Extra info: It's 6.5 lbs and does just fine in heavy snow. I did another video setting it up in high winds: ukposts.info/have/v-deo/smdynp-IfH5olZc.html

When I was a soldier back in the 1960s, I would connect my shelter half to that of another grunt, turning it into a pup tent. In winter, we kept warm on bivuoac by placing a candle in a steel pot (helmet) and lighting it. That would raise the temperature inside the tent from 0 to around 40 degrees -- not warm by a long shot but it kept us from freezing to death in our sleep.

To an Infantry soldier, the most important questions are: how much does it weigh, how small does it pack up, how many fiddle little bits can be lost.

As a former Australian infantry platoon SGT, I can tell you this, there’s no such thing as Grunt Proof. I have had soldiers break things that came wrapped in titanium. 😂😂😂😂😂

Back in my day it was shelter half. Anything is an improvement

If your concerned about camouflage, bring a piece of camouflage netting with you to throw over the whole thing. That stuff is so versatile it's worth having anyways if you have room. You and all your gear can just disappear in a matter of seconds.

In Afghanistan, as a grunt with two tours there, we never used any tents outside the wire. 360 defensive perimeters which were small on hilltops we did. Once a did a linear defensive line, for about a day and a half facing a village. We slept in the sand, snow, dirt, rain when we went on combat missions. Climb To Glory! 🇺🇸 Edit-in Baghdad, we slept on rooftops, or went back to Camp Liberty when ordered to go back. Edit #2: longest we stayed outside the wire in Afghanistan was 28 days. Iraq- 24+ hours. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

I agree most people haven't suffered enough to KNOW , how good that Tent is for one person. Great review !

I had to use the same shelter half in the '90's that my father used in the '40's. Mad jealous of the new tent. Although, waking up with a river running through your tent builds character! Kids these days...

Marines looking at this like, “the army gets fucking tents?” while staring at their standard issue tarps.

Back in my days as a Tanker we put the main gun bore cleaning staffs together, tied it between two trees,put the tank tarp over it with enough leftover to make a floor and ends, fired up a large coffee or juice can filled with sand and diesel= 4 star hotel!

nothing is grunt proof, just grunt resistant

Soldiers: this tent sucked Marines: you guys get tents ?

I’m currently a 31B and i was one of the last graduating classes to have used this tent and I have to say it was a phenomenal tent for what it was designed to do. My tent I had was about 11 years old I’d say and it had one minor leak when I had it but other than that it was very “homey” to me

used that tent during basic training, it started to drizzle during an FTX, got the okay from the drill sergeants to sleep in them, somehow it was the best sleep i've gotten while i was there

Another simply outstanding video. I find your experience as a career grunt invaluable. If you say its "grunt proof," well, I can't think of a higher endorsement. Not to mention, when I was younger, I know exactly what "The Grunt" says about the durability of most commercial camping products, especially tents. I take good care of my stuff and usually made tents last several years. But not one wasn't covered in patches by the time I was done, patches for holes and tears that were acquired despite careful treatment and being mindful of where I pitched my tent and what was around it. Having camping gear that is reliable, tough, will stand up to standard, mindful use, well that would have been a godsend 35 years ago. On Grunt's recommendation, a new one of these is going to be one of my "last minute" Christmas gifts to my step daughter who loves to camp. Great Video ! :-) .

Old 11Bravo here. Thanks for the review. Wish we would have had these when I was in, it would have been great. We still used the shelter half. We used it twice in 12 years. We preferred to use the poncho and poncho liner and or tarp or what we could get away with.

I've spent a few thousand day over the years using a variety of tents. under a wide range of conditions from +120 F to -30F This one looks like the best designed and thought out I have ever seen to handle heat, rain snow, wind. I like the blackout feature. It seems to meet the requirements for protection from the elements.

Compared to our previous individual tents.....which was nothing, the ICS is amazing! But above all, it IS Grunt-Proof! 💪

Thanks for the review. I was in the Marines in the early 1970's and used the old canvas shelter half set-ups. Now living in Downeast Maine, this looks like a great option for my overnight woodland hiking excursions. 👍👍👍

Retired ten years ago from the army. I got to keep my ACU pattern tent when I retired. I still use it monthly as a scoutmaster. It’s held up great. Even left it set up for an entire summer out on my property. Still in perfect shape.

