DX Activation Plans
Part 7
Shelters
Second only to the radio kit itself, the most important piece of kit to carry when out doing a DX Activation is a shelter of some kind. As you may be some distance from any form of man made cover and you will need to protect both your self and your radio equipment from wind, rain or sun a shelter of some kind is essential.
Basha/Tarpaulin
Polish Lavvu
One Person Tent
There are single skin tents that are really cheap nowadays. There are also super lightweight one man tents which although more expensive can provide good cover for either a temporary shelter or an overnight camp.
A single skin tent has no flysheet and so is easy to erect and because of the lack of extra sheets and poles can be fairly compact and light in weight. So where weight and bulk are important factors when considering what to carry in a backpack.
A small tent can be relatively water tight and provide a fully enclosed compartment which can be ideal for shelter in moderately heavy winds and rain and can provide good shelter for you and your radio equipment in heavier weather.
With your pack already laden down with your radio equipment and other types of kit different options around packing some kind of shelter are possible.
Basha/Tarpaulin
The most lightweight and compact shelter system is most likely to be a similar tarpaulin. Favoured by military personnel around the world, a single waterproof sheet can be erected in a number of different configurations for different weather requirements. They can be packed down into a very small space and will add very little to your overall pack weight.
Polish Lavvu
Another popular choice for temporary shelters is the polish lavvu. Used originally by the Polish Army these shelters can be created by combining two army ponchos.
Constructed from a heavy duty canvas material the polish lavvu comes in at some considerable extra weight when co pared to the army basha but has the added benefit of bring completely self supporting thanks to the collapsable pole which comes with it.
This means that there is no need to carry additional poles, cordage or bungees which are required for some basha configurations.
The power lush lavvu creates a fully enclosed shelter which does a great job at shielding you from wind and rain and could be a useful alternative to a tent in some situations.
One Person Tent
There are single skin tents that are really cheap nowadays. There are also super lightweight one man tents which although more expensive can provide good cover for either a temporary shelter or an overnight camp.
A single skin tent has no flysheet and so is easy to erect and because of the lack of extra sheets and poles can be fairly compact and light in weight. So where weight and bulk are important factors when considering what to carry in a backpack.
A small tent can be relatively water tight and provide a fully enclosed compartment which can be ideal for shelter in moderately heavy winds and rain and can provide good shelter for you and your radio equipment in heavier weather.
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