The Department of Defense (DoD) has been a loyal and devoted client for Western Shelter since our inception in the 1980s. They are a group who have kept our country safe and saved the lives of millions around the world. In tandem, we’ve worked together to produce thousands of US military tents, portable shelters, shelter housing, and much more to help them complete their missions wherever they go. Army camps need shelter tents that are durable, versatile, and can deploy fast and effectively. Due to the quality and standards of the DoD, some regulations determine which tents and shelters they can use on a given mission. Military and defense contractors use these regulations when picking out which tent they need to buy. Our select prefabricated buildings adhere to these regulations and ensure the best quality of use when it comes down to the time of the mission. For one thing, all of our shelters are Berry Compliant, meaning we made them in the USA. Here are some common uses found for our shelters.

For a base camp, you need a place to station a headquarters, and many of our military tents can function as mobile command centers. Our quick deploying shelters make it an ideal choice for remote or rugged environments where control centers are a necessity. Combining this with the power components, electrical components, air conditioning, and heating, we provide you with the capabilities to offer a full-service operations center. 

Mobile urgent care and medical facilities are also common uses for our shelters. We’ve built facilities from small treatment centers to complex field hospitals. Using trailerized, containerized, and soft-sided army shelters, we create medical facilities, emergency rooms, operating rooms, intensive care units, primary care units, and much more. Every army camp needs a medical tent, and for whatever situation you need, we have you covered.

We have an assortment of options for a Turn Key Base Camp and are great for Forwarding Operations Base camps. With rapid deployment being a benefit to our soft-sided shelters, an initial base camp can deploy in a matter of hours with limited personnel and even faster with more. Furthermore, our military shelters are great for billeting since they can accommodate multiple people in one area. We manufacture additional items related to billeting, including cots, lighting solutions, and more. With all the applications in place, let’s dive into how each of our shelters fall into the DoD guidelines for soft-wall and hybrid shelters. 

2032 Guardian

Our Quonset Hut design (The Guardian) has the dimensions of 20’x 32’6”x 10’4'' for the 2032 model. It has a floor area of 650 square feet and falls perfectly into the small shelter system. The DoD requires the army field tent to deploy in under an hour. With four people, ours can deploy within 30 minutes. It can also disassemble in under 45 minutes, making it a versatile military base tent. We provide it in camouflage green or desert tan as regulations state and ship them in individual pallets. The Guardian is versatile in its ability to scale in length through accessories. It’s a military expandable shelter like never seen before, and you’d be able to optimize it to whatever fits the mission the best. Its general purpose is for billeting, but it can run as a military medical tent or whatever works best for the mission. The shelter works great for winter mission, as well, which you can learn more about here.

3065 Guardian

Our larger of the two Guardian models is the 3065 (30’x 65’x 15’4”). It can hold 1500 square feet of space and is generally used more for general purposes than billeting. This version is large enough to house vehicle doors, and we equip it with an extreme weather kit. This one takes a little longer to deploy but is still under the four hours by six personnel limit set by the DoD. The large military tent has a full-functioning electrical system. A system like this includes a three-phase distribution panel, quick-connect lighting, HVAC, quick-connect outlets, and much more. There are a total of eight weatherproof duplexes that align throughout the canvas military tent. We additionally have the requested military hook-up adapter cable with the military cannon plug. These are all DoD regulations requested and provided by both guardian products. You can rest assured knowing your custom tent will be up to the proper standards and requirements the DoD holds. 

Did you know you can receive hands-on training with the Guardian? Click here to learn more about what a visit to Western Shelter HQ is like.

Containerized Shelters

When it comes to ease of transport and weather resistance, our containerized shelters are an excellent choice for medium or long-term applications. The shelters can act as individual systems or connect to form larger facilities. Regular uses include medical facilities, kitchens, dining, bathrooms, showers, mobile command centers, maintenance, technical, fitness, laundry, and more. Transportability needs to be through land, sea, and air, which we provide, and must include a generator of 10kW. If you have any differing circumstances, or if any new regulations come in place, we can create custom shelters to your liking, whatever mission may come your way. It’s the portable, durable solution you’ve been looking for. 