A good improvement might be an extra floor section and a way to connect two tents via that back vestibule. More sleeping space in a smaller area. Shared heating in colder climates. Might even be able to be posted up a bit to make a slightly domed roof. Would be a true improvement over the shelter halves. Two halves of a much larger shelter that each are a one person shelter on their own. Together would probably sleep 2-4

Thanks for the review. Used to the old shelter half, if we even set it up. I have seen these in the inventory, but haven’t had the chance to use one as of yet. Glad to hear it from a grunt perspective. Thanks again.

I hated the shelter half, can’t believe it was still in use 30+ years after I got out,

Thanks for presenting this without a lot of BS. I'm trying to figure out what would be best on a bicycle camping journey with a little trailer. This looks and sounds pretty good.

I remember being issued these, all I could think was holy shit we are spoiled!!! After two years in the field with the tent half’s these were like being in a Hilton!

We had shelter halts, only used in basic. We only used poncho, and poncho liner. This tent looks pretty awesome for camping. No more leaky seams, has me wanting to buy one right now.

The shelter half/peg/pole set up wasn't made for sleeping in. It was only made to go on your gear list to hump around all day. It also promoted good inter-unit communications because when you lost pieces of it, you could wander around other units and trade the extra shit you found for the extra shit they found.

I joined the reserves in ‘03 and remember the shelter half. My buddy had a funny story about when he got it at CIF. He was like “Where’s the other half!?” And the guy at the counter says “Don’t worry, your buddy will have it!” All my AD time was in an aviation unit so I only actually used it once, in the field it was me and 20 of my best friends in a GP medium.

Nice to hear from a soldier reviewing outdoor gear - maybe review other tents too ?

When I'm walking for fun, I run an ultralight set up, of course (I am old and Motrin is expensive). But that's different from outdoor equipment for work, where your shelter is there to help you get a job done and you can't just get a hotel if the weather sucks. This looks really good for that. Again, nice review!

Usually slept on the ground. We were issued experimental “squad” tents at Lewis… light attack brigade. Cool pop up tent we would unwrap and just pull up on a central knob. Poof! We could sleep 6 or 8 troops in there. Super cool. Otherwise, I had shelter half issued in a few units, but usually took a jungle hammock or just crashed in the dirt with poncho for cover. Sometimes on top of the canvas of a 2.5 ton truck or m151 Jeep, which was exceptional sleeping. Good review!

I was stationed at Ft Drum for 3 yrs. We was issued an “experimental” tent called an Ecotat. Worked fine, except winter. I think we used them only twice. I preferred the poncho hooch.

Love your vids, I'm just a civilian I bought that tent about 2 years ago, love it and you proved it. Thank you for your service

Yeah I had a poncho and a poncho liner this is a real improvement

Former Sgt. here.. I've been Backpacking in earnest since 1973 and have spent year after year hoping to find an all weather tent. I first started out with a Eureka Timberline , which weighed 6 lbs. It was not any good in Winter as I found out at 12,400 feet in the Sierras .. So when the TCOP showed up a couple of years back I bought it, NEW, and have used it on every trip since. Snow, Rain, High Desert Winds which can reach 60mph and have had absolutely no problems. My girlfriend and I spent a number of nights in the Tent and loved it...Occasionally I well set up a Tarp during long periods of Rain in the Front of the Tent with the Door Partially under the Tarp.... Semper Fi...

My Army days as a grunt the shelter half was only for inspections, we used a poncho with poncholiner, and a air matress, also depending on the environment, and the season ocassionly would pack a sleepingbag.

I loved this tent. I camp a lot and when I joined the army and used this tent I was very impressed. Easy to use and better than sleeping on the ground lol

I'm about to buy this, and I don't mind the camo, it matches my poncho liner (can't bring myself to call it a woobie haha) but my only issue is no hook at the top for a UCO candle lantern. Those serve three functions, light, covering tent smell if you use the right candle, and I would say a 4 to 5 degree increase in temperature if left on a while. Has to be a way to attach a hook (that won't fall and start a fire) without harming the material.

