Looking back early 1970s my first was a then old US army canvas pup tent with wood two pc poles no floor. Was in the Boy Scouts and every other kid had a light nylon tent with floor I was so enviose. Would love to have that tent now.
What was your first tent?
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Single skin cotton, no ground sheet or fly, twin wooden sectional poles with steel joints, cotton tie ribbons to close the door. Later adapted with a plastic damp proof membrane fly as the rain hammered through!
It saw use on my first solo attempt on the Pennine Way in 1976 - The Year of The Drought - and did quite well...until the weather broke and it rained!
I previously had an identical one - bought with tokens from a cereal packet - but that only saw use in the garden when I was a kid.....
It saw use on my first solo attempt on the Pennine Way in 1976 - The Year of The Drought - and did quite well...until the weather broke and it rained!
I previously had an identical one - bought with tokens from a cereal packet - but that only saw use in the garden when I was a kid.....
My first was a home made canvas affair with no groundsheet and big chunky wooden pegs, I inherited it from my brother (he had made it in his teenage years), it was far to heavy for me to travel any distance with so it was only used on family holidays where it traveled in the boot of my fathers Hillman Imp. In my teenage years my involvement with the army cadets led me to use a '58' pattern poncho and a bag of bungees. In my twenties I purchased an Ultimate Peapod Ultralight which was used to walk most of the UK's long distance footpaths. In my thirties when I set off to travel the world I dug out the '58' pattern poncho and used that. Now that I am in my forties I'm back to using a large floorless canvas tarp. So I have come full circle. 
The first time I used it was at camp La-No-Che in the Ocala forest in Central Florida made acorn pancakes and shot squirls to make a stew. Had a great time told other kids that the squirls were rats we had already skined them. There was a canoe lake with swimming and hiking. Will go back again some day.
mine was a lichfield ranger 1. it's still in the attic and i should imagine its still does the job. heavy mind.
Dont' know what mine was called, but it was orange nylon (or something manmade) two man and I'm pretty sure it was single skined.
I camped out in the back garden for a year when I was 13, I don't remember getting too wet, just had to make sure I didn't touch the walls. The orange material made sunrise pretty intense, I loved it.
I camped out in the back garden for a year when I was 13, I don't remember getting too wet, just had to make sure I didn't touch the walls. The orange material made sunrise pretty intense, I loved it.
first tent was a 1960's job like John F described - got from my uncle. Only used in the garden when I was a kids.
First proper tent that I used from real was/is a Phoenix Phreak. I still use it for over night trips, where I don't need much space.
First proper tent that I used from real was/is a Phoenix Phreak. I still use it for over night trips, where I don't need much space.
Mine was a Lichfield Combat 4 I think, green nylon outer with a cotton inner., traditional A-frame with two uprights and a ridge pole, must have weighed 15kg. After that we got a Kyham Igloo in the late 80's which was still going strong until a freak hail storm trashed it in France a couple of years ago.
My first tent was a cheap pop-up thing from millets, pretty awful but at least it stopped the rain coming through!
Same here. Each scout carried a half. You can rig it as a tent with the two halves mated or use it alone as a lean to. You can still buy 'em cheap. I have a couple.
Phoenix Phreak for me to , wish I still had it used it for ML training and the pennine way ( hope theres less rubbish on the route nowadays )..
Twodogs
Twodogs
My first tent was a cotton brown and orange walled ridge tent, separate groundsheet, two part wooden pole at each end. Think it is still under the stairs at my mum and dads! Used it for years, until I bought a Litchfield Viper 2.
The cane type sticks they use in gardens with a nice red plastic cover with wee native americans?
Other than that it was the rectangular type fireguard with a blanket over the top.
Thereafter it was a largish old olive canvas affair held up with wooden 'broom' type staffs.
These were all when about 4 yrs old in me and my pals back gardens and we did camp out there then.
My first real tent (as opposed to a sheet over the line in the garden or draped around my dad's camera tripod) was a Vango Force 10 in canvas in the early 70s. A great tent but a bit heavy for backpacking 
I still have a Saunders Spacepacker (single hoop, 1-2 man and very light) that I use if the weather is atrocious but I prefere a tarp most of the time.
Trekking in the Landy I use an Oz Tent - great bit of kit.
Broch
I still have a Saunders Spacepacker (single hoop, 1-2 man and very light) that I use if the weather is atrocious but I prefere a tarp most of the time.
Trekking in the Landy I use an Oz Tent - great bit of kit.
Broch
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