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Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
Any lean to shelter protects you against the wind and creates a heated space if used with a fire in front of it.

Don't imagine a pretty heavy wind on a beach. If camping the main problem usually is just a light cold wind. If you cut it off you immediately become comfortable.

I don't know if it's physically correct but you can imagine that the lean to shelter reflects the heat of the fire to your back. Perhaps it's just the heated room, but it doesn't really matter why exactly it gets comfortable.

Because I don't own such a polish army tent I don't know if just half a tent can be protective enough against rain but just looking at it I think so. Surely not in the open field but well protected against wind in the woods it surely works fine, depending on the tent size and body size of course.

Historic photos usually show standard constructions because such a tent works always and everywhere and modern soldiers usually don't sleep by the fire. It's better for them to count in the body heat of the second man in the tent.

Since WW1 a soldier has to count in a sudden air plane attack. One doesn't ignite several fires to show the enemy where he should throw the bomb or shoot in with the machine gun. The Stuka was for sure not the nicest German idea and surely never will get forgotten in polish military circles. They already did hit the target in the beginning of WW2. In the cold war aera the weapons became even far more precise.

The best civil use of military surplus equipment often is different to the way that was intended by the military.

The usual NATO tent halves for example we usually used seperated with a fire in between, forming a triangle or a U shape.
It's constructed like this but rarely used like this in armies.

A soldier in the field usually doesn't sit comfortably around the fires. His boss (if not the enemy) already made him tired enough that he sleeps as soon as possible.
 
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Bee Outdoors

Member
Aug 10, 2019
36
32
53
Manchester
Any lean to shelter protects you against the wind and creates a heated space if used with a fire in front of it.

Don't imagine a pretty heavy wind on a beach. If camping the main problem usually is just a light cold wind. If you cut it off you immediately become comfortable.

I don't know if it's physically correct but you can imagine that the lean to shelter reflects the heat of the fire to your back. Perhaps it's just the heated room, but it doesn't really matter why exactly it gets comfortable.

Because I don't own such a polish army tent I don't know if just half a tent can be protective enough against rain but just looking at it I think so. Surely not in the open field but well protected against wind in the woods it surely works fine, depending on the tent size and body size of course.

Historic photos usually show standard constructions because such a tent works always and everywhere and modern soldiers usually don't sleep by the fire. It's better for them to count in the body heat of the second man in the tent.

Since WW1 a soldier has to count in a sudden air plane attack. One doesn't ignite several fires to show the enemy where he should throw the bomb or shoot in with the machine gun. The Stuka was for sure not the nicest German idea and surely never will get forgotten in polish military circles. They already did hit the target in the beginning of WW2. In the cold war aera the weapons became even far more precise.

The best civil use of military surplus equipment often is different to the way that was intended by the military.

The usual NATO tent halves for example we usually used seperated with a fire in between, forming a triangle or a U shape.
It's constructed like this but rarely used like this in armies.

A soldier in the field usually doesn't sit comfortably around the fires. His boss (if not the enemy) already made him tired enough that he sleeps as soon as possible.
Yea I totally get all that and just to put some perspective on the subject I would say that most shelters regardless of natural or msn made are all efficient enough depending on location, weather and the ability of adaptation. The Lavvu was designed to be used as a poncho or combined as a two man shelter but of course we as outdoorsmen will adapt and use it in different ways to suit our needs.
The question is not how we use it it’s what we use it for and the efficiency of the shelter. If I was to go out for a day hike I would not choose to carry a poncho to use it as a lean too shelter for a few hours when there are number of options that would be far lighter and provide me with better shelter for the time I needed it.
for example the humble BASHA would be much lighter and more versatile even if conditions turned I could get a far better shelter. But the Lavvu as a whole is awesome for cold camping, allowing you to have a small stove and not get heavier as it would in the rain. Half a Lavvu as a lean too in my opinion does not offer efficiency or much benefit apart from the nostalgia feeling, or a awesome backdrop for a video or photo shoot, the soldiers in WW2 did not have the choice of gear but we do and choosing the right gear for the trip is fir me the first rational decision one should make.
Now if ones intentions is to go out for a few hours set up half a Lavvu as a back drop for a well composed social media post then that’s fine too as long as we do not misinform people of the efficiency of the gear we use.
regardless it’s mostly fun and people should enjoy the setups they feel works for them.
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
1,624
Vantaa, Finland
The Loue was used mainly for hunting or reindeer herding short time habitation. It's quite sufficient in the out-of-insects season. It protects from wind and dew like any other leanto. Al these open tents are supposed to be used with fire as also the arrangement of two leantos against each other. I would look for wind protected place to put one up for overnight, for shoerter times it can of course be used as wind protection.

It is actually quite nice to wake up and easily see outside and notice that it is raining and sleep another 3 hours.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
The cotton tents keep the top position in hot, dry and sandy conditions and if used with camp fires.

If I want to protect myself just for a little intermission on a day hike a 350g Italian army / Defcon 5 poncho is surely the better option. (200 x 168 cm).

You generally have a larger amount of bushcrafters who use for several reasons exclusively old shool equipment that's made without plastic.
The old stuff usually lasts longer, doesn't produce a garbage problem, is more comfortable during the summer, is more spark resistant and people want to learn about how all that was done before.

But of course the new NATO eqipment is better.

I am no military equipment specialist, and can't tell you about equipment of other armies, but I can tell you that the Wehrmacht and especially the Waffen SS issued the best available personal equipment of the time. All was brand new production, and they had chosen the best constructions that had been found. They knew that they sooner or later will get a war with Russia and they knew that the only chance to win it was due to better education and better equipment. And so they bought the best of the best.

But the others got pretty good equipment too, as far as I see.

Nowadays most NATO equipment also is much better than 95% of the civil offers for outdoor equipment, because they want to buy the best of the best. And of course there are good reasons why the new NATO stuff looks different than the WW2 equipment.

But don't underestimate the old military equipment. I would prefere a cold war Red Army equipment by far over every mid priced current civil outdoor equipment if somebody would offer to gift it to me and I had the choice.
Old , before 1960 made, Swiss, Swedish or German stuff anyway.
 

Kav

Nomad
Mar 28, 2021
452
356
70
California
owning 3 shelter halves I have tried maultiple options. I even set up my Palashas @ 10' apart and laced Russian Palatkas to form a A frame like tent. Swede Youtuber SWEDWOODS uses many variants from a single shelter half to three.
 

Hammock_man

Full Member
May 15, 2008
1,450
526
kent
lavvu and skirt800.png
Fitted a skirt, chopped the bottom off another size 1 and held on with string and press stud poppers. Guyed out to a wooden frame as not allowed to peg it out on artificial grass! Tripod of 3 Wilco washing line poles.
 

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