Thanks for the honest reviews 👍 But I still go with my poncho and gearing up with my cheap 3×3m tarp especially for the colder months. I can't see the benefits with the tent. Long poles and alot of extra weight for a more comfortable stay. This is on the go putting my setup up sleeping, making breakfast and then to the next location. I am preaty good with my setup. The poncho is good but if I need to go to the stick in the middle of the night while it's pouring rain and snow. I am glad I have that poncho as a part of my sleeping system still dry. I promise you you do not want to have the roof coming of when you need to take a dump 😂

Female Army soldier in 1976-1996. I was issued both canvas halves and the parts because females weren't allowed to share. Took up to much space in my pack. I didn't like the tent, so I set up a cot and placed one half of the tent over me. I stayed warm and dry, even in the rain storm and snow.

Great video, I've been considering this tent and I believe you sold me. Thank you for raising your hand to volunteer to serve and protect not only our nation, but my children and my self as well.

No cure for that UPC pattern. Glad to hear the rest of it is good. Great idea, for storing loose gear. I agree, I usually left my gear in the pack.

Appreciate your time and consideration to help with your considerable knowledge gained by years of hard going which most will never appreciate

The army is now issuing condo's, who would have thought. I have spent many a frozen nights in the two-man pup tent, in the mornings I would use my entrenching tool to pry up a tent peg so I could crawl out of my frozen tent because I could not unbutton it. My cousin (rest in peace) spent six months living in a two-man pup tent in Vietnam, during monsoon season, he was not happy, he said you could not escape the mud, but the shelter half did keep the rain off your ass. The shelter half was not the greatest thing in the world, but it would keep you alive under almost every imaginable circumstances.

In seven years I set my tent up once. In basic training. I hated that thing. We always slept in our APC. We lowered the ramp and used a big canvas tarp draped over the back like a big tent. Nice and cozy for 4-6 guys. We partied a lot too in there. 😂

I was in a dismounted reconnaissance company as an infantryman and I love this thing. Kept me dry and warm in the coldest, wettest conditions imaginable.

It's nice to see the military has a good tent for the soldiers to sleep in or stay out of the weather. I was in the Army march 1967 until march 1970 and I only had half a tent ya had to use the other half with a buddy. What was strange the tent wasn't big enough for one but two guys had to sleep in it, I didn't mind my own stink but it wasn't fun smelling another guys stink lol I'd like to see one of these new tents in person to get a better idea about, but I like what I can see.

I was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, 87-91 , I can recall humping and jumping from planes with that old heavy canvas shelter half stuffed in my Ruck sack ( along with a bunch of other mostly heavy old clothes and stuff ) but it served its purpose on several occasions in the field and in foul weather, kept you dry and warm and also provided shade for those hot afternoons . But this tent you have here I would have LOVED to have , just in weight reduction for packing if anything else. It looks very practical and easy to set up. Well I’m in my 60’s now and I still rough it in the back woods on occasion( just using a DD Hammocks super light 3m x 3m trap and ridgeline with guy lines set up ) but I’d love to try this out for sure . Hey I’m getting old and soft now lol 😆 but yeah the soldiers these days have a lot better equipment than we did that’s for sure .

Finally! I have watched civilians review military gear and completely miss the point. Designed for a tactical environment, to be ready to move quickly. If you need tactical, it is why we were issued a bivy bag. I remember going to Germany for a short stint. We were in Hohenfels (hope I was close on the spelling). I remember sleeping in my MSS and woke to snow, but was warm and comfy. Stuff that sucker in your ruck and move out! I hated the thought of being the one everyone was waiting on to move out. I have a lightfifhter one man now, but my disabilities make it difficult to sleep in (muscle pains). I mostly sleep in a hammock now. Anyway... so glad for the grunt spin on the review. Finally someone to explain it. Thank you, and Merry Christmas.

That tent isn't "grunt proof"...he got in!

Well done! You make some very good points on this. I got one early this year and love it. When it comes to the camo pattern...no big deal....every pattern out there has it's drawbacks. Keep up the great vids!! Bold and swift...

GP: Nice run down on this tent. Some of the things that you brought up are spot on. Light Infantry has to jump and run in the middle of the night, so fumbling around inside the tent looking for stuff is not the best scenario to be in. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the great work!

Love all the boots saying “must be nice”. You signed up to get our hand me downs, lol.

