Vintage "poop" tent

hairy_apple

Adventurer
A few weeks ago my brother in law asked if I wanted to go backpacking with him in Oregon. I said sure, sounds awesome. As I was getting stuff ready this weekend, I realized I had only one ground tent left after getting a RTT, and it was big and could never pack down. I remembered the smaller tent I used in HS, that was my parents. It smelled awful. We called it the "Poop tent" It was a small little A frame tent, but it was a nice one. It was all I used until I met my wife actually, and needed a bigger tent. I had not seen it for a while, but I knew my family had to have it still... so I went over to my parent's house to look for it yesterday. I dug around in their camping stuff, and couldn't find it. My dad then gave me a big scare, when he said he thought he had thrown it away, since it stunk so bad and my brother and I both commented about how nasty it was. Yeah.. but it was a rad old tent! Oh no, my stomach sank a little when he said that. I really liked that tent.

Went inside and my brother's girlfriend was there, so I asked her if she happened to have seen it recently. She said that she knew they had used it in the last year or so, and we went and started digging around my brother's camping stuff.. and there it was.. the poop tent. And Jesus it smelled just as bad as I remembered.

Took it home last night, and let it air out in the living room... bad idea. Oh damn this thing stinks. Like, really, smells like dog crap, or puke, or maybe a bit of both, I don't know. Why do I love this tent so much... well, this is why...

dad602.jpg

This picture was taken in Alaska in 1980. 5 years before I was born. 3 years before my parents were married, as a matter of fact, they had just barely met when my dad went to Alaska. And there is the tent. My dad sold his cruiser when I was born. I have the military shovel he carried in it, and the poop tent. It's the only two things that connect my cruiser to his, and so as gross as it smelled, I loved that tent.

Our RTT got wet and mildewed a few months ago, and we managed to get it perfectly clean again using a Lysol, salt, and lemon juice mix in hot water. I figured I'd try it on the poop tent today, and so this morning I cleaned it good with that... and once it dried out, I rinsed it with fresh water and let it dry again. Well, it smells like a tent now instead of like vomit! I am very happy. I am also pretty excited to have a reason to use this little tent again, even if it weighs a ton compared to modern backpacking tents.

Just spraying it all down with Scotch guard and re-waterproofing it, and will repack it up tonight and attach it to my backpack for next week. :)

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tlin

Adventurer
Loved that quick read.....awesome story. Don't ever get rid of that thing, pass it down to your or your brother's kids (whenever that happens). :tent:
 

JackW

Explorer
Eureka Timberline - one of the worlds greatest tents. When the waterproofing coating on mine started flaking off after about twenty years that thing smelled so rank that people in the next campsite were asking "What died around here?"

I couldn't figure out a way to save it so it had to go.
 

RAFoutdoors

Retired Explorer
I had one of these in the mid to late 70s and it was a great tent. It is a Eureka Timberline. Easy to set up and move around until you found the perfect spot to stake it down. It had windows/doors at both ends so you could get great cross ventilation. I used it all 4 seasons and spent a lot of time in it during heavy snow storms. I am not sure it was rated for 4 season use but it worked for me.
These were very popular for the Boy Scouts because they were very affordable, easy to set up and you could backpack with it although it was a little heavy. They are still available new today. One of the most versatile iconic tents ever made. I sold mine when $$$ was tight and wish I had not. Got almost as much as I paid for it 10 years earlier.
Glad you got it cleaned up. I know parts are still available from Eureka. What a great tent with great memories.
Have continued fun with it. Glad to hear it stayed in the family.
 

hairy_apple

Adventurer
I am amazed how good of shape it's in. Considering how much I used it in HS, and my parents used it, and my brother had been using it. It's a well traveled tent for sure, but in great shape. Actually, I couldn't find a single thing damaged or wrong. I'm very happy I got that stink out, it smells like a tent now instead of a dead animal.

Hopefully I can get another 35 years out of it. lol.
 

jeep-N-montero

Expedition Leader
Awesome tents, I have two 2-man and one 4-man Eureka Timberline tents in the garage. We outgrew them but every time I think about selling them I talk myself out of it, keep telling myself our kids will use them someday.
 

ducktapeguy

Adventurer
I spent a lot of nights in those tents as a Boy Scout.

I also have a small 5x7 pup tent from the 70's that smells the same way. It's the really old style pup tent with a single pole running through the middle of each door on each end held down by a guyline. I"ll have to dig it out and see if I can clean it up, the last time I used it I couldn't stand to be inside it for more than a few minutes.
 

hairy_apple

Adventurer
I spent a lot of nights in those tents as a Boy Scout.

