*The Alpha tent*

I guess it's time to mention another piece of equipment I carry, The "Alpha Tent".



Back about 1985 I realised I hated lugging around redundant equipment due to weight (especially now, since I am getting old and soft), so since everyone carries (or should carry) a military poncho in their butt pack, ALICE Pack, Back Pack, where-ever, I decided that there was no need to carry a regular "tent" on fast patrols. The idea of using a poncho for a tent is, of course, an old one, but you see people running string and sticks all over creation to make a tent out of it, and they aren't very weather proof in that configuration, or very easy to set up, or move.



I knew that there just HAD to be a better way...



Everyone probably has some old shock-corded tent poles laying around from old torn up dome tents, so gather them up and use em!



What you need to make an Alpha Tent is two flexable shock corded poles that are a total of 111 inches long, and you'll need 4 red electrical wire nuts (The kind with "wings" on the side work best). NOTE: I use the Military RipStop Ponchos... the rubbery Ponchos are a different size, I don't know the dimensions for those ponchos.

MANY people have written over the years to find out the dimensions of the Poncho I use. At the request of the forum users over at BackPacker.com I drug out the Alpha Tent and updated the photo's some.

Poncho laid out flat:



Poncho set up as Alpha Tent:



The inside center height when set up as an Alpha Tent is approx. 23 inches.

As for the Poles, I prefer THIN Aluminum shock corded poles (Cheaply available in any lengths from Easton), but thin fiberglass ones work just as well. If you do decide to cut old poles yourself, unstring your little poles, and cut each one till it is about one foot to 18 inches long ...Cut the poles to whatever length fits best in your gear, yet will still bow enough to form the "dome" of the Alpha Tent... cut them all the same length, and don't cut the end with the female socket, you'll need it to fit the other poles in as normal. At this point, PRE-PLANNING is crucial. While figuring what length to cut all your poles, remember that the TOTAL assembled length must be 111 inches, you lose a little length each time you stick the male end of one pole into the female socket of the next pole, so figure accordingly. If using thinner fiberglass poles I like my poles to be around 13 inches long when collapsed, but your poles may have to be a different length depending on the depths of your pole sockets and the material from which the poles are made. I like my poles to be even shorter when using quality Aluminum... shorter poles are easier to "stow in your gear and forget", as long as the shorter lengths will still bow enough to form the "Dome" of the Alpha Tent.







(Various lengths of poles used in Alpha Tents, made from various materials)











You can also lift up one side of the "tent" and prop up the two lifted corners with sticks for use as a lean-too.



You can close the hood tight and turn the tent upside down, toss your equipment in it and use it as a mini canoe for river crossings (YOU can't get in it, but you can push your equipment in it while you swim)... No more sinking, bulky, balky, air filled "poncho rafts" (You military guys and gals know what I mean!)



