Includes new, more comfortable and robust individual tents

The German Army's modular tent system to replace its 'Dackelgarage'

Esp 1·16·2025 · 21:06 0

Keeping soldiers safe from the elements has been a challenge for many armies since ancient times.

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The use of tents in armies dates back to ancient times. The Romans used leather tents to house their soldiers during their campaigns, while the Native Americans of North America used conical tents (called tipis), made from bison skin. The civilian use of tents has been widespread for years, with two models being particularly popular: the Canadian tent (with a gabled roof) and the hexagonal igloo tents.

In 2021, the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) launched a programme to equip itself with 19,000 new tents, using a modular system. Today the Bundeswehr has published an interesting video showing what this system works (the video is in German, you can activate automatic subtitles in English in the bottom bar of the player):

The Bundeswehr began using these tents in 2022, distributing the first 2,500 systems to its Very High Readiness Tactical Groups (VJTF), and then equipping other units. Until now, one type of tent widely used by the Bundeswehr was the so-called "Dackelgarage" (dachshund garage). It basically consists of two individual panels of Flecktarn camouflage fabric, which can be used separately to build a rudimentary shelter for a single soldier. Joining two panels together results in a very basic Canadian tent, as seen in this photo (you can click on the images to enlarge them).

The Dackelgarage will continue to be used by the Bundeswehr, but will be replaced by new, more comfortable and robust, single-person tents that are in line with what is found in civilian models. The main advantage over the Dackelgarage is that the new tent offers better insulation from the ground and better ventilation, as well as additional space for a backpack and other gear. Lieutenant Colonel Carsten Kai Schulke emphasized: "The one-person tent even withstood winds of 110 kilometres per hour without damage".

Another new feature of the Bundeswehr's new tent system is that German soldiers now have deckchairs, which are placed inside individual tents to provide better insulation from the ground. In a country where it snows for so many months of the year, these deckchairs will be very welcome.

Another major innovation is that these individual tents are modular, with four of them being able to be joined together to form a common accommodation, so that two pairs can have a shared space to prepare dinner, for example, sheltered from rain and snow. This central space can also be used to house refrigeration or heating units in deployments in environments with extreme temperatures. This combination saves the Bundeswehr from always having to resort to its Einheitszelt des Typs II (Standard Tents Type II), which required a truck for transport and a forklift for unloading.

This new Bundeswehr equipment includes a folding table and stools for the additional accommodation module that connects four individual tents.

In addition to these new features in its field accommodation, the Bundeswehr has also renovated its central catering component with new cooking utensils and new water bottles.

Finally, the renovation of the Bundeswehr tents includes a basic hygiene and sanitation module with a dry toilet, so that soldiers do not have to relieve themselves in the open air, as well as a new block for collecting waste.

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Photos: Bundeswehr / KÄRCHER Futuretech GmbH.

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