Basha's - How big?

[Pete E]

Can anybody tell me the size and weight of the Australian Issue basha as compared to the 58 pattern ponch?

Are there any other lighter good quality basha's/tarps out there which are non cammo?

Thanks in advance,

Pete

[Gary]

Pete you should find info on sizes on a good retailers website. Poncho sizes differ as do hootchie and basha sizes ect ect so compare what your interested in.

But to answer your question their are two weights of Aussie hootchie in Olive - the standard weight is the most common but they also do a jungle lightweight version which is thinner lighter and less robust.

I dont know of anywhere that sells the later as they have limited live spans and may not but worth the money in the long run however if you have a local surplus shop you might try them.

Failing that the DPM british basha is lighter than the standard hootchie but in this case dpm not plain colours.

Hope that has helped a little.

[Pete E]

Gary,

I have a civvie made DPM basha somewhere, but I would like to get one in plain green. I recall the old 58 pattern poncho's and as a basha, they were a bit on the small side if you were tall..I was hoping the plain green Australian basha would be both lighter and a little larger too....

Regards,

Pete

[ZDP-189]

I forget the brand, but I bough an excellent plain green flysheet/ groundsheet. Heavy ripstop with rubber reinforced large aluminium eyelets. Looks like it could resist a storm.

[Gary]

PeteE compared to the army poncho the hootchie is definately longer although the weights are comparable, the hootchie may even be heavier!

[Carpe_Diem]

Hi

The Oz milspec hootchie is 2m x 1.8m and weighs 720g on my home scales. THis a waterproof nylon material that is certainly adequatly strong enough to be used in the bush.

There are units currently trialling a different shelter system that has two delrin support rods and is free standing. Apparently the material used is a very light weight silnylon is not so much water proof but rather it just sheds water off the material.

Dont know how it handles the scrub though.

Anymore info regarding aussie kit i'd be more than happy to help.

regards
Jeelan

[Pete E]

Jeelan,

Thanks for the info...you have probably saved me wasting my money as a 2m length is not very long if you are over 6'...

With regards the new issue shelters, I was looking at some on the Net the other day and they the look like a single skin hooped tent as you say. It will be interesting to see how they hold up once they have been on issue for a while.

Regards,

Pete

[Pete E]

Has anybody come across or used bashas made by "Katmandu"?

A local shop has them in three sizes and the smaller two are si coated nylon while the biggest (3m x2m) is PU coated. The all seem to be be ripstop....

I am interested in the 2.5mx1.8m si coated one which is £30...I had a brief look at some of the loops and they seemed to be stiched on reasonably well.

They are also British made if that means anything today...

Regards,

Pete

[alick]

Pete - go and look in my gallery (Alick) I've a pic posted of a small tarp by Kathmandu trekking there. It's a plain green silnylon, light and pretty well made for the price. I'm happy with it. This one is quite small - for solo use only. A bit bigger might be more versatile but I have no complaints at the price. Tapes are very securely sewn on with some cordura backing to spead the load.

Search for Kathmandu as well, I posted a brief review after buying it several months ago since there's next to no info on the web about these.

If you want heavier, sounds like SASS are worth checking out for very strong kit. Or the scandinavian brand like Mallowman had up for sale a few months ago.

Cheers :biggthump

[wentworth]

There are units currently trialling a different shelter system that has two delrin support rods and is free standing. Apparently the material used is a very light weight silnylon is not so much water proof but rather it just sheds water off the material.

Dont know how it handles the scrub though.

Anymore info regarding aussie kit i'd be more than happy to help.

regards
Jeelan

I have used a silnyon tarp in the Bush (Australia) for a while and have not had any problems with it. After all, you just set up your shelter and sleep under it- noone bushbashes in a basha!
But a guy in an outdoor shop showed me something cool about silnylon- He got a pencil and poked a hole through the fabric. He then scrunched up that piece of fabric and wriggled it around. When he laid it flat again, the silnylon had corrected the puncture!

Have you got a link or any more info on the two hoop shelter- it sounds interesting.

[Pete E]

Alick,

Thanks for the info..I did do a search but helps if you can spell if you expect to find any results :roll: needless to say "spelling" is not one of my strong points!

Anyway, I think that basha will be ideal for what I need...

Wentworth,

I have a link on my home PC and will post it later this evenning...There is not much info but it does show a picture and a price...

Thanks again,

Pete

[Carpe_Diem]

I have used a silnyon tarp in the Bush (Australia) for a while and have not had any problems with it. After all, you just set up your shelter and sleep under it- noone bushbashes in a basha!
But a guy in an outdoor shop showed me something cool about silnylon- He got a pencil and poked a hole through the fabric. He then scrunched up that piece of fabric and wriggled it around. When he laid it flat again, the silnylon had corrected the puncture!

Have you got a link or any more info on the two hoop shelter- it sounds interesting.

