ARMY TM 10-8340-211-13
AIR FORCE TO 35E5-1-101
4-13. Trenching Around Tent.
a.
A safe rule to follow is to always trench around a tent. When the tent is pitched on heavy soil, clay, or a flat
rocky surface, a trench should always be dug. When the tent is set up on a very sandy soil, which absorbs water
as fast as it falls, or when it is located on a mound which slopes off in all directions, a trench may not be
necessary.
b.
Dig trench by cutting straight down just outside the footstop pins (figure 4-14); do not dig in a V-shape. Slope the
side away from the tent. Dig trench all around the tent (figure 4-15).
c.
Throw dirt from trench away from the tent; never throw it against the gent, for it will quickly rot the canvas.
d.
In most cases, do not dig trench more than 4 or 5 inches deep and in the shallowest place not over 3 inches.
There should be enough slope in the trench so that the water will flow freely toward the outlet and not back up.
e.
To carry the water off, dig an outlet (figure 4-15) at the lowest point of the area and connect it to the trench which
has been dug around the lent.
f.
When there is a possibility that the water may flow in from higher ground, dig a ditch to divert the water before it
can reach the tent.
Figure 4-14. Cross Section View of Tent Trench.
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