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Woodland GORE-TEX Poncho/Shelter Half


Ben@HI
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I found a Gore-Tex poncho/shelter half today and it looks like it is dated 1986. I never even heard of such a thing and wanted to know if anyone could give me some info on it.

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msgt norway

picture if posible

must be a us cavalery thing,they made many things that

looked like general issue but was not.

 

cheers ken,norway

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I will add some pictures later. Saturdays are pretty busy for me. It is marked

 

(IMPS) individual

Multipurpuse shelter

Contract # DAAK ?0-86-0-0084

Ecolite version

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msgt norway

i know i have seen this thing before,i just dont remember when and where...

getting old i gues lol.

 

thank you for the pictures!

 

cheers ken,norway

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actually its funny you say that, when I found it and was trying to find a label on it a friend of mine was with me looking at it as well. I said "I beat this is a knock off and the tag will say china" he pointed out that the material is normal Gore-Tex not the chines stuff and that all the hardware is USGI. YKK zipper, the same double sided brass snaps that are on OD shelter half's and the plastic cord lock is the same as the ones on LC rucks and the para cord is also the off color striped stuff you see on some LC rucks as well. even the Velcro is the old style that was common back in the 1980's (all be it brown not green). I don't think it is a knock off but I don't know what it is. the way its marked is kind of odd and the fact I have never even heard of one makes me think it is pretty rare, maybe experimental?

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It looks like there is a contract number, can you get a better picture of the information. I did a search on IMPS and come up with nothing so far.

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the grommet is a normal USGI brass size one marked and the snaps are the normal DOT marked brass double sided snaps

 

post-100928-0-41348800-1374371322.jpg

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Found this.
ARMY MIL-S-44325 CANC 1-1990 shelter, individual multipurpose imps
Standard Number: ARMY MIL-S-44325 CANC 1-1990
Title: shelter, individual multipurpose imps
Language: English

Publisher: ARMY

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Definitely an unusual ... and interesting ... piece. The "CANC 1-1990" indicates the specification was cancelled Jan 1990. I was able to find that the specification MIL-S-44325 was originally published in Feb 1, 1988. The specification was 21 pages long but I have yet been able to find the specification document. Nice find!

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I cant find anything either. just a bunch of people looking for civilian Gore-Tex ponchos to go camping in :wacko:, for some reason they seem to be just as hard to find? if its this hard to find any info I guess I can hang up the ideal of getting another one and making a tent.

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In Populat Mechanics Dec 1986 vol 16 No 12 page 52 has a pic one as sleeping bag tent and worn as a poncho. On page 54 it says"IMPS,which stands for imdividual multipurpose shelter.Conceived by Ecotat, IMPS converts from single-man tent incorporating an insect-proof screen liner to a hammock ,ground cloth or calf-length poncho capable of covering a soldier's alpine pack.Two IMPS zip together to form a 3-man shelter. "

Does the last line on yours say Eco-lite version?

Maybe this was another version or tested against the Ecotat version. Really cool, i will try and scan pic monday if nobody posts before. Really cool find and thanks for posting.

Allen

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yep the last line says ECOLITE not ECOTAT. thanks for the info Allen, I have been looking it over and I did see some odd random tie down points and sleeves for flex poles. the tie downs make sense as a hammock and it would also seem that it zips up to its self to make a tent/bivy cover. it has built in bungies that seem to be for making it into a one man hooch. its a very strange and complicated thing, I love it :love:. if you have the specs on the flex poles I would appreciate knowing them. I would like to see if I could make some for it (I am sure I will not find them for sale anywhere).

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Sounds like this was in the run-off for what eventually became the ECOTAT. The ECOTAT was the individual shelters that we carried in our aircraft survival kits for almost 20 years. The ECOTAT had a weird woodland cammo pattern that looks almost like it was put on with a spray paint can. I think you found a very interesting bit of history there. Check this out.

 

http://www.combatreform.org/ECOTATSYSTEMS/ecotattmp.htm

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from what it looks like the ECOTAT is pretty light weight and just as good as the ECOLITE. the ECOLITE weighs about 5 pounds by its self with no poles, stakes, bag or rope so I would think they did not go with it because of the added weight?

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Surely an Experimental item from the IIFS trials, along with the so-called "second pattern experimental LBV", the large field pack in woodland camouflage with brown sleeping bag carrier and so on.. Very nice

 

a weird woodland cammo pattern that looks almost like it was put on with a spray paint can

 

 

sir, in italy we call it san marco pattern and it was our favourite and most functional (and beautiful) one we've ever had ^_^

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