I also have a small 5x7 pup tent from the 70's that smells the same way. It's the really old style pup tent with a single pole running through the middle of each door on each end held down by a guyline. I"ll have to dig it out and see if I can clean it up, the last time I used it I couldn't stand to be inside it for more than a few minutes.

That's how this was. It's was REALLY nasty smelling. I am not kidding when I say it smelled like vomit or dog crap. It was nasty. The salt/lemon juice/lysol worked really well. It smells totally normal now.
 

Kerensky97

Xterra101
It was the plastic or waterproofing they used back then. My family had an old Frostline kit tent from the 70's and it smelled worse and worse as time went on and the waterproofing started to deteriorate.

Great tent though.
 

DCH109

Adventurer
Older thread but I have to bring it back.

I used one of those in Boy Scouts. I pack it all over BC. This was after my brother packed it all over Australia. the new ones are green, I prefer the brown color. Heavier than today's tents, but I will bet that today's tents do not last as long.

2 16yo kids with full frame packs fit just fine in these. Not to sure about 2 full size adults though. I am far from my 16yo size.

I can say that I also used mine year round. In the summer they are great, in the winter with a good sleeping bad, they vent real well with the windows open. Full fly, Scotchguard and I never had it leak once. I have seen some horrible rain with this tent and it was great.
I have had Snow 1/4 the way up the side and still no issue.
Heck I had about 1-2 feet between the side and a tree, a bear decided this was a great path to take. needless to say, as the side of the tent bowed in, I was very still. the tent help well and the bear walked on.

A solid tip on these. Where the peg for the pole on the corners goes is attached by a metal ring. I would peg mine at that point into the ground.
that tent never moved.

Also pick up a ground sheet, it will protect the floor.
 

Midnightsun

Adventurer
Cool story. You make 1980 seem like such along time ago. Funny thing I graduated from high school in anchorage in 1980. Love the picture , land cruiser where very popular I'm AK
 

JackW

Explorer
I was down in my basement sorting through some other stuff a week or two ago and spotted the poles for my old Timberline - and thought I threw that thing away years ago, didn't I? A few more minutes of searching and I found my old stinky green tent.
Now I get to try your trick to see if I can un-stink it! I've probably spent a couple of hundred nights in that tent - hopefully I can get it cleaned up and usable again. Any details on your mixture?
 

toylandcruiser

Expedition Leader
A few weeks ago my brother in law asked if I wanted to go backpacking with him in Oregon. I said sure, sounds awesome. As I was getting stuff ready this weekend, I realized I had only one ground tent left after getting a RTT, and it was big and could never pack down. I remembered the smaller tent I used in HS, that was my parents. It smelled awful. We called it the "Poop tent" It was a small little A frame tent, but it was a nice one. It was all I used until I met my wife actually, and needed a bigger tent. I had not seen it for a while, but I knew my family had to have it still... so I went over to my parent's house to look for it yesterday. I dug around in their camping stuff, and couldn't find it. My dad then gave me a big scare, when he said he thought he had thrown it away, since it stunk so bad and my brother and I both commented about how nasty it was. Yeah.. but it was a rad old tent! Oh no, my stomach sank a little when he said that. I really liked that tent.

Went inside and my brother's girlfriend was there, so I asked her if she happened to have seen it recently. She said that she knew they had used it in the last year or so, and we went and started digging around my brother's camping stuff.. and there it was.. the poop tent. And Jesus it smelled just as bad as I remembered.

Took it home last night, and let it air out in the living room... bad idea. Oh damn this thing stinks. Like, really, smells like dog crap, or puke, or maybe a bit of both, I don't know. Why do I love this tent so much... well, this is why...

View attachment 410243

This picture was taken in Alaska in 1980. 5 years before I was born. 3 years before my parents were married, as a matter of fact, they had just barely met when my dad went to Alaska. And there is the tent. My dad sold his cruiser when I was born. I have the military shovel he carried in it, and the poop tent. It's the only two things that connect my cruiser to his, and so as gross as it smelled, I loved that tent.

Our RTT got wet and mildewed a few months ago, and we managed to get it perfectly clean again using a Lysol, salt, and lemon juice mix in hot water. I figured I'd try it on the poop tent today, and so this morning I cleaned it good with that... and once it dried out, I rinsed it with fresh water and let it dry again. Well, it smells like a tent now instead of like vomit! I am very happy. I am also pretty excited to have a reason to use this little tent again, even if it weighs a ton compared to modern backpacking tents.

Just spraying it all down with Scotch guard and re-waterproofing it, and will repack it up tonight and attach it to my backpack for next week. :)

View attachment 410246
View attachment 410247
View attachment 410248

That’s a pup tent not a poop tent. A poop tent is where you poop in :)
 

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