Hi Wentworth

Its something similar to this http://www.imsplus.com/ims66e.html but in Auscam colouring. The weight of the rods are the issue at the moment so i think there are delrin, easton aluminium and carbon fibre rods being trialled.

There are two rods that are curved under pressure. The smaller rod makes a half circle at the foot and the larger rod a half circle at the head. There is enough room to cover your pack and gear. The rods are kept in place with guy ropes that are stretched from sewn in panels at the head and foot.

The pic shows one with mossie nets etc, while the ones we've got haven't got all that. They are a plain silnylon shelter...no nets etc...this keeps the weight down i guess.

Not all the units have them so they are definately still in trial phase. I have felt the silnylon material and i'm not so sure about it, feels like paper, i'd love to see it after a few weeks of use somewhere like Pilbara or the Kimberlies or even far north queensland, cape york or somewhere like that.

cheers
Jeelan

[Pete E]

Jeelan, Wentworth,

The information below is from the Military Tents section of Shock Troop (shocktroop.com)



"MicroFast® KT2 Self Pitch Bivi Tent £99.99

Ultralight and Compact 3 Hoop Single Skin Breathable as used by the Australian armed forces. PITCHES IN 5 SECONDS. Just release its retainer straps and it opens out into a waterproof shelter with a front awning.

Full weather protection without condensation. Not free standing. If you are in a hurry, 2 pegs at the front and back will keep the tent upright.

Size when pitched: 210 x 75 x 70cm. Size when packed: 45cm diameter x 12cm thick. Weight 1.6kg including pegs, guy ropes and bag."

Whether thats a valid claim or not I don't know; perhaps one of you guys may know more?

Regards,

Pete

[PC2K]

that MicroFast tent looks neat ! Doesn't cost to much either. ( a quick search also resulted in several sources with slightly lower prices )
Can't find a dutch retalier, though...

[Brendan]

I've been using Kathmandu bashas for the last 3 years of assorted sizes up to 3m x 3m and found them very reliable. There is very little about them on the internet, I think they are made in Wales UK but I think the owner prefers to deal with local army surplus shops.

[Tony]

The owner of Katmandu is a chap called Julian Miles and He is indeed in Wales, he moved there about three years ago from Surrey. The kit he sells is excellent. Chris Townsend of TGO mag uses his gear, especially the basha tent (fantastic bit of kit) He's a bit of a technophobe which is why he's not even got email.

He'll also do bespoke stuff, my bivi bag was bespoke.

Well worth the money for any of his kit.

[Paganwolf]

Jeelan, Wentworth,

The information below is from the Military Tents section of Shock Troop (shocktroop.com)



"MicroFast® KT2 Self Pitch Bivi Tent £99.99

Ultralight and Compact 3 Hoop Single Skin Breathable as used by the Australian armed forces. PITCHES IN 5 SECONDS. Just release its retainer straps and it opens out into a waterproof shelter with a front awning.

Full weather protection without condensation. Not free standing. If you are in a hurry, 2 pegs at the front and back will keep the tent upright.

Size when pitched: 210 x 75 x 70cm. Size when packed: 45cm diameter x 12cm thick. Weight 1.6kg including pegs, guy ropes and bag."

Whether thats a valid claim or not I don't know; perhaps one of you guys may know more?

Regards,

Pete

I have one of these i bought it from silvermans, it was only 70 odd quid though IIRC goes up double quick, you need to have an end open slightly as it can get a bit of condinsation inside..light as a feather..packs up small i tie it to the outside of my sack, well worth the money, great little tent, Connor uses it mostly though....

[alick]

Alick,

Thanks for the info..I did do a search but helps if you can spell if you expect to find any results :roll: ...

Pete

Here you go Pete, it was pretty deep in the archives :wink:

Mini review of Kathmandu trekking basha

and the pic:


All the best

[Pete E]

Alick,

I found it OK...when I spelt the name correctly! :roll:

Anyway, after reading your review I went out and bought one...First impressions are very much the same as yours and I am pleased with it.

I wish is was a touch wider, but I think it will be fine as it is. I might sew on a couple of extra loops along the ridge line, but i will give a try as it is first.

Regards,

Pete

[Carpe_Diem]

hi Pete E

Cool tent, but the microfast is like nothing i've seen being used in service. I have seen it at a couple of outdoor camping shops etc. 2.6kg is a significantly heavier compared to 700g for an individual shelter system especially when you add sleeping bag and mat to it.

Anyhow, like i said i've never seen anything like that in use with any of the ADF units. The one i referred to was a double hoop shelter, i dont know who its made by but has the DoD marking on it. I'll see if i can get a pic for you and post when i can.

cheers
jeelan

[Paganwolf]

hi Pete E

Cool tent, but the microfast is like nothing i've seen being used in service. I have seen it at a couple of outdoor camping shops etc. 2.6kg is a significantly heavier compared to 700g for an individual shelter system especially when you add sleeping bag and mat to it.