2 shelter halves? Good Lord! That's how we did it 50+ years ago! Glad to see the Army is trying to get it right, finally. Merry Christmas, Eleven Bravo.

I remember setting up in a downpour in the back of beyond on Pendleton. We extolled a quick muddy berm around the base which made a drainage channel too. We were wetter when we crawled in. But we slept damp while everybody else was swimming. I will subscribe and am looking for your tent. Kudos from an old corpsman.

Great video, dude. You've made some really good points.I've had experience with the Tcop. Though it's a little heavy, I still love it. Rock on dude.

In '03 we had the usmc tent olive green, it was single type that I would say is grunt proof all day. I used the shelter half as well, that thing sucked heavy multi people had to disperse amongst themselves. I would recommend the usmc tent to anyone. Remember I'm going off of 15 year old memories, '99-'05. 0331 usmc. Thanks for the video!

I remember getting together with my battle buddy and setting up a GP Teeny

Love this tent! Best use I’ve had it for is back packing, motorcycle camping and boots and Ut’s weekend getaways throughout the sierras and pacific north west. Very durable, (un)packs easily and quickly. Fairly spark resistant; ex. Minute Sparks from a camp fire won’t necessarily destroy it. The black out material is a blessing on whisky nights and size / weight make this very easily stowed in a motorcycle pannier, back pack and or rain bag. I, 6’3” 220 and camped in mine for nearly 15 years now and at times with a 70 lb Doberman. (That’s pushing it) My only complaint is sitting up inside; But I didn’t buy it for that. I bought mine for the price point, stowing size/ weight and extra storage room. Great for storing long rides in the rain and keeping your gear sight out of mind.

Glad to see the military upgraded. The first civilian/commercial version of this entered the market 1985-1988.

I used the shelter halves too, hated those things. I would rather tie off the hood on my poncho and turn that into a single man tent. The last light Infantry unit I was with had the single man woodland bivy tents which was sweet. But as far as room goes these newer tent systems win! You can keep your gear dry and yourself!👍

Great video Randall! The majority of my outdoor kit is military surplus. I find it durable & cost effective.Keep the good content coming.

Thanks Bro 🤘 I haven't been able to find an affordable heavy winter shelter solution, this is right up my alley, TBH. I already own the car seat organizer and I may be the only man on Earth who truly likes the ACU pattern. So, Neither of those issues would impact my choice to purchase. Thanks Again, At that price point, Next Winter, I'll pack this tent into the Smoky Mountain backcountry.

This is the first video of yours that I've run across. Great job. God bless you and thank you for your service. ❤❤❤🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Seems like a good tent, although I would definitely want the Multicam version. I have a litefighter one man military surplus tent, and it doesn't have that black out material. But it's got an eight inch Gortex bathtub, and the rain fly is Gortex also. I've camped in all conditions with it, but I don't think it's meant for winter. It has two HUGE vestibules for storage, and it has a few pockets and hangers inside the sleeping area and the vestibule areas. Plus the Multicam really does well in a woodland environment, I have pictures where I've parked it in some leaves, or even in a grassy field. You really can Stealth camp when you have Multicam or even MARPAT does good, just hard to find MARPAT tents, tarps yes, tents no. Either way I totally agree, military tents are easy to set up, will take a beating and stay functional, and definitely have vestibules set up to fit a rucksack, boots, and whatever else you need. I actually got my Multicam litefighter one man tent from gearguy82, the guy on Ebay I told you about, and I got it in unissued condition for $170.00. You should check out the litefighter!!! Great video!!🤜🤛🇺🇸🇺🇸

New sub here, good review youngman, good to hear your "the good the bad and the ugly." Shocked they were still using shelter halves during your time. Shelter halves and pouncho's were all we had in 1980, light infantry.

Easy to setup. Easy to break down. Ample storage area, spacious. Excellent value too. In my favorite color; cammo.

Talk about serendipity. I was looking at this tent online earlier today. I think you convinced me.

