Setting up a tent can be somehow hectic and fruitless without the basic knowledge of tent setting or if you’re doing it for the first time.
7 Tips to Set Up a Camping Tent
Here’s a step-by-step guide in explaining how to fully and successfully set up a tent in a few minutes.
The benefits of camping can be best experienced when one is well-versed in all basic camping skills, and setting up tents is considered to be an important skill one needs to learn to truly enjoy a camping trip.
1) Assemble the things you need.
Most items required to set up a tent usually come along with the tent itself but if not, you’ll need to buy a few things like a ground cover, stakes, rods, or snow pegs, and a hammer or mallet to drive the stakes in.
2) Look for a flat or near flat ground to set up your tent.
Flat ground allows for comfortable sleeping at night, placement of belongings in the tent, and also general stability of the tent.
3) Place the ground cover on the chosen area for set up.
The ground cover gives stability and also keeps the tent area waterproof.
4) Take the stakes or rods and fasten each pole with the tent clip or key.
You’ll pull the tent taut not too hard to prevent a tear. Hammer these stacks or rods into the ground. Now put the tent rod in the center of the tent. Ensure the stakes and rods are firmly fixed on the ground to prevent them from collapsing or being blown by the wind.
5) Raise the tent and stake it to the ground.
Now that you’ve attached the poles to the tent, it’s time to fully raise it. If you have a self-standing tent, poles will bend on their own and straighten the tent by themselves, so the only thing you’ll need to do is to secure it to the ground. If you have a regular tent, you’ll have to do some legwork.
Start with one of the poles, bend it, and stretch the entire tent, so that you could connect the end of that pole to its corresponding corner. After you’re done, move on to the next pole. It gets harder as you go because you’re stretching the tent quite a bit, so don’t be shy and ask for help. After you’ve connected the last pole to the corner, put the tent down and adjust its direction.
6) Once your tent is up, you need to secure it to the ground.
On the corners of the tent, you’ll find straps with loops or grommets, so grab a stake and push it through the loop and into the ground. Use a hammer if you need it, but make sure it’s as tight as possible so that your tent stays in place.
7) This final step is optional but it will help prevent dampness and water damage.
Setting up a fly over your tent, for tents with flyers. Start by taking the fly and placing it over your tent – make sure you line it up with the entrance to your tent. After you put the fly over your tent, attach it to the poles of your tent so it stays in place. If you have a paracord, tie it to the top of your fly and slightly raise it, so it doesn’t lie directly on your tent.
Bottom Line
YOUR CAMPING TENT IS ALL SET UP AND THE USERS OF THE TENT CAN NOW MOVE IN AND UNPACK THEIR ITEMS.
Additional tips to note while setting up a tent:
• Practice setting up at home before leaving for a camping trip.
• Know the weather conditions and geography of that place before planning a camping trip.
• Avoid setting up tents under trees as sometimes twigs falling from the trees can be troublesome.
• Do not pitch a tent in a valley as water collection can cause a problem.
