Two Army Cots the Basis
The basis of the Huntington tent structure is two ordinary army cots placed side by side, six inches apart. A hole is bored in each crosspiece at the end near the adjoining cot, both at the head and at the foot of the bed. The next step is to take two brass rods about three-eighths inch in diameter and twelve inches in length. Have a machinist bend each rod into the shape of a double-pointed matting-tack, with the horizontal part eight inches in length. Thread the ends of the two side pieces so that they become screw bolts. Then insert these two devices into the holes aforementioned. Secure them with nuts fitting the threaded ends of the rods, and [[40]]you have the two cots fastened securely together (Fig. 1).
Basis for home-made tenting outfit built by Mr. Frederick W. Huntington of Brooklyn, N. Y. Note the two standard army cots, the canvas trough, the sticks of the frame work, and the design of the joints.
The Improvised Floor
The next feature is the canvas trough which supplies a floor on which one stands while getting into bed or dressing. This protects the feet from the ground, and keeps insects from coming up from the ground. To prepare for this trough, attach five tapes or strips of canvas about nine inches in length in a row at even intervals along the cloth of each cot about nine inches from the inner edge. Then take a piece of tent canvas fifty-eight inches wide by six feet six inches long. Along the outer edges of this attach tapes which are to be tied with the tapes attached to the cot, giving a U-shaped trough six inches in width and with a depth determined by the height of the cots from the ground, with the edges overlapping six inches on the cots. The ends of the trough are stopped by pieces of cloth eight inches wide by twenty-four inches in length, the extra length permitting a six-inch flap at the top of each end of the trough and the extra width allowing for seams (Fig. 2).
Framework for the Tent
The framework of the tent is built up from the cots. To construct this, first bore four three-eighths-inch holes, one at each of the outside ends of the [[41]]crosspieces of the cots. Then screw in four screw-eyes near those holes through which the brass rods are inserted (Fig. 3). Next take two strips of hardwood eighteen inches in length, using about three-quarter-inch stuff; also two more similar strips three feet nine inches in length. Bevel the ends of these pieces of wood so that when joined they will appear as in Fig. 4, left. The joints for these tent supports are the most difficult part of the construction. They will probably have to be made at a machine shop. Each consists of a one-quarter-inch brass rod (about the size of a fat pencil) with holes drilled in the lower end for the attachment of wires. Passing through and welded to each rod is a one-half-inch-wide metal strip extending out about one-half inch at either side forming wings, with a hole drilled through each wing. Slits or deep grooves about three-fourths inch in depth should then be cut in the beveled end of each stick or support into which the wings are fitted. Holes should be bored through the sticks to correspond with the holes in the wings. Bolts are then passed through the holes and hammered at each end so as to clinch them, thus preventing their slipping out (Fig. 4, left).