A loue is an ultra-light Finnish open tent

Tent

A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using guy ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs...

 used to give shelter from wind and rain during rest stops or over-night camping during hikes

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

. Loues are popular as one or two person shelters because they are compact, light (2.2 lbs or 1 kg) and can be set up and taken down quickly.

A loue consists of a roughly conical section of fabric with the bottom edge grounded by stakes and the tip raised with a single pole. Young trees may be used temporarily to suspend the fabric without doing permanent damage.

It's possible to use a camp fire for warmth and cooking, provided that the loue is upwind. In the summertime, a mosquito net

Mosquito net

A mosquito net offers protection against mosquitos, flies, and other insects, and thus against diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and various forms of encephalitis, including the West Nile virus, if used properly and especially if treated with an insecticide, which can double...

may be used for comfort.

External links

• Example of erected loue http://www.kotiposti.net/viherto/kuvat/Loue.jpg
• Instructions how to make one in Finnish http://koti.netplaza.fi/~hw1/loude.htm
• Commercial manufacturers:
  • Finn-Savotta http://www.finn-savotta.fi/index.php?kieli=2
  • Vihe Vaellus (Finnish) http://www.kotiposti.net/viherto/