
Interesting, does that add much to the weight?
Teepee
Thru Hiker
Yes, it seems to. Although I don't know, it feels like an extra Oz/sqm.
With the extra darkness hours of winter, that reflective surface makes it a lovely bright (and also warm) place to spend time. The fabric stays much cooler than a non relective when there is a fire burning as it reflects the heat back instead of absorbing it.
The fabric seems to hit the sweet spot beween the fire resistance of cotton and the water repellency of synthetics.
That one is 3 x 3.3m and weighs 1300g.
It's tough stuff thoughand as you can see, I have to account for snowbombs and heavy snowfall/trips/ski damage.
The Loue is a lovely style of shelter, and my backpacking tents are similar in design, just with doors.