Submitted by Tom Chandel on

2 tent halves plus the joining piece for $90 delivered - does this look like a quality product?

http://www.ccsutlery.com/tent.htm

See that page, the product right below the box.

I put 2 halves and the joining piece in the shopping cart and it came to about $90 including shipping. That is about the best price I have seen - What should I know before I order?

Forums: 

Blockade runner

Tom,
You may want to checkout Blockade Runner in TN. I purchase 4 shelter halves without ends and the cost was around $110 with postage.
They were selling them for $23.50 a month ago. Tents with the end pieces, $90 is about average but I think you might do better with Blockade Runner. Plus they came within the week...admittingly this is unusually better service than they usually provide.

Will

C & C in Idaho?

I dealt with c&c when I first got started in reenacting..they tend not to secure the buttons on their clothes but I dont know where they get their supply of canvas goods...I have no complaints about my cartridge box as It seems sturdy and has held up to lots of crawling out in the woods.... But I have been looking at a replacement sutler for my clothes items....Now I bought a double bag knapsack from mercury sutlers on sale but you get what you pay for....the stiching at the top of the shoulder straps began to come undone...they offered to replace it with a new one but I could just see it happening again, so I sewed it togeather myself by hand, Im looking at some more of the more authentic sutlers but no matter what, I just cant seem to bring myself to pay $250 plus for a shell jacket. I bought a sewing machine for that(actually less...a simplicity denim star for that heavy cloth!) now I just have to learn how to use it(yeah a sewing machine probally doesnt do the proper stich)...
But ever onward for the better price for the better gear!
Seamus

"it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifing......nothing"
MacBeth

PRIMA NOCTA

Thanks.I was wondering

Thanks.

I was wondering about the size of the tent - are dog tents standard size? The tent at Blockade Runners was 5' 5",

I'm closer to 6", would my feet stick out of bed all night? And when I'd pull them in, (oh dear,) my head would stick out of bed up here?

That is the standard size of

That is the standard size of the dog tent. One way to over come that would be to purchase a 3rd half and attach to one end. I have read some accounts of that being done (3 people combining to make a shelter).

However, by the time you have bought 3 halfs, you have almost paid for a small (6ft) A-frame tent.

A winter project that I am planning to under take is making myself some shelter halfs: http://www.lazyjacks.org.uk/shelter.htm

Many of us have this problem

My feet usually hang out the end Tom,

In case of inclement weather, I usuaully drap a poncho or rubber blanket out the tent over my feet and up to my knees or so. Of course I roll in the night and it's affectiveness is eliminated but it's an attempt.

Frankly, as you will learn first hand eventually, a shelter tent provides very little shelter. :)

--
Michael Johnson

-- Michael Johnson

Links and email

Weblinks that start with http:// or https:// should be converted automatically to be clickable. And EMail is similar. Any properly formed email address should become clickable as well. It's one of several filters that are run against each post.

--
Michael Johnson

-- Michael Johnson

shelter tent

The standard length is approx 5 feet 6 inches long. If you cut your poles to around 3 feet though, the tent width will increase enough so that you can lay down diagonally (and not end to end) giving you some head and foot coverage. Mike's comment about the rubber blanket at the end is correct, and with a guy rope from the upright to the ground, actually makes a "wedge" off the back if you tie the other corners of the blanket to your tent pegs. If you want lots of good info, read "The Federal Civil War Shelter Tent" by Frederick Gaede..more than you ever wanted to know about dog tents!

I spurged on a hand-sewn, Type IIA tent this past spring at the Haversack Depot www.haversackdepot.com and have been very happy with it.

Ordered tent

OK, Will I took your advice and ordered the tent from Blockade Runner today - the final price for 2 halves and the end piece was $70, which was the best price I saw.

Next I will need to figure out what lengths to cut the 3 poles.

Poles

Let us know when the tents come in. Some of us have had problems with orders being delayed. The Tents will be stiff for a while until they are used a few times.

The length of poles... Capt. Gowen has suggested 3' in height. This is a good height, though it wouldn't hurt to cut them higher and then adjust to the height you prefer. Some of my guys are short enough that at 2' they can lay Horizontally in the tent without worries of feet sticking out one end.

The ridge pole will be around 6.6'+. I would wait til the tent arrives to cut the poles. For the pegging, we tend to tie a rope through the grommet and stake through the rope. This works well.

Will

Good news then, and

Good news then, and definitly not bad on the price. I'll let you know how I make out on making a couple shelter halfs this winter. Been studying the pattern and figure I can make both halfs for around $30 in material & buttons. It'll keep me out of trouble when we go into winter camp, but we'll see if the frustration factor will make me wish I bought them. ;-)

I picked up my Denim Star of ebay cheap, even with shipping, new in the box. I like it so far and have finsihed a jean cloth vest and some practice sewing on multi layers of duck cloth. So, Seamus - you'll make out just fine with yours.

Now I just have to find a

Now I just have to find a place to set it up! we have done some sewing on it but I havent set aside the time to really go to town...I bought a greatcoat pattern some years back and it came in handy to replace the BURLAP lining in the fed greatcoat I bought on e-bay. but I was told by a knoledgable sewer that I shouldnt jump in on the most complicated project the first time........But my father used to say while watching me do something that I must be one of those people who like to try to (make love) standing up in a hammock!LOL
well I have bought a civilian outfit pattern from simplicity, looks like it will be good with authentic cloth and buttons, strangely enough they keep a few of those patterns at wall mart, god forbid wall mart ever gets into the sutler business......
well That is going to be my winter project, a civilian outfit for prewar recruitment and wartime scouting missions....shhhhhhhhhh!

