mixing shelter halves

[58 lorenz]

I have a type IIa shelter half from Anderson dry goods (Skilletlicker)-if I get another type IIa from this new Bully Buy , (Quartermaster Stores?), can I expect that they will button together? Is the button and hole placement the same on both items?
Doug Price

[JohnTaylorCW]

Re: mixing shelter halves

More knowledgeable types may chime in, but IF you measure the buttons center to Center, and the width of your buttons and then ask Quartermaster directly if the numbers are the same you should get a satisfactory answer.

In theory, if both are made to similar specs, they should work.

John T

[Tyler]

Re: mixing shelter halves

Probably, most type IIA had similar buttonhole and button placements. And these are both obviously authentic vendors. However, I would contact them just in case.
-Tyler

[CJDaley]

Re: mixing shelter halves

The short answer is: I don't think any two surviving tents (not from a matched pair) will line up exactly. If you haven't done so already, read Gaede's book on Shelter Tents. Gaede explains why some of the tents aren't the same size and why most won't button together perfectly and will give you some idea of what contractors were doing and what weather did to the tent over time.

(Time trip with me if you will)

In all practicality, when I envision the tents in the field, I imagine a whole regiment with hundreds of variations. I imagine a new recruit with a new (bright white) regulation size tent being paired up with a salty vet whose weather beaten (mold colored) tent has shrunk slightly and the two won't match up perfectly, but good enough for the vet. It's the first lesson to the new recruit that his housing will be imperfect and that he'll need more to survive. He's taken note that the vet isn't bothered by this imperfection and takes comfort in the vets confidence. As the two fall asleep that first night, the recruit tosses and turns trying to get comfortable, the last thing he sees before finally falling fast asleep is the stars and moon poking thought the gaps in the peak of their new palace they call….the shelter tent.