Basha ?

[Martyn]

Just bought what was described as a basha from my local surplus store, but I cant figure it out - OK, bear with me. It's a plain olive green sheet, 5' by 9' with rough edges, no seames, no holes, no loops, smooth-ish one side, slightly rougher on the other - just basically a 5x9 sheet of polythene. With it cam 6 tubular aluminium pols, each about 9" lond, cut to a spearpoint on one end and all 6 of em threaded onto what looks like about 50' of while cord. It cost £17 - what am I supposed to do with this thing? I was expecting holes for pegs, taped edges and loops for cord. Looks more like a mini-tarp. It is light though, and I'm sure I could make a good shelter with it, just was expecting something a little more - well, finished.

Oh yeah, 5' by 9' is anm odd size as well, dont you think? In an A shape, you either get something with 2'6" walls by 9' long, or something with 4'6" walls and 5' long. 7' by 6' would seem a more logical size.

 

[bothyman]

Did'nt it have the instructions with it??

I have one forget the name of it.

You dig a hole and use it to stop it falling on you, sort of a fallout shelter.

 

[bothyman]

PS I think it cost me a Fiver,

 

[Raz]

Its an IPK (Individual Protection Kit)
You are supposed to dig a burrow, dig the poles along the sides, put string across, and the polythene on top. So its level with the ground.
It's pretty useless!
I think I have some instructions for one lying around, if you'd like them?

 

[johnboy]

Raz is correct it's an IPK.

Once you have finished digging your trench you knock the pegs in run the cord back and forth and the tension it up sling the green sheet over the top and cover it over with the spoil from your trench. Voila a trench with a cover. Giving the occupant a measure of protection from: indirect fire, nuclear and chemical fallout ect.

In theory if its correctly set up even a tank is supposed to be able to run over the trench and it'll still stand up ( dont try that at home). The green sheet is actually quite tough and quite waterproof but will not sew very well (I tried!!).

£17.00 is way to much to pay for one IMHO.

cheers

John

 

[Chopper]

Johnboy and Raz are both spot on the only problem is that I was told by the QM at 1 para that the MOD stopped the use of these as they were considered dangerous due to there being some deaths caused by trench collapse.
£17 is outrageous, I bought these for £1.50 and used the sheet as an individual gound sheet, then you have a good length of very strong cord and some very good hard ground tent pegs, I bought about 50 of these in the end and use them for my Scouts.
To pass this item off as a basha is not good as you couldnt be further from the real item if you tried. :shock:

 

[Martyn]

Thanks lads, spur of the moment buy, an clearly I got ripped. No instructions with it, I think it's been mistakenly badged in the shop. Ahwell, live and learn.

 

[Great Pebble]

You can salvage a little out of it by inserting eyelets arond the outside of the IPK.
Never done it, seen it done, works, sort of.

Nick in Belfast

 

[Adi007]

Is it one of these ... http://www.britnett.net/kws/listings/144.html :?:

I might have instructions somewhere if you want as to how you use them ... but it does involve a lot of digging!

 

[al]

i`ve used one of them in a trench, very strong although i wasnt too sure at first but it turned out to hold an extremely large amount of soil dug from the trench and will take the weight of a landrover going over it, didnt stop me from dreaming about the thing caving in and screaming like a girl in the middle of the night though , shouldnt have worn my hat over my eyes,gave the GPMG gunner a laugh tho :-D

 

[miranda]

it turned out to hold an extremely large amount of soil dug from the trench and will take the weight of a landrover going over it, didnt stop me from dreaming about the thing caving in and screaming like a girl in the middle of the night though , shouldnt have worn my hat over my eyes,gave the GPMG gunner a laugh tho :-D

LOL! But, are you saying you could cover it with dirt and drive over it! :shock: Man just the thought of someone doing that would be enough to keep me wide awake all night! :shock:

Miz

 

[al]

yeah you cover it with loads and loads of dirt and it will take the weight of a vehicle going over it but there is a special way of tieing the cord up so the weight is spread evenly, they do make for a good bivi too or shelter liner,cheers al

 

[Martyn]

Thanks all, I checked my reciept and paid £7 for it, not £17 (i bought about £80 quids worth of bits n pieces so lost track). I suppose £7 isn't such a ripoff, but I do feel a little stung. Ahwell, I guess I've got meself a groundsheet, or spare bivi, or something.

 

[Tony]

I really like the pegs that come with them, being able to hammer them into hard ground, wood, wedge in stone walls etc