Raingear?

I'm purchasing one here in the very near future. I would be happy to review it for you! A lot of guys in the military seem to be very pleased with them! I've wanted one for quite some time and the price has slowly come down on them. It was not too long ago that you couldn't find one under $300. Today I just found a surplus store selling them for $129. That is much more in my price range! :D
 
When you get it, please do a review on it!!!! I could definitly be interested!!!!!
 
Yeah, hope you'll give us a review on the " ECOTAT Freedom Shelter ". This is getting more and more interesting. Thanks.
 
pastorsoup, What is the name of the store that sells the ECOTAT at a good price? Do they have an internet site?
 
Here is a link to the surplus store in Bedford IN, that has the ECOTAT for $129.95. I've e-mailed them a couple of times and they seem like great people. They were quick to answer all my questions.

http://www.indianaarmysurplus.com/

They are located about two hours from where I live. In a couple of weeks, I'll be travelling in that direction and will more than likely pick one up then. I did a lot of searching and that seemed to be the best price I could find. If any of you guys find'em cheaper let me know.
 
Umm, if he has a limited supply, you may want to call and have him hold one for you. Otherwise, advertising that kind of price, these guys will buy him out. :eek: ;)
 
pastorsoup, I have found a 'civilian' model on ebay for around +-$54.00. Not sure of the differences, but it is about 1 lb lighter(~4lbs) than the service model(~5lbs). Do a search for 'ecotat'.
 
I use many things, depending on the situation.

- Gore-tex jacket (when I'm out hiking)
- Nikwax impregnated BDU shirt (when I'm out working or roughing it a little more)
- Swandri shirt (pretty much rainproof, enough for a light rain)
- Ferrino poncho with reflective side (always in my backpack, as it's extremely versatile as Myakka pointed out).

Cheers,

David
 
Hey guys, I purchased the ECOTAT last night. If you're buying one of these make sure you know what you're getting. There seem to be two versions of the tent. There is one that is not a true woodland camo. I have been told that this is a British version of the ECOTAT. Whatever the case, it does not seem to be as high quality as the true woodland camo version. The British version is slightly shorter and the vents are much smaller at the head and foot of the tent. British version also seems to be constructed with a material that does not seem to be nearly as strong. I'll just say that the British version seems like cheap thin nylon (but that's just my opinion). The material of the true woodland camo ECOTAT, on the other hand, reminds me of my woodland camo gore-tex pants. Haven't done any tests yet, but this material seems very strong.

The tent was very easy to set up. The poles that come with the tent are made by Easton and are very strong. I'm not a very big guy, but for a solo tent, it was comfortable to be in. I'm 6' tall and there would still be room to squeeze a pack in. I could easily role over from back to stomach without feeling confined. The tent comes with a booklet that shows you how to transform the ECOTAT into all sorts of things. Last night I quickly threw it on as a poncho. Right off the bat, i knew it was better than my standard military poncho. One thing I liked was its length. Wearing it as a poncho/long coat, the bottom was about 5 inches off the floor. With boots on, I would imagine that your legs would easily stay dry. I'll test all of this, the first rainy day I get.

So far I’m pretty impressed with it. If you do a lot of hiking and backpacking, and weight is something you take serious, I would consider the ECOTAT. This one item can replace other gear you might normally carry. I can't wait to do some real tests with it. I'll report back when I have more info!
 
Hello,
I recently purchased an ecotat tent and found this forum while doing a seach for more information on the model I purchased. I found a manual located at
http://www.geocities.com/ecotat/ecotatTMP.htm but, it does not match my model exactly. I only have one vent at the head and no loops at either end. Not a big deal and it still makes itself into the great coat, short coat etc. Just like written in the previous post. I have found it to be a fantastic shelter and agree that it has enough room to move around inside. But, be advised it is a bivy so if close quarters are not for you then you need to re-think the bivy idea.

This bivy came with the stakes, poles, storage bags and the zip in jungle bug netting. Keeps out the bugs in the warmner weather while allowing better ventalation. I have found this to be a fantastic shelter that is tough as nails. Well made and double stitched with factory taped seams.

I found this at http://www.wardenssupplyco.com I have purchased many items form this seller and find his prices to be the lowest around. He will also cut you deals if you buy more than one item. I have tested and reviwed many of the items that are available.

Now I know none of you know me from Adam but, check out the site and you will find many low priced items that are new or nearly new condition. If any of the items are used or show any wear it is indicated in the product description. If you buy anything tell TJ (owner) that Chuck from NJ sent you. Check it out you won't be disappointed.

Chuck
 
So what do you do when it's raining and you want to setup the tent? You're already wearing it and keeping your gear dry.

To set up the tent, you and your gear now get wet while doing so. Or it's raining and night and nature calls, the call that a bottle won't solve...

It's cool, true. But my freestanding bacpacking tent is 3 pounds with a full rain fly and I still have weight and space allowance for rain gear for less weight than the ecotat.

I've been tempted by the silnylon poncho tarps too but I just haven't been satisfied. What are the workarounds?

Phil
 
Hello,
I use a GI Poncho with two trekking poles to create a tarp over the side. The ecotat has a zipper that runs the entire length. The tarp acts as a cover for cooking and doing whatever. When it rains you get wet I have never been able to avoid that part. But, you can make yourself comfortable when you rest. Using the ecotat as a rain coat and then as a tent seems to be a bit tough. But, it's military roots allow for more than one function. I guess most soldiers would just sleep while using a it as a sit shelter. Sleeping in a tent is for the rear.

Chuck
 
phatch said:
So what do you do when it's raining and you want to setup the tent? You're already wearing it and keeping your gear dry.
Click to expand...


Phatch, you make a great point. I think HikerIII is on point in that the Ecotat was originally designed for military use. Soldiers would simply use the sit shelter method to catch some quick sleep in a situation where rain does not let up. For soldiers, using the Ecotat this way makes sense. In the sit position, a soldier can quickly respond to any theat. It is also worth pointing out that the Ecotat is also designed to be joined together with a second Ecotat to create a 3 man shelter. Again, I could see this happening with soldiers. For soldiers, the more practical functions you can get out of one single piece of equipment makes the Ecotat a smart design.

For a regular guy like me, I will probably carry something like a poncho or heavy duty plastic bag that I could set up like HikerIII mentioned. Nothing is perfect, but the Ecotat has a lot of nice applications.

:)
 
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