Two man tent - please ID
 

This tent is in my QM as of today . Who was it issued to ? What vehicule ? It’s supposedly a two man tent but so heavy i doubt it was man carried . Armored crew tent ? Any ideas ? Never used this myself . 2 ground sheets zipped up together for a shelter and 10 man tents in a tobbogan and modular tents . We used our ground sheets zipped up and held to M113 ‘s sides with bungee cords as shelter . Armored crews ( Cougar , RECCE , Lynx , Iltis had a special tent if i recall and they sure looked comfortable in those . Is this the one ?

Looks very much like the armoured crew tents we used when I was in. We used them to house an Iltis crew of three, and it wasn't too bad, especially if you didn't have any kit inside the thing. I could be mistaken, but I don't think they were individually serialized, so no way of tracking who had what tent.

Thanks Josh very nice of you to have shared that experience . I notice you just bought a LSVW . You will love it . Anyone else ?

Hi Robert

When I was in, we called them "Crew Tents" and they were issued to Armoured Vehicle Crews in the Regiment. Eventually, every vehicle had one (softskins in HQ etc). Easy to set up and other than in deep winter, a comfy dry space for 2-3 people. Not often we had x4 pers in them.

Later, working with other trades, I heard them called "Recce Tents".

I don't think they were ever considered to be man-portable or carried in the dismounted role.

Nice find.

regards
Darrell

As Mr Zinck has pointed out a great temporate weather tent and major score for you to own one.

Well thank you very much Mr Zink & James P . Anyone else wanting to share his experience with this very nice piece of kit ? What was it replaced with ? Is it still in use ?

Hi Robert

"Mr Zinck" is my Father!! :rolleyes

Yes, they are still in use. What their scale of issue is outside the Armoured units is, no idea but well loved in my old bunch.

Honestly, they are somewhat man-portable. Tasked to teach a Leadership course in Petawawa once, I was horrified that the Course O wanted the Staff to sleep like the students while in the field. Hoochies! What's that??!! Ground sheets and bungy cords?? Unacceptable. I popped over to the Regt's TQMS shop and borrowed a Crew Tent, carried it to the Staff "hide" and set it up. As the rain started to fall, I quickly had an Infanteer MCpl as a tentmate!! The Crse O was informed that I am not on course, I am not in the Infantry and ANY fool and be uncomfortable!! I remained comfortable. :D

regards
Darrell

We called them recce or 4 man tent. We carried them in the Iltis and in the Cougars. Also had them in the 4 Service Battalion when I was station with them in Germany. I currently have one for my private Ilitis kit. Very handy tent and easy to put up in the dark. You could do everything by feel. For a quick shelter you can just put up the fly, outer shell, and hold you O groups or have lunch under them

tent stories
 

This is getting to be an old soldier thread . Thank you Darrell ( Promise not to call you Mr or even worse Sir ) Stupid idea from the course O , power trip like. Merci Jacques Rioux pour ta contribution / thanks to your contribution . I would love to hear more of your stories fellow service men . I had heard they had been in use in Germany by the guy who sold it to me .If they are still in service then they are over 30 years old or were new ones ordered since ? Like it said , i was always a ground sheet guy not by choice .

Crew tents
 

Bob

There were a couple dozen at MCE Stores ten - fifteen years ago. Good small tents when a modular tent is either impractical or impossible. The bag and tent are invariably separated from the poles which break first. If yours is complete, you win the prize for best MLU Christmas present.

All the best of the season too.

tent stories
 

Thank you Terry , it is complete and intact . In hindsight i should of enlisted in the Armored Corps . Enough , enough . Keep the stories coming ! Merry Christmas to all and our thoughts especially to our comrads who will not be home for Christmas .

The stock code on the tent bag you show in your photo will be from the very early 80s. I can confirm that once I get back to work next week. But that will be the date of introduction...there will constantly be new stock ordered in to replace lost, damaged, worn etc tents and components. Unlikely that a tent from the 80s is still in service, but not impossible.

I was in Bosnia in 2000 or so. As a mechanic, we generally stay in our trucks. But we were at a gun camp in Glumoc and had these tents issued. As it got dark, I headed for the back of the MRT where a mechanic is supposed to be and my MRT partner followed soon after. The MCpl weapons tech tried to pull rank on him and take his spot in the MRT, but I shooed him back to his tent. Sure enough, that night the torrential rain came, and those on low ground like the weapons tech found out why you don't set up on low ground. He tried to build a little dam out of his kit bag etc to keep the river from coming through the front door, but like a sunomi, it does not matter. He got throughly soaked.

Fun times.

tent
 

Thanks Rob , that’s a good one clearly showing the tent’s shortcomings . It’s not Tsunami proof . Also , i learned to respect a man’s or a woman’s MRT . Mexico looks great . I am sorry to inform you that you are coming back to minus -29 and snow but you already know that. Keep your stories coming guys .

I would expect nothing less. I looked the weather forecast for the week and we may be seeing -39°C next Friday night. But as long as they don't stop travel in January, we will be back here in the middle of January. I originally booked that one, but then got impatient and booked this one. Worst thing that can happen is we will only have had one great vacation.

Robert
Like you we never had these as of 77 and zipped 2 groundsheets off the Lynx sides or to a couple of trees
I have 2 or 3 of these in a seacan at the museum which I will check next time I'm down there

Ground sheets
 

I'm old enough to remember three versions of ground sheet.

- the oil cloth poncho of the 1950s
- a rubberized cloth poncho from the 1970s which universally stank like dog poop
- the zipper utility sheet from the 1980s and beyond. A significantly better hootchie maker. I still have a good one, and it has a bungee cord through the grommets on the long side.

Honorable (sic) mention to the US rubberized nylon poncho. It also stinks, but packs into something smaller than a loaf of raisin bread.

Thanks Craig & Terry . I can confess to inheriting my father’s poncho from the 50 ´s but going straight to the 80’s issue ground sheet when i enlisted in 87 . They made good hootches but you needed trees . Keep your stories coming . Great read .

The date of codification (NSN assigned) was May of 1981. Also, the NSN on the tent case is incorrect. Makes ordering a new one by QM just that little bit harder.

NSN numbers can be tricky. Off by 1 number and you just might get a boat anchor instead a box of glowstick. You think somebody in the supply chain would have asked why an armoured unit would need a boat anchor, but nooo.....

Our QM went 1 digit out on a checklist item for the LSVW and had a complete LSVW frame show up.


Did you keep the anchor? Should have worked fine on the side of an AVGP.

I knew some guys who found the NSN for a CF18 and slipped it into a stack of QM requests for their reserve unit to order. The Item Manager called to play along with the joke. I never heard the ending.

Thanks Terry . I think that order ( CF118 ) would of wiped out the budget of that unit for 20 years ….