2-22 Infantry, 10th Mountain, 1994-2000. We had to deal with the shelter halves in OSUT, but even in the Land of the Frozen Chosen, we lived by the poncho hooch. Everybody had an assortment of bungees packed, some guys had pre-cut lengths of 550 with elaborate slip knots. The ACU pattern is atrocious. Glad I hail from the days of woodland camo, and never had to deal with that. But, this tent does look like something I would have rather had most of the time, over a poncho hooch. Since most of my time on the line was spent humping an M60, AG gear, or a CINCGARS (the older 38 pound PRC-119D) the weight would have been an issue. Still, I would have loved to have had access to this tent on nights we were out in the sub-freezing weather at Fort Drum, a hooch just doesn't stop the wind, no matter how well you build it.

I was first issued a variation of this tent in the 10th Man Div in the late 80's. Travel lite, freeze at night.

I was commissioned in 1981 and was in the 1st Cav in 83 when I went to the field with the Aviation Bde HQ. I brought a civilian tent that was OD green but the CSM complained to the Bde CO that the LT was in a non-issue tent so I had to take it down. I didn't bring my shelter half so I used my poncho as a shelter for the rest of the exercise.

I still use a 10 year old Kifaru Tut floorless teepee with a stove jack. It's bomb proof and weighs about 2 pounds. In winter I use a Pomoly Titanium wood stove. Keeps me warm

We weren't issued those so I can't compare but they look pretty similar to the Eureka TCOPs we had in another service.

Very surprised that the regular army was still using the shelter half in 2003. My time in the army was in the mid 80's to the early 90's. I have mixed feelings about the shelter half system. If there was time to set it up and prepare the ground around it. You could sleep sound even when it was raining. With that said, there was very little room for two guys and gear. If you were rushed to set it up and it rained, it would be a miserable night. Wish we would have had something like this.

I did end up getting one used on ebay. Just got here yesterday. I was holding out for a different pattern. Something other than the pickle suit pattern but nothing ever came up so I finally pulled the trigger. got it for 139 bucks used but in excellent condition. I gotta say, comparing it to my old 2 Man USMC Tent ( We called it the Honymoon tent in the Marines) It's a pretty stout tent. The Army thought this through very well and it shows. Flagstaff just got about 6 inches of Snow and Im thinking I might head up and try this sucker out. But at the very least, plenty of room for me and my Dog can have the Vestibule area (He's a 140lb German Shepherd) with some wool blankents He stays pretty toasty in the winter. Thanks again for the review.

Absolutely right ,back in the old days shelter half is heavy & boky to carry, and isn't waterproof!

I have the usmc version with the two vestibules and I love it. I also have the two man combat shelter for when the wife and dogs go

Nice one mate, would be good for winter, that's what I use it for. An the same camouflage I would use it for that👍😁🎅🇬🇧

Oh my gosh! The early reference to the heavy canvas shelter-halves. That was what available when I was a Boy Scout (late 50s). I totally turned me off to camping. It leaked, it was heavy, no insect protection, no protection from water running under tent, etc., etc.

I bought a similar tent design. It was inexpensive. I added a blue ground tarp for wet weather. The glass rods provide great flex in high winds. I camped said tent in a heavy storm, high winds, in Arkansas. The tent top often flexed in the wind down near me, yet always recovered. I thought we were gonna blow away. In the AM, I was high & dry. no, really. I was so happy with the tent, it was time for wake & bake. :-) cheers!

I wish we had this back in the my day. I too am from the shelter half era.

I have this tent to, i think it's great, i just have a small hole in hood towards the vestibule but i have a tube of silicone to fix that, just to let you know i didn't serve but i tried in the army in the 80"s but a bad heart and breathing problems prevented that but my brother did and my father did and two uncle's did, my soul was willing but the body wasn't able but enjoy learning as i go cause it's nice to be able to set up shop when fishing 3 days straight and eating what you catch and some camping to, i just get embarrassed when i bring my stuff and people ask if i served and i tell them no they must wonder why i have a military bag and equipment and the only reason i have is because it's big enough to carry everything i need, but then i feel like a fool

Can confirm, i served from 2006-2011 now DVET and i miss this thing so much for camping and hunting

Something like this would have been a mansion while I was in. You wanted rain resistance in my time, it was poncho over shelter half tent, you wanted bug proof, you weren't getting that, but you could get bug resistant if you used the insect bar over the shelter half configuration. If you wanted airflow.. LOL, you weren't getting it with that heavy canvas... But in all of those, you never got a clean or dry floor. Good to see the military is moving into something closer to modern.

