Dutch army 2 two man tent. Does anyone actually have one?

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presterjohn

Settler
Apr 13, 2011
727
1
United Kingdom
I was reading with interest the thread on the little Polish Lavvu tents and during a check about to see who selling them I noticed that a few sites are selling a Two man tent as used by the Dutch army. It looks on paper to be a great little base camp tent, but I can see not a single proper review for it on any forum or on Youtube.

I have only so far found it commented at all on the internet a half dozen times and the only thing I can be sure of is it is to heavy for backpacking. One bloke said it was a great tent and another said it was rubbish. So I am really none the wiser as to whether it would make a good buy or not.

I am looking at it from the point of view of a tent I can use for a weekend near an open fire in spring and autumn.

You can see one here:-

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/s...genuine-dutch-army-issue-woodland-258532.html
 

woodspirits

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 24, 2009
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West Midlands UK
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i had one of those a couple of years back, never actually used it due to weight and drying issues. but it would certainly make a good base tent, swopped mine with John Fenner in the end. :)
 

presterjohn

Settler
Apr 13, 2011
727
1
United Kingdom
i had one of those a couple of years back, never actually used it due to weight and drying issues. but it would certainly make a good base tent, swopped mine with John Fenner in the end. :)

Is the cotton not proofed in anyway so it just soaks up all the rain. or did it just need a reproof? It would definitely be a case of having it within walking distance of the car so the weight in itself is not an issue but I suppose 8kg dry would become a bit of an issue once wet for packing it back up and taking it home. Did the build quality seem pretty solid?
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
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Pembrokeshire
i had one of those a couple of years back, never actually used it due to weight and drying issues. but it would certainly make a good base tent, swopped mine with John Fenner in the end. :)
I used it a couple of times including a spell as a store tent at the Moot but found it too heavy and bulky to bother with on a regular basis, plus I have kind of "given up" on tents full stop.
 

sasquatch

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 15, 2008
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Northampton
Personally not keen on tents but if I was I'd get a Vango 300. They're light, easy to set up, keep you dry and that's what I'd be after in a tent...
 

presterjohn

Settler
Apr 13, 2011
727
1
United Kingdom
Personally not keen on tents but if I was I'd get a Vango 300. They're light, easy to set up, keep you dry and that's what I'd be after in a tent...

I have several nylon tents. I was after something cotton that I could pitch near a camp fire without the worry of holes from sparks.
 

copper_head

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 22, 2006
4,261
1
Hull
You might be interested in this thread about the Vango Force 10's going for £40.

Sorry cant help with the pup tent, never seen one in the flesh.
 

sasquatch

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 15, 2008
2,812
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Northampton
I have several nylon tents. I was after something cotton that I could pitch near a camp fire without the worry of holes from sparks.

Gotcha. I stick to canvas for that sort of thing, weighs a ton though. I also have a polycotton tipi, it's a lot lighter but I still wouldn't have a fire too close to it.
 

presterjohn

Settler
Apr 13, 2011
727
1
United Kingdom
I would be careful about that too. Cotton tends to catch rather easily. At the very least you will get holes in it, especially if it is thin cotton.

Really? I thought of the main plus points of cotton canvas tents were they would end up with less damage when pitched near campfires.
 

rg598

Native
Cotton was never considered good around flames. If you read someone like Kephart, he made it very clear that you have to be very careful when it comes to cotton tarps near the fire. Also, make sure you are comparing comparable thicknesses. A thick cotton canvas will be more resistant than 0.1 mm thick nylon, but if you have thicker cordura, the resistance starts to be more similar. Cotton is still better, but you still have to be careful, and you will still get holes. After all, cotton with all the moisture driven out is charred cloth.
 

Laurence Milton

Settler
Apr 7, 2016
605
170
suffolk
I was reading with interest the thread on the little Polish Lavvu tents and during a check about to see who selling them I noticed that a few sites are selling a Two man tent as used by the Dutch army. It looks on paper to be a great little base camp tent, but I can see not a single proper review for it on any forum or on Youtube.

I have only so far found it commented at all on the internet a half dozen times and the only thing I can be sure of is it is to heavy for backpacking. One bloke said it was a great tent and another said it was rubbish. So I am really none the wiser as to whether it would make a good buy or not.

I am looking at it from the point of view of a tent I can use for a weekend near an open fire in spring and autumn.

You can see one here:-

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/s...genuine-dutch-army-issue-woodland-258532.html


I know that this is an old post, but I thought it bore resurrecting,
a/ because I use both a lavvu and now one of these....
b/ there's a lot of rubbish on line about the latter
c/ not a lot on here!

It is (the dutch thing) a tough little polycotton thing, solid, fairly heavy and bulky. Excellent tray groundsheet. It's unique "side on" design makes access/egress a doddle, and there is enough length for taller people such as me, but how you get 2 people and kit in one, I've no idea; as some profess to do! Floor space is 8' x 3', and the transverse layout gives good headroom and sitting height (4' at apex).
The side on design also has the ridge off set meaning one "side" is the head end and the other is the foot end; however this means the roof is more gently sloping on one side, this can be a potential...….for leaks,as the rain can't run off quite as well, making it advisable to peg the tent out tight. Also be advised to spray Fabsil on to ensure "proofness".
The material for the tent is a light-ish polycotton, I'm guessing around 250gm/m. Somewhere between a polycotton French F1 tent and the modern Robens polycotton tents, if that helps?
The other leaks points (where people complain about these tents leaking) are where the zips meet when closing the tent, and where the bottom zips attach to the tent corners: these are left unsewn at these points. Some tent sealer in these corners or a bit of sewing rectifies this potential problem, and caution with closing the 3 way zips so the down zip is on the outside, will negate the leak point there.
However, there are some versions (hard to find?) that have flaps fitted over the zips, as mine does...….sorted!

Like a lot of small army surplus tents now, the price is creeping up, but generally cheaper than the excellent lavvu at the time of writing this.
Comes in it own polycotton bag.
Can have wood or steel or alloy upright poles.

Hope this may clarify things for some people?

(Perhaps this thread should be moved to "Sleeping"?)
 
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Laurence Milton

Settler
Apr 7, 2016
605
170
suffolk
I was reading with interest the thread on the little Polish Lavvu tents and during a check about to see who selling them I noticed that a few sites are selling a Two man tent as used by the Dutch army. It looks on paper to be a great little base camp tent, but I can see not a single proper review for it on any forum or on Youtube.

I have only so far found it commented at all on the internet a half dozen times and the only thing I can be sure of is it is to heavy for backpacking. One bloke said it was a great tent and another said it was rubbish. So I am really none the wiser as to whether it would make a good buy or not.

I am looking at it from the point of view of a tent I can use for a weekend near an open fire in spring and autumn.

You can see one here:-

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/s...genuine-dutch-army-issue-woodland-258532.html

Very late I know: but there are now reviews here on the Dutch tent, the French (polycotton) tent, and the Lavvu
 

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