GateKeeper 20

The GateKeeper series has been our best-selling shelter system since its inception in 2005. It’s a general-use shelter for many purposes. We've seen them used as anything from an army field kitchen to a community care center/clinic. Our smallest version of the GateKeeper has the dimensions 18'7" x 18'7" x 6'1". The shelter tent is pole supported and has an external frame supported by Type II. The GateKeeper 20 is a fantastic option for general purposes and billeting, but you can utilize it for other purposes. You won’t need any tools to deploy the Gatekeeper, nor will you need a ladder to help you reach the high places. Setting up without extra equipment is one of the foundational aspects we wanted to put into the GateKeeper when we first created it. 

GateKeeper 1935

Our medium sized GateKeeper provides you with the dimensions of 18'7" x 33'11" x 6'1," making it quite a bit longer than the 20. It houses 570 square feet within it and sets up in 35 minutes with four personnel. Its lightweight features allow it to move or stow by just two people. Climate control is an option, with air conditioning and heating available to make it a temperature control system. We produce our tarps with flame-retardant vinyl, which deters mildew from forming. You won’t need to worry about high winds since an anchoring system adds the necessary stability to keep your canvas military shelter intact. The 1935s can connect to each other, making them into a fully operational base. Their ability to connect makes them great for fire camps which you can learn more about here.

GateKeeper 2360

The 2360 is a heavy-duty military tent. With its large size, you can house over 1,000 people in it. Since it is a larger shelter, it takes a six-person crew roughly an hour to assemble. The GateKeeper shelters, from the ground up, can network through a simple connection process. A base camp like this allows individual systems to grow into much larger climate-controlled structures, a capability ideal for medical applications where keeping patients dry and protected is critical at all times. What the 2360 does is provide a large military tent to act as the foundation of this network. The large army tent can function as a mess hall or as billeting for service members. These Shelters are also known for their ability to last through countless strike cycles and extended deployments. When you invest in Western Shelter, you invest in a long-term shelter tent that will house you against the most severe environments for years and missions to come. 

ISS

The Individual Shelter System (ISS) is revolutionizing the solo application of an army tent. We make the ISS with lightweight, flame-resistant nylon that allows for a versatile shelter tent for one person. As per regulations, the shelter can withstand winds of up to 50 miles per hour and is waterproof with an attachable rainfly to keep you dry even in the worst rain storms. Additionally, since the ISS is blackout-capable, light and infrared singles will be harder to detect for protection. The tent deploys in roughly five minutes with two people working on it, making the ISS one of our fastest-deploying shelters. Colors match up to regulations and will fit the necessary environment you will have operations. Overall, the ISS is Western Shelter’s next generation of combat. Lightweight, durable, and designed for one as a free-standing protective system that strikes swiftly. 

RDS

Our version of the TEMPER tent follows the stated DoD regulations for the model. The Rapid Deployable System (RDS) needs to be green or tan, which we happily provide. This is a highly versatile design made for a large number of environments. The camp shelter can form into multiple configurations, making the purpose of the tent up to you. This can range from a smaller personal tent to a larger army mess tent. You can even use it for billeting. In its largest form, it can house dining for over 1,000 people. As per DoD request, we offer the sizes 16' × 20' and  32' × 20'. The liner has a special coating on it that limits surveillance capabilities from above. It also has features for air conditioning and heating. As per DoD regulations, the RDS can deploy in under 15 minutes with four people. It is resistant to dust. We tested it to ensure it can withstand gusts of up to 65 miles per hour and support 10 pounds of snow per square foot. Overall, the RDS is easy to maintain and comes with a floor, air plenum, and liner. 

Western Shelter greatly appreciates its relationship with the DoD and looks to keep that relationship going for years to come. You have just read how we ensure our shelters are up to military grade every time we produce them. We will always need military mobile shelters, and we will always be here to provide them. 

Even though the DoD is one of our primary clients, this doesn’t mean they are the only ones who can benefit from military-grade equipment. We also do a lot of work with emergency services and disaster relief. They need the highest quality shelters and cold-weather military tents to save the countless lives that they do. Even if you are just a regular everyday hunter, a GateKeeper 20 could be the perfect fit for your hunting season this year. Just because you are not a military client doesn’t mean you will get anything less than quality fit for the DoD. We build to protect at Western Shelter, and that’s exactly what you’ll get.

To learn more about what Western Shelter can do for you , contact us at sales@westernshelter.com or call 541-344-7267. You'll spend less on maintenance, save thousands of dollars, and like how they function and look. Be sure to sign up for our email list down below, so you’ll never miss another blog post again. Whatever your mission and whatever your challenge, Western Shelter will get you to complete mission-critical success.

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