Who uses a pop-up ground blind? How 'bout for a hasty shelter?

[Couger]

 
Does anyone here use a pop-up ground blind?  They fold up with their fiberglas poles built into them!
 
They're portable, somewhat lightweight, would certainly shed rain or a light snowfall ......
 
I picked one up on sale from Cabela's, and after getting it woundered if it could serve as an expedient shelter, provided one was dressed warm enough, maybe with a sleeping bag as well?
 
I paid @$40 for mine, and if I was trying to walk home during a crisis, but had to abandon it for whatever reason before I made it all the way home, would NOT be too great of a loss.
 
I like this blind, even if its not going to last many seasons. 
 
Thoughts please?

[kynardsj]

Would certainly beat sleeping under a tree somewhere. I also have one but mine is the camo folding chair that has a blind attached to it. Not enough room to dance around but in a rain it would keep me dry and my butt would be off the ground.

[Ranger99]

i have several i use.
mine are the kind with the spring
steel hoops that you finagle and
it goes into a compact little bundle
and when you want to set up, you
just let it unfurl itself.
none of mine have a floor, so if
i had a choice i'd rather use one
of the 25.00 dome tents i have.
plus the tents are screened for
ventilation without bugs.


the blind would be an option for
a discreet place to crash if low
key was a factor. my blinds aren't
large enough to lay down flat in,
so i'd guess you have to use a
lounge chair or something.

[PowPow]

Got caught in the rain in my one man chair blind once.
Just stood up in it, grabbed it by the armrests, and walked to the car.
Probably looked like a giant mushroom with legs, but I was dry.

[Old Syko]

Got caught in the rain in my one man chair blind once.
Just stood up in it, grabbed it by the armrests, and walked to the car.
Probably looked like a giant mushroom with legs, but I was dry.

This was about the time of all those bigfoot sightings wasn't it.   

[GrassLakeRon]

I have used them now for more then ten years.  First if your live near trees then the camo is a plus.  Only during long hard rains do they start to drip.  Weight is an issue but most are in a tevek style backpack which has room to put other gear.

Ron

[Couger]

I have used them now for more then ten years.  First if your live near trees then the camo is a plus.  Only during long hard rains do they start to drip.  Weight is an issue but most are in a tevek style backpack which has room to put other gear.  Ron

Thanks Ron.  Sounds sensible.     Was also looking over eBay for one person/two person "tents" and several things showed up, including smallish one and two man bicyling "tents" and even one man camo'd military tents.  There were also bivy shelters that looked TOO SMALL and VERY COLD if needed in the wintertime and snow.
 
I don't know that a ground blind is thee way to go!  But they show ideas along with the lightweight, bicycler/hiker-special shelters! 
 
What I also imagine doing (besides having a smallish 2-person tent, is having "seasonal" tarps (in their correct color) so if I was hoofing it home in spring, maybe a green camo'd one would make more sense in April or May than the snow-color'd one for December or January.
 
The extreme scenario I imiagine if I got seperated from my vehicle, is that roads are dangerous (if still passable) and roadblocks are common.  This would be many hours if "am event" occurred or martial law was declared, etc.
 
Plus I have never thought when hoofing it home that hitching a ride would be necessarily smart, altho all possibilities shouldn't be ruled out ahead of time.
 
But still I WOULD NOT be too gregarious and flock to any and every crowd/s I saw!
 
Hence the reason to be able to lay-low hiding in a shelter (and warm clothing and a bag) if it was necessary. 

[GrassLakeRon]

I don't know your situation but I think you told me at one point.  Mine is urban then open country for 26 miles.  If I stick to the highway it is a straight shot.  No real cover but 26 miles.  At 3 miles per hour, 9 hours or so, assuming I had not covered any in my car.  The back roads and open farm fields would give me little cover plus land owners not wanting people on their land.  There is some covered state land but would take me way out of the way.  I would think that a small tarp with some rope would keep you dry and would not take up to much space.  I think if you didn't want to draw attention then a school backpack or fanny pack would do.  A fanny pack like the one Remington sells is molle compatible with several small pouches and one large one.  These can be concealed with a longer coat.  The large pouch will fit a 10x10 tarp and 50' rope.  That is what is in mine.  The others have several Altoids type kits for water filtration , first aid, fishing, and fire starting.  It all weighs less then 5 pounds.  With my filson Mac on you can't see them.  That and a handgun and you could make it home with your bases covered.  Just a thought.

