widu13
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I've been using my Luxe Minipeak instead as a lightweight alternative, BUT for the winter the Polish is winning on heat retention and seems more "cosy".
Polish army tent - Lavvu on a budget ?
- Thread starter Shewie
- Start date
For those who are thinking about this I have a pair of them and I like them a lot. When used as ponchos they're very windproof and warm -- can be a bit too warm when pushing along. They're a lot more resistant to brambles, thorns and hot embers than the lightweight synthetic ones and they're great for sitting by the fire. I like the fact that they have buttons and not press-studs. BUT they are heavy, and they're smaller than you might think. and they're a slightly odd, conical shape. I find them too tight around my shoulders so I'm constantly hitching them up to get more room.
Even so I prefer them to the synthetic alternatives.
Even so I prefer them to the synthetic alternatives.
Been using mine for about a year now, and I like them more and more. They are excellent as rain capes, very nice breathable canvas, and the extra layer across the shoulders to ensure dryness. No metal buttons like the rain capes of most countries, so they don't make as much noise when hunting, and no annoying grommet at the peak. Large enough to cover your legs when canoeing or sitting on a deer stand.
As a tent, they're small, but adequate. I sleep on my side curled around the pole a bit. I tied loops around the grommet holes so that I could use sturdier stakes, and that also allows me to add and inch or two of height, and it also allows added ventilation around the bottom. A candle lantern heats it pretty well. I use a walking stick as a pole, I cut it a bit longer than the issue pole set.
I've had no trouble at all in some heavy rains, I'm surprised so many people are finding it necessary to waterproof theirs.
As a tent, they're small, but adequate. I sleep on my side curled around the pole a bit. I tied loops around the grommet holes so that I could use sturdier stakes, and that also allows me to add and inch or two of height, and it also allows added ventilation around the bottom. A candle lantern heats it pretty well. I use a walking stick as a pole, I cut it a bit longer than the issue pole set.
I've had no trouble at all in some heavy rains, I'm surprised so many people are finding it necessary to waterproof theirs.
I am often tempted to get one, I expect it may be similar in many ways to the US pup tent shelter halves, but more headroom. However I am not sure I really need one, as I have a backpacking tent that is small enough to fit in one of the pockets of the famous alpenflage smock, and I got that from a charity shop for a mere £3. The tent, not the smock that is, the smock cost me a tenner and probably weighs twice as much.
Hi guys
Hope I'm not necro-ing this thread too much...but I'm eying up this tent a lot. The first 15 pages of this thread really encouraged and tempted me...and then the last 3 really made me second-guess :<
Has anybody bought this from militarymart.co.uk (http://www.militarymart.co.uk/index.php?_a=product&product_id=1444) recently? Can you vouch for the quality? Any idea which size (S/M/L) it is?
Cheers
Max
Hope I'm not necro-ing this thread too much...but I'm eying up this tent a lot. The first 15 pages of this thread really encouraged and tempted me...and then the last 3 really made me second-guess :<
Has anybody bought this from militarymart.co.uk (http://www.militarymart.co.uk/index.php?_a=product&product_id=1444) recently? Can you vouch for the quality? Any idea which size (S/M/L) it is?
Cheers
Max
Thanks for the replies guys.
Aye Max, that's exactly the thang we're on about. You'd need to phone them and ask about sizes etc.
Mine's bombproof and works great, its just that sleeping like a bushcraft banana around the central pole can be uncomfortable for me.
Liam
Aye Max, that's exactly the thang we're on about. You'd need to phone them and ask about sizes etc.
Mine's bombproof and works great, its just that sleeping like a bushcraft banana around the central pole can be uncomfortable for me.
Liam
I bought mine from military mart. I use two poles from an old tent as an A-frame which gives me much more room inside
Maxwellol, your link to 'Military Mart' had some great advice:
"Some complaints on forums due to lack of laying out room inside. The cure for this is not to build it like a bell-tent i.e. round like the picture. Instead stretch out the sides and flatten in the front. Sleeping room, no problem."
I don't know why I hadn't thought of that before. Pitched the tent as an oval instead of a circle, and the advice was good.
"Some complaints on forums due to lack of laying out room inside. The cure for this is not to build it like a bell-tent i.e. round like the picture. Instead stretch out the sides and flatten in the front. Sleeping room, no problem."
I don't know why I hadn't thought of that before. Pitched the tent as an oval instead of a circle, and the advice was good.
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Oblio I take it that's not you in the picture - a sprog would have no problem fitting into this tent
as for those bloody great dogs, well, the picture makes it look like they could swallow the little lavvu whole :Wow:So, pitching it oblong instead of square adds more room? How about clearance at the ends above your toes/head? I'm bang on 6ft...
I'm 5'10", and if I stretch out straight, my head and toes touch the canvas. That doesn't cause it to leak or anything, though. And I don't sleep that way, so as soon as I'm on my side with my knees bent a little I'm not touching anything.
