Reproduction Roman leather military tents?

[richsc]

Legio XX here has a leather tent, as you can see in the photos from the site. I can take closeups at the event this weekend, as there are a lot of details you dont' see usually. I think the flaps were a particular problem.

Now, if you read the Vindolanda book on the leather remains, they suggest that the side walls are higher than the Legio XX reconstruction, but the book came out after the tent was made.

[Robert Vermaat]

I don't know about the tents of Legio VI Victrix, but I've been told that the 'leather tents' of some German groups are not waterproof! Some may therefore look like leather tents, but they are not replicas.

[Peroni]

Robert,

That might explain the VI covering their leather tents with plastic sheeting when it started to rain at Kalkriese recently.

Regards,

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

Legio VII's one is well made. Last Tarraco Viva have rained and the tent do'nt have been alterated by taht fact.

At the photo, is second by the right side, near the centurio's one (the biggest)

[FAVENTIANVS]

You're right AVI, I've seen so too...
(We helped in its construction... It's been a hell!)

[Aluscladiusmaximus]

Robert,

That might explain the VI covering their leather tents with plastic sheeting when it started to rain at Kalkriese recently.

Covering a leather tent when it rains has nothing to do with how waterproof it is. If you take a leather tent home wet it will go moldy. If the guards tents get wet just before we pack up they have to be hung up to dry before they can be put in their bags.

Aulus Cladius Maximus

[Tarbicus]

If the guards tents get wet just before we pack up they have to be hung up to dry before they can be put in their bags.

Sounds like a case for waxing. Not so easy these days, but slaves were available then.

Cheers.

[Mithras]

I just purchased a Roman Papilio (spelling?) from Panther Primitives that is pretty much just like the one shown on Past Tents' web site.

Is that the wall tent or the ridge tent? THe wall tent looks very much like a canvas version of the leather Roman tent, doesn't it? If I get a tent, unfortunately, price-wise, it will be a ridge tent. Several of Comitatus have them.

[Florentius]

Avete,
I have begun construction of a canvas contuburnium, based on the vindolanda tent. I am using a polycotton canvas, topcoated with paint, uv, and fire protection. Fire retardancy is required in california for any sleeping tent. I am using two different colors, in no particular pattern, and will overpaint the whole thing to dull it down and make it look more like leather. All the panels are cut to size, and are being assembled with a simple seam. It is machine sewn, and each seam is sewn once, with one side longer than the other. The overlap is then glued down. This is the only way I can imagine to assemble it without a ton of machine sewing on the outside, plus, there should be no visible sewing anyway. I have made number of pavilions, but always I used a full flat fell seam. This is one half of that seam, but I believe that there will be comparatively little stress on most the seams of this tent, so the system will work. I think this will be a workable method of building a non leather tent that looks like the real thing. Of course this is not an option for the stitch Nazi, but I'd rather have a tent that at least looks right, than have nothing at all.
I will post some pics soon, showing the seam method and fabric. Naturally this will become the next page of florentius.com

Vale, Florentius

[FlaviusCrispus]

Florentius--

Out-freakin' standing, frater! Does this mean we might see it at Fort Mac? Can't wait to see the results. You are, as always, a credit to the Roman army.

[FlaviusCrispus]

Florentius--

Out-freakin' standing, frater! Does this mean we might see it at Fort Mac? Can't wait to see the results. You are, as always, a credit to the Roman army.

[DECIMvS MERCATIvS VARIANvS]

[size=150:3pmwndh3]F[/size]lorentius, you ROCK!!
I can hardly wait to see this as it is exactly what I think is a good alternative to a leather tent. Hope you have it by Ft. Mac!
Best, DMV

[Florentius]

Ave,
Many thanks Fratres. I do hope to have the contuurnium for Fort Mac. Probaly wont have time for the over painting, we shall see.

Vale, Florentius

[ursinius]

Hey guys,


so much money for a leather tent... but the problem is that it most probably will not be correctly stitched. The romans used a labor intensive stitch that didn't penetrate the leather layers fully so that the tenst were kind of water proof. I dont think the indians will duplicate this. The ESG did however. if I remember correctly, Their 2 leather tents took about 400 hrs each ( 2 men working on it).

SB

[Florentius]

Ave,

Yes I cant imagine the deepeeka tents will have the correct tunnel stiched seam. Hopefully they'll just be stitched from the inside, so you don't see any machine stitching on the outside. Thats my biggest struggle in figuring out a real looking canvas version- you can't tunnel stich canvas :?

Vale, Florentius