Tents for Ground Teams

[hatentx]

well my two cents is that 2 ponchos and 2 tent poles are the best thing.  I hate the army shelter halves.  One less thing to carry when the ponchos are lighter and serve more than one use.  keep you dry, keep a PT out of the sun and slow heat sickness.  In the worse case it can be used as a make shift stretcher.  Only thing I could think of that would be better is having panels on one side and it would serve even more.  Now this is in Texas and those of you in the cold I am sure you need a little more protection but hey adjust fire and move on.

[mikeylikey]

Yes I live in upper PA just over the border from NY and I go to a squadron about an hour away when there is one a half hour away.

You CANT do that!  You are supposed to be a member of PAWG.  You just don't want to wear the orange ball cap, do you?!?!?!   

[Tubacap]

Pretty much the coolest GT Tent on the planet.

Plenty of room for you, you're gear and a little extra.  Has both matched footprints and insulated paw print.  Inflatable, and has replacement reservoirs instead of the poles needing patched.  5 1/2 pounds and 7"x14" when packed.  Pricey but high on my list of things to pay for very soon

I have seen one of these in person, its pretty amazing.

That is definitely the coolest tent I have ever seen.  Unfortunately, my wife was there when I saw it and got excited.  I was immediately denied. 

[ThorntonOL]

I used to live in NY and about 4 years ago. (About the time I became a Senior Member) my family moved over the border. Plus there are no units closer then two hours. (In PA) ((The NY ones are closer.))

[FlyingTerp]

I bought one of these from sportsmansguide.com

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=418291

Obviously, a fair weather, summer tent.

I haven't tried it yet, but for the price and size/weight I figured it was worth a try.

[JohnKachenmeister]

On actual missions, I have only had to stay out in the field once.

It was in Ohio, late fall, so it was not real cold.  There was a crash, and CAP was called in to locate it.  The aircrew spotted the wreckage, and the Highway Patrol got there before the Ground Team I was on was even fully loaded up.  (In fairness, the HP Station was about two miles south of the crash site.  They actually could have walked there and still beat us to the crash).

When the CAP team arrived, the Medics had already removed the survivor.  We waited with the HP for about an hour or so until the Coroner released the dead body, that of a 12-year old girl, the daughter of the pilot.

Once the body was gone, the HP said "Hasta la Vista, Baby!" and left us to protect the scene for the FAA/NTSB.  We pitched tents, set up a CQ/sentry schedule, and settled in for the night.

Frankly, for the few times we actually sleep under tentage, I can't see spending a lot of $$ for a tent.

[IceNine]

My wing tends to negotiate camp sites much better than actual facilities, so a decent tent is a must if you're a ground pounder of any type.  Likewise however there is usually the option of a hotel and on rare occasions college dorms, boy scout camps, and the like.  But again that is more of an exception than a rule, and I don't know many cadets that can foot the bill even if reimbursement is possible for a hotel. 

Which of course leaves some number of unfortunate seniors sleeping on the ground to take care of the cadets

[Thor]

Personally, I hate carrying a tent and sleeping pad. I have sleeping bag that packs down really good, but I hate the extra weight of the tent. Usually I will take a tarp and a couple milspec type ponchos so I can make a shelter if the weather is bad or if I'm really out in the boonies. If I'm in a park or something similar for a SAREX, I'll usually find a pavillion or something where I can spend the night; I'll lay down a tarp and use a camelbak as a pillow, it works well because you don't have to worry about packing anything up. I bought a Eureka single person tent yesterday; it's pretty compact and lightweight, so I'll be taking it along with me from now on.

[Al Sayre]

I've got a 2 man Bivy similar to this but it's a bit wider, floor is about 36" wide.  I've used it on a low 30's night and it was pretty comfortable...

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=328395

[isuhawkeye]

This is what I use for a bivy.  It's waterproof, light and you can get it for around 30.00 at a surplus store. 

With the nice handles you can use it as a hammock.

[_]

With the nice handles you can use it as a hammock.

or use it for it's intended use as a body bag for when a cadet annoys you a little too much

[isuhawkeye]

 :clap:

[JoeTomasone]

Well, just to resurrect this...

I have 2 CAP tents.


One is the "Chateau Tomasone" for regular bivouacs where the car is nearby.  It's a 6 man tent that comfortably holds an air mattress, gear, and a chair/table (if needed).  Obviously, this doesn't get carried.

For the 72 hour pack, I spent some $$$ (during that heady period of time BEFORE the economy went down the toilet!) and bought a very lightweight 1-man hiker tent -- a claustrophobic special to be sure -- but even on the ground it will beat getting eaten alive by flying or crawling things. 

[notaNCO forever]

 This is what I use.http://images.ems.com/media/images/products/210/21024/2102400/210240020/210240020_200-a_v1_m56577569830665853.jpg

I hiked with it for a week and had no problems with it.

[davidsinn]

Quick Question;

The packing list for 72 hour pack says you must bring shelter material and a tent.  I'm thinking that things like a tent and sleeping pad are not really needed.  When I went to NESA we spent overnight in shelters and that worked out pretty well for me.  So do we really need a tent and a bed roll when I will usually be in a forest and be making a hammock shelter.

Thanks,


C/SMSgt Jerry Jacobs

A poncho shelter is really all you need. A tent is overkill unless you are sleeping next to your car.