A tent is a shelter made of fabric or synthetic material such as woven nylon, polypropylene, Kevlar, canvas or burlap. Tents have been used as shelters for centuries. Wigwams and housing found in northern Mongolia provide examples of the earliest tents. These were made from fabric or animal hide and provided protection from the sun and the rain. As weaving technology has improved, tents are now made out of canvas and other heavy materials.
Tents range from small sizes which are adequate for one person to huge shelters which are used by travelling circuses. Tents are usually propped up by wooden or metal sticks which give the fabric a shape and provide rigidity to the structure. These sticks are then fastened to the ground by ropes to make the tent stable. Tents were designed for easy portability and small storage size once dismantled. During the World Wars, tents played an important role by providing shelter and privacy to senior military officials, radio operators, generals and their troops. Mobile medical aid centres were set up using tents to serve as hospitals, operation theatres and medical relief centres.
Modern tents, or marquees, are used for parties, marriages and important functions where a temporary structure is required. These are made out of PVC or polyvinyl chloride, PE or polythene. These tents can be as big as 150 feet by 400 feet and can require cranes and pulleys to be erected. Small camping tents are available today which erect automatically when opened. These pop-up tents provide a ready-made option for one or two people travelling together and can be secured by zips and fasteners along the openings.
Tents are used at commercial events such as major golfing tournaments by the organisers and the media to protect their equipment. Nowadays, portable tents function as marketing kiosks from which an organisation can dispense merchandise or provide information and company logos or advertisements can be printed on to these tents. Today, there are holiday resorts which have air-conditioned tents that have all the amenities and comfort of a modern hotel room. These tents can have fully-functional bathrooms with washrooms and running water.
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