Polish army tent - Lavvu on a budget ?

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crosslandkelly

A somewhat settled
Jun 9, 2009
26,266
2,212
67
North West London
I did this video quite a while ago, showing how to set up if you are taller.

[video=youtube;VK5MZLFwkwc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK5MZLFwkwc&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 

Oblio13

Settler
Sep 24, 2008
703
2
67
New Hampshire
oblio13.blogspot.com
It seems counter-intuitive at first, but when you pitch these as a tent, the "shoulder flap" goes on in the IN side. That keeps the rain from coming in the armholes. And the fringe benefit is that the adjustment loop is a great place to hang a candle lantern.

Glad to see this old thread revived, and that people are still using these. I love mine. My daughter and I are about to go on our annual two-week canoe trip, and these are what we'll be using.
 

beezer

Forager
Oct 13, 2014
180
7
lockerbie
im getting on well with myn. for me the best thing about them is having a candle or two going to keep warm, dont think i would do that in a plastic tent. for next time out i will be casting a candle into a bean tin with 2 wicks. the downside for me is the weight.
 

kaizersoza

Trekking Troubador
Jan 12, 2014
120
1
Swansea
for the price they are okay, I have used mine in all sorts of weather, but I don't recommend using it in the rain, mine leaked like a sieve when I tried this, the arm holes were the culprit, I had guys saying that I had put it up wrong, but there were some experienced bushcrafters and wild campers who posted vids on you tube that I copied, judging by the pics posted in here the guys were right I pitched it wrong, I also fabsilled it inside and out but those arm holes were leaking badly,
I ended up throwing a tarp over it in the middle of the night to keep dry
Like I say in the dry they are fine, probably a light shower they are okay, any more leave it at home, I also agree with a previous poster, that it is around 1.8m inside, I will probably never use mine again because of the weight and its inability to shed water

here is a link to the vid I posted on You Tube when I used the Lavvu last, PS no laughing lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQsmp0szIR8
 
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Buster80

Forager
Apr 12, 2015
235
0
Scotland
By shoulder flap on inside do you mean the side with 3 buttons is on the outside??

Also does anyone just use a half shelter? I love my lavvu but it weighs loads so I was thinking of taking a half and a walking pole to hold up the entrance.

Thanks.
 
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Laurence Milton

Settler
Apr 7, 2016
605
170
suffolk
Just ordered mine, hope to try it out when out at the March meet with whittler Kev. taking the hammock just in case. Just to get this straight you set this up the opposite way as when using it as a poncho? i.e. extra shoulder canvas bits are in the inside of the tent setup? well at the price its worth a punt.

Some do....some don't. I don't and never had a leak............I was so impressed as a quick simple robust tent for the canoe...and cheap!....I've now bought a second/spare one!!

Interestingly, the 2nd one is made up with two different sizes, a 1 and a 11......and it's made diddly squat difference; probably 1 or at the most 2 cm shorter, and one alloy peg hole short on the button sides. Pitches perfectly, and seems not to have affected the interior at all.
 
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Dr Toerag

Member
Apr 9, 2015
35
0
Birmingham
They come in 3 sizes, so it's quite possible a 5' 10" person (treadlightly) finds it too small, and a 6' 4" person (Laurence Milton) is fine.
 

Laurence Milton

Settler
Apr 7, 2016
605
170
suffolk
Set mine as worn....ie shoulder flaps outside. Why if worn when wet would you then put the wet on the inside as your shelter??
Never had a problem with leaking arm slits..............or any leaks for that matter?
 

Tigger004

Member
Feb 27, 2011
32
6
Northants
went down after an hour and 1/2 (should be 2 hours) and low and behold if they aint waiting for me :) £24 ish is enough to pay, those others are far too pricey for me :)
God this site is terrible. Just had to buy one too. Looking forward to playing in my local wood.

Damn you all ;)
I've used mine quite a lot now, for up to a week at a time. I've learned to pitch it as an oval instead of a circle in order to be able to stretch out in it, and also to angle the pole so that I don't have to curl around it. I sleep well in it because it's so dark inside.

Ventilation is critical or moisture condenses inside. I leave the entrance mostly unbuttoned and just hook both bottoms over the same tent stake when I want it closed. A fire in front makes it really cozy, but a reflector is essential in order to redirect smoke. Making the fire against a big rock and then pitching the tent with the entrance one big step away is ideal.

The only "modification" I've done is loops of baling twine through the grommets at the bottom. They allow me to use large stakes cut on site and/or tie off to saplings. It also adds some ventilation from underneath.
These echo my thoughts exactly, I do use a tarp as outdoor space, I'm 6 foot tall and find it big enough.
when my wife joined me her feet slid outside overnight due to the sloping ground, but it didn't matter she was in a usmc cold weather sleep system.
Against all advice, I use a feuerhand lantern in mine (excellent if you don't mind the slight taint smell of paraffin) + CO monitor. It can get quite hot inside.
My only very slight regret is I bought a black/blueish one instead of olive green, but the colour has grown on me and it is nice to be different,
 

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