Basha vs. Tarp => Any difference?

[robotchicken80]

Hello again,

I was taking a look at a surplus' website and I saw a Basha (from the Australian Army I recall). It looks exactly like a tarp to me, but I am no expert...

Is there any difference between the two?

Thanks

Toni

 

[Miyagi]

Basha is what the diggers (Australians) call it.

Way back in the day, we used our poncho to create a bivi (bivouac) or basha. Depending on the Regiment or mob you were in, dictated whether you called it a basha or a bivi. The phrases "basha up" or "bivi up" or "laager up" were all used interchangeably.

Nowadays DPM sheets are issued to create a basha (or bivi) and are known as DPM basha's when you see them written about.

Tarps are larger in most cases and are the civilian version of DPM bashas.

Hope this helps.


Liam

 

[Retired Member southey]

To me a tarp/basha/hoochie is all the same, a flat sheet used to make a roof.

 

[carabao]

A basha is an army term to make a shelter, like most army phrases, slang we took from service overseas for example dobi is a Indian word for laundry, chit is I.d card or pass from the French chit an lieu, laarger we coined from the Boer war and means to form your wagons in a circle for defence and we use this phase when mechanised or on foot. Basha comes from the Malay campaign back in the 50s and means shelter.
We used to be issued a olive green poncho which had eyelets on the edge to attach bungees or paracord, they were just big enough to cover two people in a shell scrape. Guys used to buy oz ponchos (they were olive green in the day and couldn't be worn) because they were larger had better eyelets. We also bought civvy made camouflage ones. Then the army got wise and started to issue decent ponchos (cant be worn) which was camouflaged, bigger and had loops along the sides as well as eyelets, so it doubled up as a quick stretcher for casevac. A tarp is the same thing as an army basha, just different companies gear towards civvies making large or small and usually not as strong as one used by a daft soldier

 

[Miyagi]

To me a tarp/basha/hoochie is all the same, a flat sheet used to make a roof.

^+1

Hoochie!

Knew there was another "strange" word for it.


Liam

 

[carabao]

Hoochie American

 

[robotchicken80]

Hey great answers there!

I forgot to mention a couple of things: I am not a native English speaker (I am Spanish) and I never served in the Army, so there are a lots of words that are new to me (specially if they come from the military).

I really appreciate your answers, specially the ones with a bit of extra explanation / historical background. They help to improve my English!

Thanks guys!

Cheers

Toni

 

[Elen Sentier]

even though I'm a native English speaker that was helpful to me too

 

[Big Stu 12]

To me a tarp/basha/hoochie is all the same, a flat sheet used to make a roof.

+ 1 for me as well

Diferent name for same thing just got different origins.

 

[Trojan]

I was looking at a SASS Hootchie/Basha on ebay today so thanks for the translation

 

[AussieVic]

Is Australia we would call it a hootchie (various spellings). A basha is what you Brits generally call the hootchie !
The Americans tend to call it a hootchie too.

The difference between a tarp and a hootchie (at least in Australia) is that a tarp is generally a flat sheet with simple eyelets at the edges and corners. Tarps could be made from any material, synthetic, canvas etc

Hootchies are also flat sheets with eyelets, but also have press studs which enables two or more to be clipped together to make larger shelters. As well as the eyelets they have fabric loops which can be used to secure them. They are always made out of a light weight synthetic material (not sure exactly what fabric is used, but not canvas).

The tough design and ability to clip together makes hootchies a good choice, especially if you have more than one hootchie in your party. Just a word of warning, if you are looking on the internet there may be some variation in hootchies sizes between brands ....

 

[Miyagi]

De nada Toni.

Aussie Vic, that's one thing I miss from the modern brit army issue DPM basha; the eyelets we had on the 58 poncho.

You could, as you say, connect sveral together and it also be clipped into/around the 58 sleeping bag to make a kind of bivvy bag arrangement.

When I think of tarps, to be honest, my first thought is of the simple builders/industrial ones used to cover materiel on lorries etc.


Liam

 

[Retired Member southey]

I remember making a full shanty town out of 58 pattern ponchos on a cadet exercise on penhale sands, it had roving gangs and everything!

 

[Retired Member southey]

I also remember using a dragon light to help the nudists get dressed quick while hovering over the cliffs after I had joined up a few years later

 

[Miyagi]

Hahahahahahahaha - classic


Liam

 

[boatman]

Isn't it hootch for the shelter (Vietnam) with hootchie meaning something like a lady in a tight dress?

 

[santaman2000]

Isn't it hootch for the shelter (Vietnam) with hootchie meaning something like a lady in a tight dress?

You're thinking all the way back to the 1930s "hootchie cootchie."

 

[boatman]

But the person from Spain wanted to know the correct term of which Hootch is one spelling and the original. At least that is what a friend of mine who served in Vietnam with the Americans (also with the French earlier) calls them.

 

[oldsoldier]

Technically, we Americans call it a "hootch", coming from the Viet Nam era. To this day, its still referred to as that though. The "hootchie" is, well, an old term for women who hang out at bars, looking for drunk sailors, lol.

 

[santaman2000]

Technically, we Americans call it a "hootch", coming from the Viet Nam era. To this day, its still referred to as that though......

Sorta true. Actually a "hootch" refers to the shelter once it's erected; not the actual tarp that it's made from. Likewise a "hootch" might just as well be made from bamboo and thatch or pieces of scrap tin. It's just the Vietnam era replacement term for "shack."

Today in the Special Ops community "hootch" is the slang term for the all ranks club's informal/casual bar.