Seamus

"it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifing......nothing"
MacBeth

PRIMA NOCTA

Tent poles, one more thing to consider

When measuring the 3 foot poles, remember that it's 3 feet to the crotch. You will want a few inches beyond the crotch for the fork.

And Will's suggestion of an extra inch or three is not bad to consider. Mine are actually 3 feet and one inch to the crotch.

Also, it seems that some poeple's first set of tent poles are always too heavy. The trunk does not have to be too large. Small spindley half inch to three-quarter inch diameter will work fine.

Then set it up in the back yard a couple of times to work the creases out of it.

--
Michael Johnson

-- Michael Johnson

Wait....

So to measure the pole you have to basically set the pole up and then use it to prop up YOUR pole... then it's alright????

Major Eric R. Reeder
CSO, 1st Division ANV, Staff
Liberty Hill Signals

2nd Lt Eric R. Reeder United States Army Corps of Topographic Engineers "Hawks and Eagles fly like Doves"

I thought...

I kept it quite sanitized for the kiddies... but my apologies if I overstepped. I had an old army green wall tent with poles made out of pieces of tree with the bark still on it. They are set up with metal sleaves for easy break down. being about 80-90 years old they are toothpick weight... but are still good and strong.. They look nice on a tent set up.

Major Eric R. Reeder
CSO, 1st Division ANV, Staff
Liberty Hill Signals

2nd Lt Eric R. Reeder United States Army Corps of Topographic Engineers "Hawks and Eagles fly like Doves"

Received tent today

Received tent today, so that shipping was pretty fast. I buttoned the two large pieces togather, they fit just fine.

Should I button the end piece on now too? Does it fold/store well with that attached?

Congrats!

Of course you know what this means don't you Tom? It's going to rain all weekend for Brickhouse!

It's some sort of natuaral law that a new tent must be christened with rain. :)

--
Michael Johnson

-- Michael Johnson

Brickhouse

If its Rain you dont want, Brickhouse is the place to destroy your dreams.....It tends to rain that weekend, I was there one year and they said as we arrived in the rain..."its gonna clear out by midnight" the next morning in the rain they said" its gonna be gone by noon" that afternoon in the rain they said " its gonna clear off tonight with high winds and cold" the next morning in the rain they said nothing......at noon after we packed up, the sun came out and we left only to catch up with the rain on the road.....though the last brickhouse I attended two years ago was perfect weather...clear skies and a full moon.
Have fun!
Seamus

"it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifing......nothing"
MacBeth

PRIMA NOCTA

Put the new tent up...

I put the new tent up today, like folks here said, the canvas was very stiff. That job, I see is easier with 2 than 1, but I managed.

I found some nice slender poles this week, and cut them to 6'6" and 3.5" for the forked poles, and the tent went together nicely, but the cross pole was too weak and bent a fair amount which made it hard to get the top line nice and crisp. When I attached the end canvas piece I saw I had a serious problem with the geometery - the end piece likes 4 foot poles. I went out and found some and got a more sturdy cross-piece, the new poles are a bit heavier than I would like, but will do for now.

I also made loops out of sisel rope for the tent pegs, the loops might be a bit large, but served the purpose well. I wrapped the ends of the rope in thread so they wouldn't unravel.

While I seem to have the basics, I will need some help getting the tent to be nice and tight, I am sure there is a trick there I didn't quite grasp.

Anyway, I am very happy with my new tent!

If its Rain you dont want,

If its Rain you dont want, Brickhouse is the place to destroy your dreams.....It tends to rain that weekend,

Good call!

Weather forcast for Montgomery, New York:

--------------------------

FRIDAY
CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE
AFTERNOON. RAIN MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS IN THE
LOWER 70S. SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT
RAIN. RAIN MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES. LOWS IN THE LOWER
50S. SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH...BECOMING NORTH 10 TO 15 MPH AFTER
MIDNIGHT.

SATURDAY
MOSTLY CLOUDY. RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN A
CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. MUCH COOLER WITH HIGHS IN THE MID
50S. NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 15 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 60 PERCENT.

SATURDAY NIGHT
MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING...THEN BECOMING
PARTLY CLOUDY. A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. COOLER WITH LOWS IN THE
UPPER 30S.

SUNDAY
PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGHS IN
THE MID 50S.

-------------------------

Well, I'm still going. Mike, you still game?

I'm going!

Even if I have to sleep in a puddle. I'm so looking forward to some time away. It could be worse!

It could be much colder...

--
Michael Johnson

-- Michael Johnson

Canceled on Brickhouse

Well I canceled out on going to Brickhouse. As did all the Third Maine I think. Some for reason's other than weather. In my case the flood watch and forecast for inches of rain today and tomorrow didn't make the six hour trip seem worth it.

Well, maybe next year...

--
Michael Johnson

-- Michael Johnson

I think you made a good

I think you made a good call, Mike.

Look at the situation - most of the regiment was down, the Captain was out of action, and it looked like the mission would involve sleeping in canvas tents in a field during a flash-flood warning.

It could have been a suicide mission!

I think your quick thinking may have saved lives!

------------------
Flash Flood Watch for Montgomery, NY
WGUS61 KALY 071245
FFAALY

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
845 AM EDT FRI OCT 7 2005

... MONTGOMERY-

FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING
THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* ...MONTGOMERY...

--------------

Why fight the rebs when we can just let them drown?

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