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.
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