How do I Make a Whelen Lean-To?
Col. Townsend Whelen, an avid outdoorsman and U.S. Army infantryman, invented the Whelen lean-to in 1925. Its ingenious design keeps its occupant warm and dry with a bare minimum of materials or encumbrance, keeping with Whelen's desire to remain as close to nature as possible. According to Track of the Wolf, the Whelen lean-to sells for $240 to $300 (as of August 2010), but you can make your own Whelen lean-to with nothing more than a sturdy sheet of plastic and some small, metal grommets.
Things You'll Need
- 20-foot by 12-foot sheet of plastic, at least .6 millimeters thick
- 26 3/8-inch metal grommets
- Tape Measure
- Grommet tool
- Scissors
- Felt-tipped marker
- Hammer
- Duct tape
Instructions
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1
Spread the plastic sheet out on a dry, flat surface such as a driveway or patio. From the left-hand, long-side edge, measure 7 feet in and mark that point along the top edge of the sheet.
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2
With your marked point as the upper, left-hand corner, mark a box 6 feet wide by 2 1/2-half feet tall. Directly beneath that, mark another box 6 feet wide by 8 feet tall.
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3
Starting again at your first marked point, measure to the left 6 feet, 4 inches and down 5 feet, 6 inches and mark that point on the plastic. Then from the topmost right corner of the top box, measure 6 feet, 4 inches to the right and 5 feet, 6 inches down and mark that point.
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4
Draw a line between the marked point on each side of the large rectangular box to its corners on that side, creating a large triangle on each side of the box. Use your tape measure to ensure that your lines are straight.
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5
From the initial top left starting corner, measure 3 feet, 4 inches to the left and 1 foot, 3 inches down, marking the point with your marker. Then from the top, right-most corner of the top box, measure 3 feet, 4 inches to the right and 1 foot, 3 inches down and mark that point with your marker.
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6
Draw a line between the marked point on each side of the small rectangular box to its corners on that side, creating a small triangle on each side of the box. Use your tape measure to ensure that your lines are straight.
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7
Cut the plastic along the outermost edges that you've marked, forming a piece of plastic with two boxes in the center and two "wings" out to each side.
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8
Reinforce all edges of the plastic with a strip of duct tape, folding half of the tape over on each side of the plastic's edge. Place a strip of duct tape over the dividing line between the two center boxes as well. Complete the duct tape reinforcements by covering each edge and the center boxes strip twice.
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Install four grommets along each of the horizontal lines for the two rectangular boxes, one in each corner and the others spaced equally along the middle.
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10
Install two grommets into each of the small wings--one at the point of each triangle, and the other midway along each wing's lower edge.
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11
Install five grommets into each of the larger wings--one at the point of each triangle, and two spaced at equal distances along each edge.
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12
Erect the lean-to in the field by pitching it with a ridge pole, or by stringing it between two trees, with a central rope attached to the loops along the ridge line of the tent. Secure the joints by connecting matching grommets with string, plastic "zip strips" or with screws and nuts.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit tent site image by Mike & Valerie Miller from Fotolia.com
