James Whitworth, age 14, of Butte, Montana,. for his question:
WHEN WAS THE FIRST TENT USED?
A tent is a dwelling that can be carried from place to place. It is thought that the Muslims brought the first tents to Europe when they invaded Spain in the early 700s. The use of tents quickly spread throughout Europe.
For hundreds of years before the white man came to North America, the Indians used bark to make tent like dwellings called wigwams and they used animal skins to make other tent light dwellings called tepees.
Although we don't know just when the first tent was used, we know it was a long time ago.
Today most tents are made of canvas. They are especially popular with campers.
The simplest type of canvas tent is circle shaped at the bottom, much like the Indian tepee. It rises to a point in the center. This is called the bell tent, because it looks like a bell. It has a pole in the center, over which the tent is spread. Pegs are driven into the group at proper distances and ropes are attached to these and to the tent to keep the tent in a firmly upright position.
The "A" tent is another simple style. It resembles the letter A. The tent is stretched over a horizontal ridge pole running from two upright poles. It is then pegged down to the ground.
The wall tent is the same as the A tent, but it has straight walls rising two to three feet from the ground, with an A tent top above them, like a gable. This type gives more headroom than the A tent and is common throughout the world.
The umbrella tent has a center pole with arms that open and hold the tent up like an umbrella.
The Scout or Army pup tent is a lightweight shelter that can easily be carried. Many modern designs have been worked out for campers to give more headroom. Most have cloth sewed in to cover the ground and a door netting, making them insect proof.
Much lighter materials, such as Egyptian cotton, are used today instead of canvas, to cut down the weight. This type of tent is especially popular with campers who pack into the back country and must carry their equipment.
The wandering peoples of some parts of Asia have always lived in tents, and they live in them today. Their rank and riches are shown by marks and symbols on their tents.
Arab tents are often made of black goats' hair. Some of them are quite elaborate, often divided into apartments by rug or skin partitions. The tent serves as a family shelter, but it can easily be moved.
Modern tents are far different from the tents created by the desert tribes. In addition to having a greater. variety of styles and uses, they have many more conveniences. Tents now have fiberglass screen windows, sewed in floors, lightweight metal poles, storm flaps and zipper doors.
Some modern tents are made of aluminized fabric that reflects the sun's heat and keeps the inside of the tent cooler during hot weather.