The A-Tent or Pup Tent

The A-Tent or 'Pup' Tent used to be the main lightweight hikers backpacking tent through the second half of the 20th century. It's distinguishing features were the two aluminium poles at front and back and the fact that the tent had no side walls. Instead the roof came right down to the ground, hence the name ... the A Tent.

They were sometimes called pup tents as well, because they were a kid sized tent. Small and light weight for their day.

These little tents used to be about 6 feet long x 4 feet wide x 3 ft 6 inches high. That's a tight fit for two adolescents sleeping side by side, or one lone adult. Two adults would need to be very much in love or have been born as conjoined Siamese twins!

The tents are so small you cannot even sit up in your sleeping bag without your head brushing against the roof. Good quality vintage ones were made from breathable Japara cotton or cotton duck fabric, and probably didn't even have an insect-proof mesh in the doorway. But at least the canvas could "breathe" at night and allow moisture from your breath and body sweat to evaporate outside the tent walls.

And like all true canvas tents, you had to be sure not to touch the inside roof when it was raining outside... Why? Because the water would then start dripping through the cloth at the point you had touched it!

The more recent el-cheapo jobs, made in China of course, were made of nylon and didn't drip like that. They also included sewn-in groundsheets (waterproof ground cloths) and insect-proof mesh in the doorway to keep out the mosquitoes at night.

These tents are so tiny you have to keep your backpack outside, unless you are on your own. They are better than nothing, but you are far better off going for a dome tent instead.