What was your first tent?
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My first tent (back in the late 80's)I don't remember the name, but it was sized:
"1.5 man"
who knows what the .5 meant? perhaps a fat man or a slim man and his dog?
anyway it had rip stop nylon, an inner and was ok, looked sort of hoop bivi bag shaped(and sized).
on the second trip a few years later (a scout camp) the main hoop split laterally and turned to a glassfibrey splintery black mess, I fixed it with electric tape(...yeah, not that great) meant to fix it with Vango aluminium poles but the poles would have cost more than half the tent, so it never got fixed it went...somewhere, I don't remember.
But, My second tent was a US Canvas Pup tent, with wooden poles and no floor, and was faaaar better!
I'd happily use one today.
"1.5 man"
who knows what the .5 meant? perhaps a fat man or a slim man and his dog?
anyway it had rip stop nylon, an inner and was ok, looked sort of hoop bivi bag shaped(and sized).
on the second trip a few years later (a scout camp) the main hoop split laterally and turned to a glassfibrey splintery black mess, I fixed it with electric tape(...yeah, not that great) meant to fix it with Vango aluminium poles but the poles would have cost more than half the tent, so it never got fixed it went...somewhere, I don't remember.
But, My second tent was a US Canvas Pup tent, with wooden poles and no floor, and was faaaar better!
I'd happily use one today.
Dad got me an army tent when I was about five, used it in the garden for years during the summer months as a 'den' for me and the gang 
Always had canvas dens and bases but ! , First actual tent was a family tent . Until we got it holidays were day trips to Rhyl ( my Dad worked on the permanent way ) . It was a 12 man canvas frame monstrosity and we loved it . Forced my dad to take more than one day off and we went all over Wales with it and the trailer my Dad had to make to put it in .
Good times .
Cheers , Trev .
Good times .
Cheers , Trev .
when i was very young ,the first proper tent i had was(like many of you folks) U.S. Army shelter halfs...they were the early button type not snaps and i used to pitch them in the back yard and camp and play Army...i think dad ended up using them as tarps for painting etc..a shame, now there collector items...vince g. 11B Inf..
First tent I bought was in the late 70s, and a Vango Force 10 Mk 5 - truly a bullet-proof tent. This one had the single front pole (and rear as well? I forget) - not like the ones you get today. Did lots of winter bike rallies where they were THE tent for the enthusiast. Am sorely tempted to get another one, as I gave my old one away years ago and still miss it!
My first tent was two Wendy houses taped together! Ha ha, I had forgotten about that until just now!
I can't remember the make of my first real tent but it was a small orange/brown ridge tent. It had a zip on the back corner and you could lift the side up to make a small awning.
I can't remember the make of my first real tent but it was a small orange/brown ridge tent. It had a zip on the back corner and you could lift the side up to make a small awning.
2nd hand Phoenix phortress, bought off my scout leader. Fantastic tent, gave it away when i was misguidedly lured away by a geodesic Quasar. Wish i still had it
My first was a VauDe Hogan which I bought about 18 years ago and am still using. I have other larger tents so it only gets used a couple of times a year now. VauDe tents may not be the cheapest but when they last like this it is great value for money.
Here we were doing an overnighter last January.
Here we were doing an overnighter last January.
My first real tent was a 2 man canvas Bivvy with wooden poles from when i was in the Army Cadet Force in the late 70's. They were selling them off cheap at the local T.A. detachment open day, But a few of us got them for free, Before that it was a canvas sheet thrown over rope.
Wedge shaped white cotton called Junior something. Two wooden poles and no sewn in groundsheet. Just big enough for one or two squashed. Fine mist came in when it rained but I loved that tent I got when I was twelve and used for over forty years. Mildewed and allegedly smelly it was thrown out four years ago.
Bukta Egyptian cotton, single skin, no groundsheet got as a 9th birthday present in 1950. I was still using it with various modifications eg home made flysheet, when my wife and I did a hippy tour through Europe to Crete and back in 1966. Funnily enough I got it out of the attic yesterday along with my old Robert Saunders when clearing for some building work. I might unpack it and set it up, but I'm not ready for the disappointment of finding a rotten sheet like a mummy's shroud.
2 x Lichfield Combat 2's - I learnt the lesson about drying your tent out thoroughly before storing it the hard way. Twice ! (I still have the flysheets)
(I still have the flysheets)
My first tent was.....................
An Argos special
It has a whole 1200 HH and served me well for 2 years, until one wet trip to wales. Apparently it dumped a months worth of rain in 1 night, and I awoke to find we had an indoor swimming pool
But the set did include 2 single airbeds and 1 double (the red and blue rubber cotton jobs, that are really comfy) and 2 single and one double square sleeping bags.
Tent is still in the loft as spares, was thinking of turning it into a sail for the canoe
Airbeds and sleeping bags are still in use and going strong, they turned out to be the best bit of the buy
An Argos special
It has a whole 1200 HH and served me well for 2 years, until one wet trip to wales. Apparently it dumped a months worth of rain in 1 night, and I awoke to find we had an indoor swimming pool
But the set did include 2 single airbeds and 1 double (the red and blue rubber cotton jobs, that are really comfy) and 2 single and one double square sleeping bags.
Tent is still in the loft as spares, was thinking of turning it into a sail for the canoe
Airbeds and sleeping bags are still in use and going strong, they turned out to be the best bit of the buy
