Tents for Ground Teams

[JesusFreak]

Here in Las Vegas, the closest thing we have to trees is Mount Charleston, barely But I really doubt we would get a mission to go there, unless it's a SAR. Either than that, we have deserts, mountains, and lots of cacti. A tent would really help if there is anyone who lives in the desert, unless you want to take your chances by setting up your shelter near a cactus.

Don't forget, we could, and have been called to Lake Tahoe and Ely. Elko and Winnnemcua are rather snowy in January. Also a call for assist in Northern AZ is always a distinct possibility. Flagstaff and East get a might bit cold in the winter.

True. I forgot about that. But you want to think on all three sides when your going on a mission, if there will be trees, and if there are, what happens if there aren't, any good trees around your area, and if there aren't any trees. So for those who live in areas that have mostly desert with some trees in an area near, it would be a good idea to put a small tent in your 72 hr pack just in case, like the one in The Hock Shop that is a two-man tent. You can use any normal poncho, but if you don't have trees to hang it up by, then it's only good for when it rains, if it rains that is.

[maverik]

how do you guys fold and carry your tents with poles? I have a standard army pup tent,but I have no clue how to pack it up so i can carry it at least six miles.

[Stonewall]

I have a standard army pup tent,but I have no clue how to pack it up so i can carry it at least six miles.

Step 1:  Get rid of standard army pup tent.

Step 2:  Learn to build a quality hooch with a mil-spec poncho (2 is better).

Step 3:  Mow lawns to earn money to buy a better tent.

[maverik]

Okay I can make the hooch but before I get rid of the tent may I ask why? Want tent would you suggest?

[Stonewall]

First, is this what you're calling an Army Pup Tent?



If so, it's actually called a "shelter half" because it's a 2-man system, each man carries half the tent.  Only time I stayed in one of these was at Army Basic Training and Infantry School. 

Why not?

1.  There is no bottom to the "tent".
2.  It's a heavy canvas.
3.  It's connected at the top by snaps that DO NOT keep out rain or snow
4.  It's bulky.
5.  You can have the same amount, if not more, protection and comfort from a poncho hooch which weighs about 1/3 of the weight.

There are lots and lots of different tents out there.  Just go to Gander Mountain, Dick's, EMS,  or REI (or whatever outdoor store you like) and take a look.  As a ground team member, you want something lightweight and durable as well as versatile. 

I have 3 tents and I think I showed pictures of them on page one of this thread.

I strongly suggest a tent with a good fly.  A fly is an outer shell that is water and wind proof.  You can put it on or keep it off depending on the weather.

Here is a picture of a tent with a full fly.

[Stonewall]

I just checked out REI and remembered that quality tents can cost quite a bit.  The Mountain Hardware tent that I carry most of the time costs about $325, but it is high quality and very light weight.  It's called a Skyledge.

Here is an awesome tent for $179.

[_]

First, is this what you're calling an Army Pup Tent?

I used shelter halves for several years.  Had fun with the condensation, needing to dig a trench around it when expecting rain, horrible ventilation, etc.  They are pretty nice in the winter though because they were a thicker material.  Several of the people in my old squadron had them.  During a winter training activity we put them all together and made a pill box type structure.  While everyone else was freezing we were quite comfortable. 

Ah the good ol days before I got a job and discovered REI.

Also the importance of a good tent with a good fly can not be overstated.  At a SAREX last weekend we had a lot of rain overnight.  By the morning there were quite a few indoor swimming pools. 

[Stonewall]

Also the importance of a good tent with a good fly can not be overstated.  At a SAREX last weekend we had a lot of rain overnight.  By the morning there were quite a few indoor swimming pools. 

+1

That last tent I bought, the Mountain Hardware lightweight tent, which costs about $300, was well worth the money.  In Virginia (Quantico, Ft. AP Hill, Ft. Pickett, Ft. Belvoir, Shenandoah Mtns, Massanutten Mtns and the like, got cold and wet.  that tent was so perfect because it was mostly mesh, but when I put the practically fully enclosed fly on, I didn't even know what the weather was like outside, nor did I care.

A good tent with a good fly can mean the difference in quality of rest you get, which could ultimately make huge difference on your physical stamina for day 2 or 3 of a multiple day mission.

[SarDragon]

My first time ever camping, I was on a w/e m/c trip in Japan, and slept in one of those shelter half things (solo). With a little advice from the Marine folks in the group, I actually had a pleasant, dry night. Soon thereafter, I acquired a better tent, and was even more comfortable.

[floridacyclist]

My kids and I got all of ours shelters for the bike ride from  www.hennesseyhammock.com as a partial sponsorship. Throw in a couple of hiking poles or saplings and you can make a half-useful tent out of it if nothing else is available.

