could
button his piece across one of the open ends so as to close it, although
it did not make a very neat fit, and half of the cloth was not used;
four men could unite their two tents by buttoning the ends together,
thus doubling the length of the tent; and a fifth man could put in an
end-piece.

Light poles made in two pieces, and fastened together with ferrules so
as to resemble a piece of fishing-rod, were given to some of the troops
when the tents were first introduced into the army; but, nice as they
were at the end of the march, few soldiers would carry them, nor will
you many days.

The tents were also pitched by throwing them over a tightened rope; but
it was easier to _cut_ a stiff pole than to _carry_ either the pole or
rope.

You need not confine yourself exactly to the dimensions of the army
shelter-tent, but for a pedestrian something of the sort is necessary
if he will camp out. I have never seen a "shelter" made of _three_
breadths of drilling (seven feet three inches long), but I should think
it would be a good thing for four or five men to take.[14] And I should
recommend that they make three-sided end-pieces instead of taking
additional half-tents complete, for in the latter case one-half of the
cloth is useless.

Five feet is _long_ enough for a tent made on the "shelter" principle;
when pitched with the roof at a right angle it is 3-1/2 feet high, and
nearly seven feet wide on the ground.

Although a shelter-tent is a poor substitute for a house, it is as good
a protection as you can well carry if you propose to walk any distance.
It should be pitched neatly, or it will leak. In heavy, pelting rains a
fine spray will come through on the windward side. The sides should set
at right angles to each other, or at a sharper angle if rain is
expected.

There are rubber blankets made with eyelets along the edges so that two
can be tied together to make a tent; but they are heavier, more
expensive, and not much if any better; and you will need other rubber
blankets to lie upon.

If you wish for a larger and more substantial covering than a "shelter,"
and propose to do the work yourself, you will do well to have a
sailmaker or a tent-maker cut the cloth, and show you how the work is to
be done. If you cannot have their help, you must at least have the
assistance of one used to planning and cutting needle-work, to whom the
following hints may not be lost. We will suppose heavy drilling 29-1/2
inches