The crowdfunding campaign for Tent and Bedroll ends tomorrow! We’ve hit the end of campaign surge, and are cruising towards our next stretch goal. 

We’re offing some of the rewards from our previous campaigns as add-ons for Tent and Bedroll. These will continue to be available on the pledge manager, but those pledges won’t count toward our stretch goals.

This week’s preview poll was our closest yet, but in the end history won by one vote! Here we present the history of the tent. The final book will have more history including bedding and additional camping gear. 

Like so many fundamental technologies, the exact origin of the tent is lost to history. There is evidence of proto-tents from 28,000 years ago made from mammoths, using bones for support and hide as covering, but these were likely too heavy to be portable, so don’t qualify as true tents.

True tents were first utilized by nomadic people. Including the iconic tipi, used by indigenous people of the great planes of North America beginning at least 10,000 years ago. Early tipis used long wooden poles for support and were covered with bison hide. They contained holes in the ceiling to let out smoke, so fires inside the tent could be used for cooking and warmth. They were easy to put up and take down and light enough to carry, allowing the great plains people to follow bison herds.

Similar tents have been used around the world by many cultures across history. Another iconic example is the yurt of central Asia, which has been used since at least 600 BCE. Still circular, yurts employ a lattice frame that allowed them to have vertical walls and a conical roof, and could be larger than many previous tent designs. They often used felted wool rather than animal hides, which reduced the weight, and could be carried by animals like horses, camels, or yaks.

Tents were also historically used by people on the move even if they weren’t primarily nomadic, such as the Roman Army. While most nomadic people favored round tents, the Roman tents had rectangular bases with sloping sides that gave it the classic triangular tent silhouette. They were made from wooden frames and covered with animal hides. The Romans also used ropes and spikes to hold the tents to the ground. 

Militaries continued to use tents in medieval Europe, but that was hardly the only use. In addition to large groups on the move, tents were also used as temporary shelters for large gatherings like market days or festivals. The design and materials of a tent became a status symbol. While a common soldier might sleep in a simple tent of wooden poles holding up canvas, a noble might rest in the luxurious pavilion covered with silk embroidered with their heraldry. 

Through the renaissance and industrial eras, tents continued to be used by people on the move and as temporary shelters. The fundamentals remained the same with small changes in construction or materials. One such major innovation was the invention of synthetic fibers like nylon in the 1930s, which soon became the most popular tent covering. Recreational camping didn’t start until the late 19th century, and then was mostly an activity for the wealthy, who had surplus free time. Over the decades it spread across classes such that by the 1960s anyone could buy a camping tent at their local store. 

I’ll check in tomorrow after the campaign ends. 

Thanks,

Matthew