Tent

[Psywar1-0]

Many years ago when half the Brit Army was camped on Ft Bragg for a Purple Dragon exercise I traded my beret for a "SAS" poncho hooch. Very small in pack space(smaller than a 1000ml IV Bag) yet big enough when set up to cover me and my ruck. It also intergrates quite well with my hammock. After the Brits left General Jacksons was making copies for awhile. You might be able to pick one of them up there.

[Fiercely Loyal]

When I first got to my unit the first weekend we went out to the woods I brought my LBE, poncho, extra uniforms, the works. Well as I am trying to make my in shelter out of some logs and a poncho I hear tons of laughter. Unbeknownst to me, Aviators do not do that sort of thing. Within ten minutes they were out of uniform and setting up civilian tents near the water. Shortly there after a radio was blaring and steaks on the bbq. So to be honest in my military career I have only seen tents or nice barracks. However if I am camping on my own in the winter, I'll take a snow cave over a tent any day.

[7624U]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

I have but only a couple of times and only in sub-zero temps.

10th Group soldiers are the experts in the tent area.

TS

Only time 10th use's them is in Alpine training, high elavation, No Snow, Rocky ground, If we have good Snow fall we always make Snow Caves.

Here at Mackall I Use a Crazy Creek Hamock with a Tarp From WalMart for over head cover.

[Ret10Echo]

Originally Posted by 7624U

Only time 10th use's them is in Alpine training, high elavation, No Snow, Rocky ground, If we have good Snow fall we always make Snow Caves.

More snow is better....Tree pit works pretty good if you have the right environment. Snow trench can work in a pinch, but if it isn't deep enough (snow isn't deep enough) it is a suck-fest. Been there.

Echo-tats were issued but I am not sure anyone ever really set one up on the team.

Dome tents with 3-fly system were pretty nice, with a vestibule and cold-hole you can hooch-up pretty comfortably. Downside is the weight unless you were pulling a deer-sled or polk it's a lot, but you do what you have to.

[RTK]

The only times I've used my shelter half was at NTC in the contonement area. EVERYONE had to set them up. They were more concerned with the damn shelter halves being dress right dress than they were about the guerrillas at the gate.

The rest of the time I'm either in a Bradley, a HMMWV, or an OP. No tents there.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Desert Fox

.....I was thinking more about winter and arctic conditions.

Well, there was this time at 20 below that we had North Face two man tents, light tan in color, in our rucks. We also had GorTex sleeping bag covers.

For two weeks the Tents stayed in the rucks and the Covers stayed off the bags.

Oh, wait. We used one of the tents to cover over an OP. They were on an open slope with no snow and some bare tan colored rocks. Prior to BMNT we put the guys in their sleeping bags and covered them with the tent - no poles of course. They sat out there all day and got what they needed with nobody the wiser. So, I guess the tent came in handy that trip.

[SF_BHT]

Used one at NTC once when we had to wait 1 week before the exercise started. Probably the funniest thing in the world watching 6 SF guys trying to figure out a GP Med Tent. It got set up but was a little painful. Never used on during a Opn in all my years.

[x SF med]

Originally Posted by Ret10Echo

More snow is better....Tree pit works pretty good if you have the right environment. Snow trench can work in a pinch, but if it isn't deep enough (snow isn't deep enough) it is a suck-fest. Been there.

Echo-tats were issued but I am not sure anyone ever really set one up on the team.

Dome tents with 3-fly system were pretty nice, with a vestibule and cold-hole you can hooch-up pretty comfortably. Downside is the weight unless you were pulling a deer-sled or polk it's a lot, but you do what you have to.

Snow caves and snow holes on wintex... (winter warfare back in the old days).

Ecotats - heavy, made a good ecw bivvy sack, but they never issued enough poles to create a shelter/tent, and there were never any instructions/training on how to set the f***ers up. I will have nightmares tonight, thanks Ret10...

[Snaquebite]

I carried a small tent on a 50 miler once with 10th Group, but quickly dumped it once I figured out snow caves/holes and how much more warmer and comfortable they are.

[long trail]

Originally Posted by Psywar1-0

Many years ago when half the Brit Army was camped on Ft Bragg for a Purple Dragon exercise I traded my beret for a "SAS" poncho hooch. Very small in pack space(smaller than a 1000ml IV Bag) yet big enough when set up to cover me and my ruck. It also intergrates quite well with my hammock. After the Brits left General Jacksons was making copies for awhile. You might be able to pick one of them up there.

I believe you are refering to thier Basha shelter..I have two in DPM...One is a Brit made copy and my other is the real thing measuring 8x11 feet and will fold up small enough to fit in a BDU pocket. Great pice of kit.


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...t/p1013130.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...t/p1013131.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...t/p1013135.jpg

[Diablo Blanco]

Anyone ever camoflaged a hooch so well you couldn't find it?

Twice...

Once in basic, we set up our hooches and I chose a perimeter spot. I woke up to light shining through. I poked my head out and didn't see anyone else or their hooches. Panic! That was probably the fastest I ever packed a ruck. I ran out to Malone road and there was the rest of the company in formation waiting to move out. DS's looked surpised, they didn't do a proper headcount and didn't notice one was missing. They just told me to fall in. Nothing ever came of it.

Second time, my team built a hide on the side of a hill we could all fit in for our OPFOR ops. We spent about an hour camoflaging it. We chose a location that was a generic as could be and not in natural lines of drift. We left for an ambush and came back later and couldn't find it for another hour. Apparently we had built it so structurally sound we were standing on it!

[BigJimCalhoun]

Originally Posted by 7624U

Only time 10th use's them is in Alpine training, high elavation, No Snow, Rocky ground, If we have good Snow fall we always make Snow Caves.
.

I am considering backpacking in for my elk hunt this year. Given my skillset, I am thinking a tent will be better than improvising with onsite materials. I am not sure if there will be a enough snow for a snow cave - hopefully there will be no snow.

Right now I only have the family cabin tent - not a small light one.

[Combat Diver]

Only once did I use a tent during a training exercise and that was in the Alps during a blizzard. Operational always a poncho hoch, snow cave or holes in the desert. Have used tents during 1-2 week range/dive operations. Those were either GP mediums or their replacement ARFABs.
CD

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Korea, in February.

I build a mean Poncho hootch, but at 53 below and snowing, you better have something a little better.

TR

Amen, amen. You have never been cold until you've been cold in Korea.
You find yourself a rice paddy dike and set up on the lee side. Stomp, kick out the snow, Lay your poncho down. Inflate your store boughten therma-rest. Shake out your old chicken feather sleeping bag. Put your poncho liner inside. Sit down on it. Take off your boots - put the soles together and place them between your bag and the therma-rest with the toes pointed down so they are between your knees. (Keep swishing your feet around inside the bag).
Take off your helmet and replace with a watch cap. This next step you have to do fast! Take off your field jacket, rezip it, stick your feet in it, and wrap the arms loosely around. Replace feet and legs inside poncho liner and inside sleeping bag. Zip up the bag (almost) as quick as you can. Wiggle around to warm up the air. Reach out and pull your shelter half over the whole thing. Try to keep your nose and mouth exposed. Take off your golves, put them where you can find them. Unfasten your belt and trousers. Stuff your hands down there (don't worry you won't) Oh and your canteens go inside too. If in the middle of the night you wake up hot, kick straight up cuz it probably snowed on you.

At -50F your spit will freeze before it hits the ground. The good thing is you really can't tell the difference after about -30F

[ZonieDiver]

Panama doesn't look so bad anymore...