Here is a wonderful
estate find - a “Good Companions” model from Black's of
Greenock/Scotland. It is the standard size, with 5x8 floor and center height
about 5’. These were first made in the
early 30’s, but this one is quite likely from the early 1960s. These were often used by scout troops here in
the US and in Europe. This one seems intact, with good zippers and screen. These were offered with either a center pole
or the external angle poles. As shown,
this is the external pole option, but you could easily use an awning pole
inside adjusted to the right height if you prefer not to use the outside poles.
The poles are made of
aluminum alloy and are shock-corded with both chain and elastic cord. We found
a lot of slack in the cords on both sets but this doesn’t affect how the poles fit together, which is quite solid. There are
no windows, except the front screen door, and on these models, the screen & door are not
sewn to the floor. You just sort of tuck them inward. There
is a vent at the back which has lost its form, but a simple stick will hold it
open. According to a 1963 catalog, the
tent is made of fully proofed “Protex” fabric.
The guy lines are made of nylon. (The photo at the end is for reference only - no catalog or page is included.)
No holes detected, some dirt a few stains, but nothing ugly – it has that wonderful nostalgic canvas tent smell, but not at all musty or moldy. The bags for the tent, poles and stakes are included, and these show considerable wear. No stakes will be included. Tent plus poles weighs about 6.5 lbs.
This is a terrific user collectible, rare to find here in the US.
A little bit of fine print:
Shipping/Handling: We will combine shipping for a
reasonable discount on multiple purchases and usually ship the first business
day after payment is completed. Our
listed “S/H” price is usually actual cost plus a small percentage up-charge for
overhead (gas, tape, fees, specialized packaging, etc.). Shipping costs listed are for US shipments
only. “Free shipping”, when offered, is
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if shipment is lost after that delivery confirmation.
Item description: I am not an expert on anything,
and do not claim to be. Any auction text
that uses the terms ‘excellent’ or ‘fine’, etc., are descriptive only, and
should not be considered official rating or grading terms for the item.
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own location is smoke/pet free, we recycle packaging whenever possible. Also, a few auction items are from estates or
are being sold for someone else, and these may not be smoke/pet free.
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defective or not as described. Buyer must contact seller within 7 days to
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if auction item is sold ‘as is’.
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entirely possible that there are additional undiscovered issues with the item
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Thank you for your
interest. Happy hunting!
Correction: Floor is 5' x 7'
Addressing a few questions raised: This model was offered with a optional rain fly as shown in the sample catalog page, but NO FLY is included with this tent, for this auction. Also a question was asked about the waterproof quality of the floor and door. That is answered clearly in the ad - the door and screen are NOT sewn to the tent floor, and it is also visible in the photos that there is no attachment at the bottom of door and screen. The floor is flat on the ground, no 'bathtub floor' here, and the door and screen are just sort of tucked inward at night. Also please note we did not test the tent in wind and rain and make no claim as to its performance in extreme weather or in any kind of weather. It is a vintage tent, and as such you may find issues pertinent to its age that we did not detect or discover before posting. It is being sold AS IS, and no returns are accepted.