Pitching a Tent

Practice Pitching Your Tent

On one trip we failed to set the tent up before setting off. On arriving at our campsite we spent the good part of an afternoon trying to figure out how to pitch what was reputed to be one of the better-designed tents on the camping scene. The tent was—and still is—a nylon Rubik's Cube with a system of crisscrossing poles that defied comprehension in how they fitted together.

Although varied designs and configurations make it hard to describe every conceivable tent-pitching scenario in detail. Tents come with pitching instructions, and these are most often straightforward and to the point, complete with pictures and diagrams that attempt to make everything foolproof.

But always remember one Golden Rule: Practice pitching a tent before heading off on your vacation!

Pitching a tent in a backyard in perfect weather when no wind is interfering with the procedure is very different from pitching the same tent in field conditions—which can include billowing winds. And the flimsy little instruction manual that came with the tent won't seem straightforward when you're rushing to set the thing up against the threat of darkening skies and thunderclouds.

Even if you have practiced pitching the tent (do this at the beginning of every season), here is one good plan of action.

Lay the tent, rainfly, and other components on the ground to see what you're working with. The tent should be right-side-up, with the floor on the ground and the pole sleeves and hooks exposed and evident. The rainfly should be laid out similarly, so that any pole loops are also exposed.

Next, assemble all the poles and lay them out on the ground according to size (some clever designs employ poles that are all of the same length). The first order of business for most tents is to run the main poles through the nylon loops and hoops so that the poles crisscross.

The next item is to magically transform the tent from a heap of nylon on the ground into a structure that you and your fellow travelers can sleep under. This will involve tensioning those crisscrossed poles so they fit into pegs or grommets at opposite corners of the tent. Some tents need to be staked at several key points before you can feed the poles through the nylon and plastic hooks. And older-style A-frame tents have rigid poles that support the tent and fit together without bending.

Once the main part of the tent is up, place the fly over the top of the tent and secure it to the tent structure itself. With this setup, you clip the tent to the underside of the fly or otherwise suspend it under the fly after setup. Because there are so many varied designs, you're on your own at this point to assemble according to package instructions.

The final step is to anchor the tent at key points with plastic or metal alloy stakes, and guylines if necessary. In fair weather you might be tempted to forego this final step if you're working with a freestanding tent. If a strong wind rises up, your tent may take on wind and take flight if the conditions are right, regardless of the fact that it is filled with gear.

Pitching a Tent in Windy Conditions

In high winds, you'll have to deviate somewhat from the general recommendations for pitching a tent just given.

Gather together stones, small logs, or other heavy objects to hold down the tent and fly when they are laid out on the ground. If you can, involve others in pitching the tent when wind conditions get blustery. Stake the tent at one or more of its corners to help prevent it from taking off in a sudden gust. The next step is to get all the tent poles together and plan a strategy for getting them into place. Thread the poles through the tent's loops and tension the poles in place.