There's a snowstorm predicted tomorrow night, and my wife and boy are off visiting, so I'll go give both the Polish palatka and a Hungarian one I just bought a thorough foul weather test and report back.
Camping with those dogs is a love/hate relationship. The grown one farts so much I'm surprised the candle lantern hasn't ignited the methane. The puppy doesn't always go out via the door. The three of us barely fit, but at least it's warm.
There's a snowstorm predicted tomorrow night, and my wife and boy are off visiting, so I'll go give both the Polish palatka and a Hungarian one I just bought a thorough foul weather test and report back.
Camping with those dogs is a love/hate relationship. The grown one farts so much I'm surprised the candle lantern hasn't ignited the methane. The puppy doesn't always go out via the door. The three of us barely fit, but at least it's warm.
The Norwegian army used something similar when I was in. The "poncho" was diomond shaped. Each man was to carry one into the field, along with one tent pole (that we never used), 3 tent pegs, and 5 meters of rope.
With this we set up what we called a button tent. And they where much roomier than those polish tipi things.
Here is how you put them together in different configuration according to how many ponchos you have.
And here is pic of one:
To use them these tents are a group thing. Each member carries one part of it. But when I was in, we where mechanized so if we went on excersize driving in we would button it up before we went out. They are canvas, so heavy when wet.
With this we set up what we called a button tent. And they where much roomier than those polish tipi things.
Here is how you put them together in different configuration according to how many ponchos you have.
And here is pic of one:
To use them these tents are a group thing. Each member carries one part of it. But when I was in, we where mechanized so if we went on excersize driving in we would button it up before we went out. They are canvas, so heavy when wet.
That sounds familiar
I would add they also steal your food unless you guard it like Fort Knox.Thanks for the updated opinions guys
Oblio a review in harsh weather would be awesome! Make sure you don't go cold though!
Getting very very tempted to buy one now ooooooh >.<
Oblio a review in harsh weather would be awesome! Make sure you don't go cold though!
Getting very very tempted to buy one now ooooooh >.<
The first time I slept in mine we had torrential rain and high winds. I remained dry and warm. Remember, it's a canvas tent so it gets wet and heavy (heavier!!) but I didn't get any drips
I bought a few about 20 years ago. They're a clever concept but you'd need lots of people to carry the bits and frankly they're not big enough. The Polish lavuu is a much better piece of kit if you want heavy canvas and works better as a poncho too
Well had one of these Polish issue poncho shelters for a bit now, approw 2Yrs and to be truefull it has been religated to the back of my truck as emergency wet weather gear or shelter. These cost £10:00 as unissed kit from any decent Surplus store around that time, they make an excellent emergency shelter or tipi for your dog whilst out bushcrafting, but from experience they are, very heavy for their size and too small if you are anywhere around 6' tall unless you can sleep folded in half or have the technology or time to extend the skirt (which i have seen pics of on here) and in heavy rain they leak like seives due to the construction idea of buttoning two poncho's together, the canvas material is really good quality though, so for £40:00 personally i would say forget it and put the money toward something like a Luxe minipeak, or a Helsport Multiduk. But if you that determined to get one you can find them a hell of a lot cheaper than £40.
I'm surprised yours leaked like a sieve, particularly at the join of the two ponchos, as if done properly this area is triple-layer!
Agree that this is no lightweight option, but it is nevertheless a fun bit of kit, and remarkably warm (and dark!)in the winter, where a Uco candle lantern is enough to keep the chill off!
Agree that this is no lightweight option, but it is nevertheless a fun bit of kit, and remarkably warm (and dark!)in the winter, where a Uco candle lantern is enough to keep the chill off!
I bought one of these last year after seeing threads about it on here, put it up the be back garden the kids and the dogs though it was great, some one came round and said "why have you staked an old coat out in your garden???"
Managed to get out with it twice [near me is some land right on the coast the owner lets people camp on for free - a bit rocky so a bugger to get tent stakes in but hey ho] with two of the kids 6&5 [I'm 5'10" and with the kids I had my legs poking out through the door]. The weather was fine so can't comment about the water tightness but it was dark inside [helped keep the kids sleeping past 4 in the morning]
Abit heavy for bakpacking but great for sticking in the car and for a bit of novelty value and definately shop around easy to get WAY cheaper than £40
Managed to get out with it twice [near me is some land right on the coast the owner lets people camp on for free - a bit rocky so a bugger to get tent stakes in but hey ho
] with two of the kids 6&5 [I'm 5'10" and with the kids I had my legs poking out through the door]. The weather was fine so can't comment about the water tightness but it was dark inside [helped keep the kids sleeping past 4 in the morning]Abit heavy for bakpacking but great for sticking in the car and for a bit of novelty value
and definately shop around easy to get WAY cheaper than £40