Upside is that my back doesn't hurt in the slightest when I get up in the morning. Downside is that it's cold as all get-out unless you wrap a poncho liner or other insulation around it from the outside where your weight doesn't crush it flat. Oh yeah, and having my feet elevated after a long day standing causes the fluid to drain back into my body and makes me have to climb out every few hours to commune with nature.

[RiverAux]

Back in my skinnier days I used to do a lot of backcountry hiking for work and I managed pretty well with regular backpacking equipment, so thats what I've got in my CAP gear now.  You couldn't pay me enough to use an Army shelter half. 

Except for field training exercises, I bet it has been over a decade since anyone in my wing has had to hike away from the vehicle and camp out during an actual mission in the state.  I bet our ground teams would get quite a nasty surprise if they actually needed to do it for real. 

[Stonewall]

Except for field training exercises, I bet it has been over a decade since anyone in my wing has had to hike away from the vehicle and camp out during an actual mission in the state.  I bet our ground teams would get quite a nasty surprise if they actually needed to do it for real. 

Hopefully they're still training to such things (hiking, camping away from their vehicles, etc).  I personally have never had to camp away from a mission base.  In fact, only 2 or 3 times have I had to stay overnight at a mission base on extended missions over 21 years.  But, you still gotta train and have exercises that simulate the need for such capabilities.  The time to learn whether or not you can hump a pack with all your 24/72 hr gear is not during a REDCAP.

[floridacyclist]

It's not just about the missions or what it takes to prosecute one. More than likely, if I'm on a real mission (like in a hurricane zone), I'm going to be in my popup along with any team members I can fit in there with me comfortably...the rest can sleep in Le Hotel Du Ford. At that point, I'm more interested in getting quality rest so I can operate at my best, not showing how much I can take it like a cadet.

Let's be honest, for many of us camping is fun. If taking the cadinks camping with poncho shelters and hammocks while using map, compasses, and pacecounts to plow through two miles of palmettos to find geocaches as a team teaches them about leadership, teamwork, personal challenge, and pride in accomplishment, then I am all for it...which is why we spent this past weekend doing exactly that.  You can't learn these lessons from a book.

It is worth the itching in unmentionable places from all the bug bites to see them having fun, feeling proud, and being interested in CAP. We had even more of a payoff last night on the way home when we had a chance to talk about the need to rise above mediocrity and set the standards for the other cadets in all areas, not just ES....test scores, uniform wear, military bearing whatever...and in the interest of uniformity and team (squadron) cohesion, there are no orange ballcaps or white pistol belts allowed at the squadron meetings.

Personally, I think that the vast majority of saves in the ES program come not from the victims that have been rescued, but from the cadets that have found some sort of purpose in being in CAP.

[BigMojo]

Hopefully they're still training to such things (hiking, camping away from their vehicles, etc). 

Our last SAREX was an 8 mile (each way) hike out in the everglades off the Florida Trail. No vehicles. Out friday night, back Sunday afternoon. The cadets were troopers, it was the Sr's that were whining the most. I think 2Lt Rudin can back me up on that one!

[Stonewall]

Hopefully they're still training to such things (hiking, camping away from their vehicles, etc). 

Our last SAREX was an 8 mile (each way) hike out in the everglades off the Florida Trail. No vehicles. Out friday night, back Sunday afternoon. The cadets were troopers, it was the Sr's that were whining the most. I think 2Lt Rudin can back me up on that one!

Awesome!

[RiverAux]

Except for field training exercises, I bet it has been over a decade since anyone in my wing has had to hike away from the vehicle and camp out during an actual mission in the state.  I bet our ground teams would get quite a nasty surprise if they actually needed to do it for real. 

Hopefully they're still training to such things (hiking, camping away from their vehicles, etc). 

Its getting better.  Most of our current wing leadership is a little more understanding of what it takes to actually train ground teams and we've had some good stuff lately. 

[gistek]

Instead of a sleeping bag, I carry a fleece bag liner and a "space blanket" emergency sleeping bag. I've used them in a poncho tent in below freezing weather. I think the low was upper 20's, so it wasn't much below freezing, but there was snow on my shelter in the morning. The only time I strap my mummy bag on top of my 72hr pack is the deep winter.

I did carry a tent for a while, but it wasn't worth the extra weight. One poncho as a ground cloth and the other held up with my walking stick at one end works just fine.

Off Deep Woods sprayed liberally where the top poncho tucks under the ground poncho and the ground poncho hole works just as good as mosquito netting.

[ThorntonOL]

The army tent in one of the above pictures is what our local 4-H sleep under here in upper PA. (For camp that is.)
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.
I have ties to the unit otherwise I probably would go the closer one.

[ThorntonOL]

What is a good tent to get that would work in the continental US? Literally anywhere in the US.

[IceNine]

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.