Monday, February 16, 2009

Praxis: Pup Tents Au GoGo

Courtesy of Strategy Page, we have this on a new style individual shelter. Does anyone among the Irregulars have any experience with these?

Pup Tents Au GoGo

February 11, 2009: Once more, the infantry are getting another superior piece of equipment via the civilian market. This time it's a smaller, easier to erect one-man tent. Five years ago, Nemo Designs, a U.S. firm, introduced a line of tents, using a rigid air tube instead of a tent pole. The one man tent (the GoGo) attracted the attention of SOCOM personnel, who are always seeking more effective outdoor gear. The SEALs were the first to test and adopt the Nemo technology. There is now a military version of the GoGo (two doors in front, room for a large rucksack and weapons, and a large person, olive drab color.)

The civilian GoGo weighs less than two pounds, packs into a shape smaller than a football, and can be set up in less than a minute. It's 2.6 meters long, nearly a meter tall and 69 cm wide. The civilian version costs $265. The military version is basically the same size and weight, but costs a bit more. This is a lot more expensive than the old pup tent (two sheets of waterproofed canvas and two tent poles, put together to house two troops), but a whole lot more effective.

2 comments:

Tangalor said...

Effectiveness is relative.

Can you wear said tent as a poncho? Can you use said tent as a flotation device? Can you use said tent in any condition your body is in? Does said tent also incorporate itself as a tarp and/or sail?


Again, effectiveness is relative.

I don't care how much it weighs, I don't believe it can do all of that and still stand up to the old poncho, or even a good IPK with grommets.


My .02 cents.

Anonymous said...

FWIW...We've been experimenting with all sorts of one and two man tents with the same result in every one we've tried save the old fashioned poncho lean-to: LOTS of condensation issues in any type of humid or cold weather. Yes, even with ventilation openings...

We've also experimented with heavy duty tarps and found that the best all around lean-to which does not suffer from condensation issues can be made from a 6' X 8' tarp (earth toned or spray painted to match the AO). Just be wind consciou when you set it up. No condensation, plenty of room for you, your ruck and your rifle, and you can even reflect heat into it from a reasonable fire if you're in a situation where you can/should build one.

It weighs less, has no poles, and all you need for set up is some 550 cord, some stakes (you can get these from surrounding tree branches or deadfall), and a good spot.

Just my .02