Ron

[mannyrock]

 
   Interesting idea, but I think the pop-up blind is designed in exactly the opposite direction from what you would want.  It is rectagular and upright, highly vulnerable to wind, hard rain and cold.  A low dome type tent is specifically designed to counteract all of theses these problems and is used by mountaineers on Everest.   
 
   If you had a really light small dome tent, in camo, plus a wool blanket cut in half, then you could probably make it through alot of severe weather in good shape.
 
   It seems to me that a tarp with a rope is the worst possible solution.  It is solves none of these problems, and is basically 2,000 year old technology.
 
Mannyrock

[Couger]

 
Good comments!
 
I didn't specifiy exactly ...... the idea of using a seasonal tarp for add'l cover where possible (between two trees), would be to divert rain or snow as it was suspended [by rope] between the trees.
 
Hopefully most "camps" would be in outta-the-way, hard to see locations.
 
Laying low and resting by day, traveling at night or low light would be the desired traveling technique especially if mobs were moving about (and any LEO dragnets).
 
Along with a lightweight pop-up shelter (combined with) one's backpack, one's whole outfit would hopefully be kept as close to or under 20 pounds!  (designing such provisions to be carried on foot, versus a hoss or big cushy sporty warm truck!    )
 
Where I live we have many types of cover (usually) unless one is in farmland which is flat and always VERY muddy.  Skaget Valley (of Skaget Co, WA) is a somewhat vast valley that raises a huge number of flowers as well as local produce and grains.  My state actually brags that it raises more tulips (and bulbs for export) than all of Holland combined!  But I digress.
 
A generic pop-up tent or shelter methinks would be best with a brown, green, marsh grass, stubble-colored, or grey-of-some-kind background!  Of course if one was able to "match" a camo pattern to his specific area, that would be ideal!
 
But when perusing fleeBay recently, I specifcally eliminated a handsome light blue tent from consideration (and any bright colored red, orande or yellow tents) because they show up just by glancing at the countryside!
 
I haven't used it often, but coloring golf balls or arrow veins (feathers) SKY BLUE makes them incredibly easy to see against the ground!  Making the arrows and golf balls easrier to find.    *
 
*Usually I cringe whenever I see some nimrod who camps with brightly colored gear!  Same with people who drive bright cars! (ticket magnets    ).

[Ranger99]

the dome tents i have were bought a good while
back so they didn't cost as much as one would now,
but they are way more comfortable and weather
resistant than one of the popup blinds i use.
weather resistant as in easier to ventilate and
having a floor and lower profile to shrug off
high winds as was mentioned earlier.
even though they aren't cammo, they aren't
brightly colored and could be quickly brushed
over or a cammo net could be tossed over the top.
my blinds are also made of a less durable material
than my tents. i'd hate to have to sleep regularly
in one of my blinds because of the lack of room
to lay down flat. if i were having to e&e across
the country side, i believe i'd want a bivy sack
for my sleeping bag, or my nylon pack tarp and
sleeping bag, or the old poncho and liner deal.
might be a deal where you would have to jump up
and leave everything, or if you had time , to wad
up your bag and groundsheet and boogie out of
dodge. likely be little time to gather up a tent.
and i'd stay clear of any highways or roads.
maybe stay close enough to see what gives.
low key and stealth would be the word of the day.

[GrassLakeRon]

Do remember if you only need it to get home and home is within a day or so walk, then pack a tarp.  If you need several days or weeks go with something different.  Honestly how much sleep will you get in a shtf issue?  None.  If I remember your near Seattle right?  Urban with some rural..... grey tarp to blend in with the concrete then green for the country side.

Ron