[Koen de Bruin]

I could really use some help ^^

And I am going to make my personal tent!
I have yet to find the right model to make.
I have no armour to store in my tent since I am a poor monk, so my plan is to make a tent that is just high enough to comfortably sleep in, and maybe store the very few personal possessions I have. Also, my real life budget is very small (poor monk in 13th century, poor student in the 21st), so low-budget is a must.

Pavillon and Geteld are not suitable models
The pavillon would require a lot of cloth, and both have the problem of normally being very large.
A Geteld of about 1.10 meter high would look really silly.

So in conclusion: I am looking for a poor man's, cheap tent of the 13 century (Knights hospitaller to be exact: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...ospitaller)
(Yes, I know, they were rich knights... Let's just pretend I'm the one monk who still takes the vow of poverty seriously)

Your help would be greatly appreciated

[Hendrik De Coster]

even in the 15th century most man at arms(guys who could afford a complete armour ) shared tents with others.
if you want the cheap 1 person tent i'd say make a 360° mantle which you can lay over your staff weapon inserted into the ground. then you've got an instant shelter!

[Allen Jones]

When I think of a poor man's tent I think of a lean to. It is about as simple, cheap, and easy as they come.

Allen

[Jared Smith]

Worst case, roll up in an oil cloth and prop up the part near your head with your boots to provide some air and breathing space. My son's Boy Scout troop master still does that at an age near 80 years old as it lets him pack light. (Gets by in rain, snow, etc.)

[Tom Kinder]

poor man's tent = bush?

I think the concept of what was poor in those days was significantly different than what we think of today. probably shockingly different.

I do like the oil cloth suggestion, sounds very rugged and ranger-y-cool, but not very comfortable.

[Chuck Russell]

a stick hut

[Koen de Bruin]

Thanks for the help!

I like the lean-to idea.
It would be 2 poles, connected by a rope, and with a cloth tossed over them?

It would make a triangular shaped tent, maybe with a small piece of cloth to close up the open ends on the side?
(that would still leave one big side of the tent open, preferably the side aimed at the campfire )

[Allen Jones]

If you are going with the lean-to and making side flaps I would recommend also adding a flap to cover the front open part of the lean-to. It isn't much more work or material but it is really nice when the wind changes direction or when it rains. Also pack two more pegs to stake down this flap for the windy nights.

Allen

[Sander Marechal]

Are there any extant depictions of such tents?

[Patrick De Block]

Coenraedt Egidius,

Just stick the pole in the ground at one end so the other end is about three feet above the ground. If you are afraid that it will fall on your head cut a forked branch to rest that end on or simply lean it against a tree or on a low branch. If you need a flap to protect you from the weather your not a poor monk anymore.

Patrick

[Jared Smith]

[Koen de Bruin]

Thanks for the tips to get it comfortable.

Just some questions about the size/temperature/humidity relation

How does hight relate to temperature in the tent? I know that warm air rises, but does that really have a significant effect in a tent that is 2 meters high compared to a 1.5 meter tent?
How do I keep the humidity out? of course finding a good place to set it up in case it rains is important, and maybe dig a ditch around the tent if rain is expected, but what about the dew? Is a proper peg to keep the tent cloth in the ground enough to stay comfortable?

On the historical aspect:
The Lean-to would have the most advantages for me, since I can use it as a cover when not sleeping, maybe even set up my own workspace or altar... problem is the historical justification.
Is there anything historical to say about this model other than it's plausible because of the simplicity of the design? (If necessary, I'd go with that though , I prefer to have some evidence to back me up though)

[Sander Marechal]

I found this image: http://home.adelphi.edu/sbloch/sca/tents/pict..._tents.jpg

It looks like simple wegdes from a sheet of cloth and two small poles. No flaps. It's from the cover of an accounting book from the city of Sienna, Italy, for the year 1479 (found here).

[Rusty Thomas]

You could check out some of the tents that Tent Smiths makes. www.Tentsmiths.com This should give you some ideas. If it were me i would go with something historically "plausible". i would also find a way do "disguise" a modern insulated ground pad. Maybe sew some oilskin (which you could easily make" around a shorty ridgrest pad. If it is going to be a cool night this will greatly increase your comfort. Of course you could gather natural materials but that might not be possible all the time. My criteria would be something that covers me enough to keep out the weather, tall enough to at least sit-up in and have an opening/door of some sort to allow the heat of a fire in. Sounds like a good nights rest to me!

[Chuck Russell]

some ideas

[Sander Marechal]

Are those straw tents? Or are they some kind of more permanent huts/dwellings?

[Sean Flynt]

German/Austrian, ca. 1440. There could be perspective problems here, but it's interesting. My guess is that pilgrims and other travelers would have either slept rough or taken shelter in barns, sheds, inns, etc. A monk would probably find shelter pretty easily in inhabited areas.

[Chuck Russell]

the bottom picture i believe show military encampments

[Elling Polden]

Generally, a tent would be to cumbersome to carry for a single traveler, unless it is a very simple, light type. Even then, later armies would have a minimum of two men for each tent, or split the tent in halves.

it seems tents where mainly used when you need to camp somewhere for some time, for instance during military expeditions or tourneys. In such instances, one would have sufficient transportation to bring them. (though the reenactor's trend of bringing about two tons furniture and conveniences would in most instances be a bit anacronistic at best.)

For comparison, the external frame "oseberg" tents commonly seen among viking reenactors where originally deck tents for ships. These are mentioned in the sagas, as well as seperate "shore tents", for use when spending the night on land.