Tent Construction Plans

Since I plan to do a C15th. encampment regardless of what other BS happens to be going on, it’s time I pulled finger and put something down on paper. PS. I don’t care who uses this research as long as it’s got my name on it. Besides, if it’s wrong and I didn’t put my name on it, who would you complain to?

- L. Stefano d’Urbino
Shire of St. Florian
Po’Lochac, Ko’t’West

Based on pictures from resources quoted in previous document (battle of Pavia & other woodcuts)
N-sided pavilion tents I have seen can be as little as four sides and as many as you like, normally even numbered (6, 8, 10 and 12 more likely)

The basic considerations are the more sides you have the;

• - more external poles you need to support the shape

• - less weight each pole needs to carry

• - more seams you have to sew

• - more usable area you have inside the tent

Six, eight or twelve are easy to work with, as the internal angles and thus the size of the side trapezoids are easier to find. See the below diagram for a six sided tent (not to scale). The trapezoid bottom corners stick our in line from the centre pole (see pole closest to arrow point) to the outer poles, ie. they are worked out from two triangles.