The Sibley tent was invented by the American military officer Henry Hopkins Sibley and patented in 1856. Of conical design, it stands about twelve feet high and eighteen feet in diameter. It can comfortably house about a dozen men.
The Sibley design differed from other conical tents, or bell tents in a number of ways. Sibley's design was supported by a central pole which would telescope down into the supporting tripod so that it took less space to pack and store. The tripod could be erected over a firepit for cooking and heat. The Sibley design also required no guy ropes, being held down by twenty-four pegs around the base. Additionally, unlike earlier designs, the use of a cowl over the central pole allowed for ventilation and for the escape of smoke, regardless of wind direction.
Read more about Sibley Tent: History
Famous quotes containing the word tent:
“At last I feel the equal of my parents. Knowing you are going to have a child is like extending yourself in the world, setting up a tent and saying “Here I am, I am important.” Now that I’m going to have a child it’s like the balance is even. My hand is as rich as theirs, maybe for the first time. I am no longer just a child.”
—Anonymous Father. Ourselves and Our Children, by Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, ch. 5 (1978)