[kiwiblackshirt]

Hi guys,
can any point me in the right direction of somewhere that reveals the right wa / ways to wear the M29 shelter half? either in its role as a poncho or as a camo cover?

I've looked at zeltbahn.com but thats not much help??

Thanks

Kiwi

[Jeff Leser]

Kiwi

The ‘Addestramento della fanteria’ Volume I ‘Istruzione formale’ (1940) explains how to wear the tendo telo as a rain cover. The keys are the interior buttons. Lay the tendo telo out so the underside is up. Take one corner and fold it over so you can button the corner to the interior button. Once all four corners are folded, you should have an 8-side shape (see picture below). You wear the tendo telo so that the flaps that closes the head hole are to the rear (behind the head). This allows you to button the flap around your neck to help keep the rain off (remember that your are wearing a helmet).

As camo, I will go with the picture sources. The common method was to lay the tendo telo out underside up. Head flaps to the rear. Fold the left side over and button to the inside buttons. Do the same with the right side. This narrows the tendo telo so it is about the width of a man’s shoulders. Put on (head flap to the rear). It should look like a crusader’s sleeveless mantle. Belt the telo with your equipment belt.

I will try to find some pictures of the camo version to post.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

Attached File(s)

•  Italian poucho.gif (3.83K)
  Number of downloads: 204

[kiwiblackshirt]

Once again my thanks, I 've neer yet discovered what the many "extra" looking buttons were for. I look forward to the pics

Kiwi

[kiwiblackshirt]

Ok after a morning of experimentation, much to the amusement of my 2 year old son and at one point the postman too, I've got the Poncho down pat but cant seem to fathom the cammo cover?

To which set of internal buttons do you fold the ends into? I seem to have alsortsa bits hanging out?

[Jeff Leser]

Kiwi

I understand your difficulty. Wearing the poncho as camouflage as described in the manual is basically no different than as a poncho. The method I was trying to describe is what is in the wartime photos, which are generally post 1943, show. Do you have Osprey's 'The Italian Army 1940-1943 (3)'? If you do, look at the photo on page 22. That is the effect you are trying to achieve. You don't really see the tent sheet used as camo much in the pre-1943 days.

Unfortunately, I left the manual at my office today, so I can't scan figure 1. What I will do is scan that figure, then talk you through the process. The buttons are more to keep the sheet in the right postion until the equipment belt is tighten. It is the belt that truly makes this work.

Jeff

[kiwiblackshirt]

I shall just have to keep trying, I do have all three of the Osprey books, so will do some comparisons. Many thanks again for your help

[Jeff Leser]

Kiwi

I have sent the complete translation of the section on the tenda telo to our webmaster to post at http://home.comcast.net/~babela29/ Hopefully he will have it up in the next few days.

Below I will describe my reconstruction of how to wear the telo as seen in the picture on page 22 of Osprey’s The Italian Army 1940-1945 (3). Note that this method of wear wasn’t shown in the manual, but was likely a wartime adaptation. Having worn a poncho for many years in the Army, there is a difference if you are wearing one as raingear or as camouflage. As raingear, the desire is to cover everything to keep dry. As camouflage, the need to move freely and work your weapon is critical. Hence the loose coverage of the telo for rain is a problem when fighting. This is why camouflage is now designed as clothing and the poncho serves only to camouflage equipment or positions when necessary. The adaptation seen in the Osprey picture provides camouflage to the body, while leaving the arms free. The belt keeps the telo close to the body so it doesn’t get in the way of movement.

If you are not planning to move much: Lay the telo so the inside (without the camouflage pattern) is facing up. Take edge Y – Z (diagram) and fold it inward so that the buttonholes along the edge Y – Z align with buttons a. Button the four buttons that align with the button holes. Do the same with edge X – W (first picture below). Put the telo over your head so the neck closures (flaps) are behind the head. You can belt or button the sides from. This method frees the hands, but provides maximum coverage of the body with the camouflage material. However, it is loose making movement nosier, can hinder the use of the arms, and leaves material that can be snagged on vegetation.

If you plan to move a lot: Lay the telo inside facing up. Again, take edge Y – Z and fold it over to the buttons on flap e. Only one buttonhole will align with the one button of e that is furthest from the centerline c - d . Button that button. This will serve to keep the telo positioned when you put it on. Take the new edge Y – Z formed by the first fold and fold so the buttons on the new fold align with buttonholes of the original side X – W. Button those four buttons. You should have one side folded twice. Do the same for side X – W (second picture shows one side folded once, other side folded twice). Now you should have narrowed the telo so it is shoulder width. Holding the telo at c – d, place it over your head. Keeping the folds in place, belt the telo. Now you have the camouflage covering your torso, leaving your arms free. This is the best way to wear the telo as camouflage.

Do the instructions make sense?

Jeff

Attached File(s)

•  Telo 2.jpg (46.01K)
  Number of downloads: 132
•  Telo 1.jpg (44.52K)
  Number of downloads: 135
•  Telo fig 1 copy.gif (4.2K)
  Number of downloads: 134

[Jeff Leser]

Kiwi

Here are two pictures of the telo worn in this manner.

Jeff

Attached File(s)

•  Telo camo 2.jpg (42.14K)
  Number of downloads: 127
•  Telo camo 1.jpg (46.53K)
  Number of downloads: 126

[kiwiblackshirt]

Once again my thanks, thats kinda what I ended up with after my trial and error session.

[sergemaster]

Pretty good Jeff,
Thats exactly how I wear it for cammo and a poncho when I am in the field as a Legionaire. Its all about folding in the sides on at a time so it is like a mantel. Once you keep it like that for a bit it will crease and then will be much easier to refold when need to be worn in that manner.


A NOI!!

[Tankredi]

ehm, sorry, I seem to be too dumb to understand.
jwslesern, in your description for folding the poncho as cammo colth, are you sure all the letters (e,b,x,...) are correct.

And, the second fold, do I have to button it down somewhere? Or is it just folded like that and kept together by the belt?