Firstzelt (Biwak)

Material requirements

You need the following materials to build the first ridge tent unit:

• 2 military sheets (with 2 guy ropes included)
• 2 peg bags (tent unit, 6 tent poles and 6 pegs are needed)

The following material is required to build each additional ridge tent unit:

• 2 military sheets
• 1 peg bag (tent unit, 3 tent poles and 2 pegs are needed)

Tying the sheets

*First, remove the cords from the canvas.
*Now tie 2 sheets together. Pay attention to the placement of the seams of the military canvas (the water should later be able to flow outwards from the knotted seam)
*These pairs of tarpaulins are now tied together to form a rectangle two tarpaulins wide.
*If necessary, the sides of the tent can be supplemented with tarpaulins to close it off later or to create a windbreak (as shown in the article picture)

Setting up

*The knotted tarpaulins are laid out in such a way that any rain hits the tarpaulins and cannot enter the tent from the sides. (As a rule, the tube tent is aligned north-south, as the rain comes from the west)
*3 tent poles are put together and inserted into an eyelet in the center seam
*While one person holds the pole, another person tightens the tip of the pole with the cord so that there is a longitudinal pull on the center seam
*Parallel to the previous step, the sheets are tensioned outwards with pegs. Ideally, a third person should be responsible for this.

Areas of application

The ridge tent can be used on hikes and expeditions where dry ground can be expected. Compared to the Gotthard , you can save one groundsheet per unit.

The ridge tent is also suitable for protecting luggage.

Advantages / disadvantages

Advantages

• low material costs
• easy to transport
• easy to assemble
• comparatively large space and height

Disadvantages

• no base
• practically no temperature storage
• if not closed, exposed to wind on the sides

Other sizes

The ridge tent can be built to practically any size and can therefore also be used as a lounge, cooking or large sleeping tent. For this purpose, a larger side length is used instead of a 2-sheet wide rectangle.

Note: The tent post technique is no longer suitable for larger structures; a beam or a taut rope is then used as a gable support.

Picture credits

• Cover photo: Provided by Jungschar Schinznach / Manuel Meier