In history 2 man tents were commonly used more than other capacity holding tents. In Australia and the UK they have a word for this type of tent, they call them shelter half. A shelter half, or sometimes called a dog of pup tent, were used in wartime when imperial England was colonizing other continents and countries. These tents were made from ropes, pegs and poles, and were made and assembled with any tools that the builder could find.
These tents were formed in an upside down “V” shape and the reason for the name, shelter half, is because two people would carry a whole tent. One person would carry one half of the poles the pegs and the shelter material, they would have to combine parts with the other person to create a whole tent that could hold two people. These halves that each person would carry were also multipurpose; they could double as a poncho to protect from rain and cold weather and as concealment so that hostile snipers could not pick them out of the scenery as easily.
This particular type of tent is often used in wartime since units are not over cumbersome for soldiers, and they are often referred to in war culture. In the second volume of Spike Milligan’s war autobiography of war titled “Rommel?” “Gunner Who?”: A Confrontation in the Desert, one of the various accommodations that Milligan stays in is a two man tent that was stolen from the American supplies.
For modern use these tents are made to be able to fit in very compact containers, have fold able metal poles, and are very water resistant. This is so that the average hiker, or even the experienced hiker, can take them on trips through heat, rain, and snow. Though larger tents are usually used for trips like Everest, these are great for solo or couple treks into terrain.
Related posts: