Army Tent

Army tents, from one-man bivvy shelters to double-skin pitches

An army tent here means a ground shelter built along military lines: subdued or camouflage colours, simple pole geometry and fabric chosen for hard use rather than for the lowest weight on the shelf. The selection runs from a bivvy shelter barely wider than a mat to a two-person double-layer model, a pyramid design pitched around a central pole and a hammock version for anyone who would rather hang than lie down. The choice comes down to how many nights, how far from the car, and how much wind.

What does a double-layer tent actually change?

Two skins split the job in half. The outer sheds rain; the inner breathes, and the gap between them lets damp air drift away instead of settling on the surface nearest your face. Single-skin bivvy shelters pitch in seconds and pack tiny, but the wall sits inches from your nose and will feel wet on a still, cold night. Whatever the build, a sleeping mat keeps the bag off any water that gathers along the floor seams.

Is a one-man tent big enough for one person?

A shelter labelled for one holds a body and very little else, so boots and rucksack live in the porch or inside a dry bag. Plenty of people wild camping in Britain carry the two-person size alone: room to sit up, change, and keep a soaked jacket well away from a dry sleeping bag. Weight is the trade, and it is worth checking on the scales rather than guessing before a long day on foot.

What is worth checking before a first pitch?

• Pole design: shock-corded sections go up fast in poor light, while a single centre pole on a pyramid means fewer parts to lose or bend.
• Pegging points: soft ground, sand and hard hill turf all defeat the standard pin, so count the loops and match the pegs to where you actually camp.
• Porch space: the difference between cooking under cover and cooking in the rain.
• Zip protection: a storm flap over the main zip keeps grit out of the teeth, which is where most tents fail first.

Why is the inside wet when it has not rained?

Breath alone releases a surprising amount of moisture overnight, and it condenses on the first cold surface it meets. Vents at both ends, a door cracked open a few inches, and a pitch on a slight rise rather than in a hollow beside water all cut it down. Shake the fabric out before packing, and dry the tent fully at home: rolling a damp shelter away is what turns a good one into a mouldy one.

What else does a longer stay call for?

Once a pitch stays up for several nights, comfort starts to matter more than pack weight, and a camp bed lifts the sleeper clear of cold ground entirely. A separate sheet strung between the tent and a tree gives a dry place to stand, cook and take boots off, and that is the job camping tarps do better than any porch.