Anyhow, like i said i've never seen anything like that in use with any of the ADF units. The one i referred to was a double hoop shelter, i dont know who its made by but has the DoD marking on it. I'll see if i can get a pic for you and post when i can.

cheers
jeelan

Doesnt surprise me, its a bit like Fosters and XXXX beer, I didnt see a single can last time i was in Oz :rolmao: mine is ok as i said, dont know how it would perform in a rain storm, hoze pipe and showers ok though :wink:

[alick]

Cheers Pete :biggthump

[juliandavid]

There seems to be a deal of confusion over bashas, how to use them, and where to get them. If you want to talk to the guy who makes them, KT, try;

http://home.freeuk.net/kathmandu/index.html

They started making them years ago,... all sorts of shapes and sizes... ultralite or HD.... olive or DPM..... and they are in Wales, inland from Aberystwyth...

[juliandavid]

Minimum length for a basha to cover you in windy wet,... is 2.5 metres, if you want some comfort then width is going to be 1.5 metres..or more. There is no need to use heavy cloth as the basha spends its time over you not under..,

If you use a longer tarp, you can afford luxuries such as a closed end.. say 3 mts..
The weight might be just 10.oz; a larger light/weight tarp need not be more than 20 oz, and that can sleep 3 people in comfort. Green/olive is nice and quiet, DPM is really not that much less obtrusive, can be a bit dearer, and looks a bit naff in the wrong surroundings.. No tarp should cost you more than £20 to £40, depending on size. There are accessories you might need, such as good bungees, groundsheets, poles, and a lightweight bivvy bag for really bad weather... The mysterious people you all seem to be talking about, are Kathmandu Trekking, who are at;

http://home.freeuk.net/kathmandu/index.html

which is in Mid-Wales, and far from the madding crowd..

[Tex]

Can anybody tell me the size and weight of the Australian Issue basha as compared to the 58 pattern ponch?

Are there any other lighter good quality basha's/tarps out there which are non cammo?

Thanks in advance,

Pete

58 poncho = 147cm x 200cm, Australian Hootchi= 175cm x 270cm. The 58 pattern poncho has a strange arrangment its only comes in the one size but the sleeping bag of this pattern comes in two sizes normal and long. There is a row of press studs on the inside of the poncho that clips onto the foot of the sleeping bag. This forms a pretty water proof arangment at your feet, grand but with long sleeping bag your head sticks out the top dry feet must be more importaint than a dry sweed.

Better late than never.

[juliandavid]

They have to be long enough to overhang head and feet..... by a foot or so at least.... and wide enough to give you a comfortable roof, so 8ft long by 5ft wide is minimal really.. 6ft or more if there are two sharing.. If they are too big they become a handful in windy weather, so its best to start around
2.5 mts x 1.5///1.8 mts and go bigger later..

They can get very muddy without a groundsheet, esp. if you are in the same place for a few days... trees, poles, fences, cars, bikes, rocks,... are all good sheltered fixing points... Dont pitch them too high, a metre is a tad too much... if you don't like draughts, then a longer basha/tarp can be closed down at one end at least... say 3 mts. You dont need heavy cloth as you dont lie on the things.. and as you should be able to get a tarp big enough to raise a family in for under £50, new, if you see them being sold anywhere for more, youre being had...

Be careful with bungees, as they can hurt if they come loose, and the pegs tend to shake lose in a blow until you get the hang of it.... When you pack up in the mornings, look around, or in a couple of days you'll be short of a few items...

Kathmandu trekking do several sizes and weights, and are still in wales...
try ;
http://home.freeuk.net/kathmandu/index.html
for a look, or speak to the "technopobe" on the blower for advice....

[ESpy]

Kathmandu trekking do several sizes and weights, and are still in wales...
try ;
http://home.freeuk.net/kathmandu/index.html
for a look, or speak to the "technopobe" on the blower for advice....

I notice you mention this bunch nearly every post, Julian - could I ask what your connection is, as I may have missed it?

[shinobi]

I notice you mention this bunch nearly every post, Julian - could I ask what your connection is, as I may have missed it?

Bottom of the page Peter;
"for further information please contact Julian or Wendy on 01970-*****"
Coincidence?????

Martin

[innocent bystander]

Bottom of the page Peter;
"for further information please contact Julian or Wendy on 01970-*****"
Coincidence?????

Martin

No coincidence - check the email address's...

Very sly !!!!

[HuBBa]

well me for one like it when retailers and manifacturers visit here. Especially when they give good advice like Julian do.

Having said that however, it would be good to have some sort of tag-line/title on them stating they are a retailer or a manifacturer.

And to be semi-on topic. I've been looking for a good retailer in Sweden for basha's & hammocks. Even starting to considering beginning manifacturing them myself since i haven't found one. There are Basha's to buy here but they are very very expensive. Any of the northern/swedish guys know of a good retailer?

/HuBBa

*not affiliated to anyone yet *