The ICS was a huge improvement over the shelter half, but I usually preferred a big camo tarp and my bivvy bag for speed and less weight. I feel like they should have gone with a pop up style to be more grunt proof.

The Army always gets cool toys... Semper Fi!

The intro aroused an old question I had and never answered. I saw a “Cups Canteen” hanging up in the shelter. The US Army (I presume the Marines, Air Force and even the Navy also) uses an alloy cups canteen. This means that if there is a hot drink/soup in it, your lips get burnt! Whereas, the Australians use a Stainless Steel Cups Canteen, it doesn’t transfer heat from the contents to the cup to burn the consumer. Btw, the Australians were using single man hooches over 60 years ago, they are/were designed to be able to be clipped together to make larger shelters.

I Used two Decon Kit box for storage. I also Used one Canvas/box first aide kit. This three combined was more than enough storage. I still use them to this date. They Do last when properly taken care off!

I would think that something on the design of a fabric clamshell would be appropriate, … but it could also utilize buttons that can be used to close the door way opening, instead of a zipper that can get clogged, & jammed up with mud, snow, &/or debris, …

I would love to hear your thoughts/impressions on the Litefighter tent to see how it stacks up against the ORC

I got out in ‘96 and in my unit we only used the Hooch. I personally have used as little as a sapling and my large ruck to hang my hooch at Ft. Polk JRTC. We weren’t even issued a shelter half. Haven’t seen one of those since Basic.

I were a grunt 24 years ago in the age of shelter halfs in the Norwegian Army and I have not tried the ICS, so my remarks are a bit biased and theoretical. In most field situations during training the ICS looks like a huge improvement to the shelter halfs. In my civilian life as a hiker I would never bring a shelter half with me on a trip, but I think I would go with a ICS and be happy with it. The black out design for the sleeping area is brilliant for the times when you take a rest during the day or when there is a midnight sun. Civilian tents usually does not provide that to you (and believe me - it is bright during summer nights in Northern Norway). What I intuitively does not like about ICS (without testing) are 3 things. The first is that if you ever leave roads with your squad your ICSs will have a bigger visual signature than a tent made by shelter halfs. I do not know if that is relevant as I am not familiar with how the Army will operate off road these days. The second and third comments are with civilian use in mind. I am not sure how an ICS would stand up to strong wind in my place (if you watch my movies you get an idea about why I am concerned about wind). Any who has experience with strong winds? What happens if the wind changes the direction during your rest? The third is that I am not sure if the design is suitable for cold winter days where you have snow falling and wind blowing, but then I am viewing it with a Norwegian winter in mind. Most hikers and soldiers does not operate in Northern Norway however, so it would probably be a waste for the US Army to design a tent that would work here as well:) Anyway - a good movie to watch and I enjoyed your review:)

I started out using a poncho hooch. Later, the my unit used North Face VE-25 tents. I still have a VE-25 after they were slated for turn in back in '95. I also still use my old jungle hammock, which remarkably, can be used in alpine environments also.

I love that you show the temperature in metric for the international audience.

Thank you for your all your Videos! I am always enjoying watching them. Your are the same "solider generation" I was. I also joined in 2003 (but the armed forces of Germany / Bundeswehr) and left in 2015 (Paratroopers / Fallschirmjäger). Are you in the Baumholder-Area on Tour?!? Greetings and thanks again for your channel!

Very informative video! I love the Army's answer to the tent half days!!(Ex-Army here)😁 Keep making these vids for us old fogeys who think we're prepping!Hooahhh!

Finally an honest review! I have camped in this shelter -18 C which didn't include the wind chill! Of course with a decent sleeping bag and we received 6 inches of snow on top of that. I was unaware of the storm until I woke up the next morning. Completely dry and very warm out of the elements. This saved me on numerous occasions. Speaking from my own personal experience here in Canada "The Canadian Armed Forces"

Blimey, I'm cold in my house, the temperature here is 0 degrees C outside. I've never slept outside in winter and l don't have much body fat or an oven that works so l can't buy any "tv dinners" -3! Also, fighting the Taliban, that's incredible, l want to thank you and all the other people who served with you, a fantastic thing to have done! All the best.

Good stuff, very well presented. Thank you!