We've all experienced it: it's getting darker, colder, the wind is getting stronger, and you have to sleep outside tonight. Not a good time to forget the instructions to set up a tent. Before you hike into the woods, it's a good idea to know how to pitch a tent to relieve stiffness and save time at camp. Learning how to find the right place to pitch your tent, how to build it, and how to care for your tent will make camping a more enjoyable experience. See step 1 to get started learning how to pitch a tent.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Setting up a Tent
Step 1. Spread the tarp as a base before setting up the tent
When setting up a tent, it is important to place a barrier between the ground and the underside of the tent to keep it out of moisture. Every tent needs to have a good plastic or vinyl tarp.
Fold the tarp into a relatively tent shape, but make it smaller. You don't want the tarpaulin to come out of the edge of your tent, or the tarpaulin to be a place of water if it rains. Fold in length at the edges and tuck under the hood
Step 2. Take out and count all the components of your tent
Modern tents are mostly made of lightweight nylon, single-pole tents, and pegs, while older army-style tents usually have more elaborate poles and use cloth coverings. But at least you need a tent and a frame, in general the method used will be the same.
Step 3. Open and store your tent on a tarp
Find the bottom of the tent and keep it facing the tarp. Face the windows and doors of the awning in the direction you want. Leave it flat and now grab your tent poles.
Step 4. Connect your tent poles
Depending on the type of tent, sometimes some are already connected with ropes, or some are numbered and you need to connect them one by one. Make the tent poles together and store them on a flat tent.
Step 5. Insert the tent poles into the holes already in the tent
Basically, a regular tent will have two pole holes that are opposite each other and form an X so that it will form the basic framework of the tent. To fit them into the tent, you'll usually place each end of the pole into each end of the hole, and either push the pole through the small hole in the top of the tent or use plastic clips on the pole at the top of the tent.
Read the directions on your tent, or take a closer look at which direction the poles fit in. Each tent has a different design
Step 6. Set up the tent
This step requires some coordination, so having a partner in this step is helpful. Once you've successfully threaded the two poles through the connection point, the poles will bend, straighten and make the tent stand on its own like a place you can rest in.
- Some tents may require a little effort. Pull each corner to form a square and make sure the posts are secure and unraveled.
- Depending on the tent you are using, there may be plastic hooks attached to the small parts that include the frame. Connect the hooks to the proper places in the tent frame, once you've set up the tent. Add some of the other structural components needed to make the tent stand up.
Step 7. Pin the tent to the ground
Once your tent is standing on the tarp, use iron pegs in the holes at the ends of the tent, insert them, and push them into the ground. If you are on rocky ground or on hard ground, you can use a small hammer or a small blunt object to hit. Some tent pegs are fairly easy to bend, so be careful when you do this.
Step 8. Add an outer wall, if you have one
Some tents usually have an extra security against the rain, which is called an outer wall. This is the part used to protect the tent. Some of the pole holes on a tent are a little more complicated than others, so when you get a complicated tent read the instructions on your tent to learn how to put the two together.
Part 2 of 3: Wrapping and Caring for the Tent
Step 1. Allow the tent to dry in the sun before wrapping
If it rains while you're camping, it's very important to let the tent dry inside and out before wrapping, or the tent will get moldy when you go camping again. Hang it on a few short branches, or on a clothesline when you're at home to let the tent dry completely, then pack it up neatly and securely for the next trip.
Step 2. Roll each item separately and separate the packaging
If you have a wrap to wrap your tent, it will seem difficult at first to be able to wrap the tent in the wrap. There are no tricks to folding a tent, and it's usually better to roll it up than to fold it. Lay out each individual item--tents, and outside walls--and fold them lengthwise, then roll them as tightly as you can and put them in the wrapper.
Step 3. Don't fold the tent the same way every time
It's important not to make creases on your tent, as creases can create weak spots in the fabric and can become holes. Roll up, compact and stuff your tent, but avoid folding and forming sharp creases on the tent.
It's better to have a tent that is solid and crinkly when you go camping again, than a tent that folds up sharply that will form a hole. Remember, tents are not for style but for shelter
Step 4. Insert the last posts and pegs
When the tent and outer walls are wrapped in the bag, gently insert the posts and pegs in. The bag will be very tight, so insert it gently and don't let the poles tear the ends of the tent.
Step 5. Open and remove the tent regularly
You can do it on your way to camp. Open half of your tent to let in some air and make sure that there are no damp parts inside that could damage the fabric or any mice nesting in your tent. You don't have to pitch the tent, you just need to take it out, shake it and turn it over.
Part 3 of 3: Looking for a Place
Step 1. Find a suitable campground
Choose an open area large enough for you to pitch your tent. If you are in a national or state park, make sure you camp at a designated campsite. Make sure you are not camping on private property and follow all the rules that apply there.
Step 2. Find a flat spot in the campsite to pitch your tent
Remove rocks, branches, and debris around the tent site. If you are in pine tree territory, spread a few thin strands of pine leaves on the base, it will make the soil a little softer and comfortable for resting.
Avoid pitching your tent in ditches, holes, or hollows in the ground. In every place that is lower than the place around it because it will be filled with water if it rains. Even if you have a waterproof tent, things will get tough when water starts to wash away the tent. The ideal ground for setting up a tent is flat land and higher than the surrounding plains
Step 3. Pay attention to the direction of the wind
Position the door of the tent against the direction of the wind, this will keep the tent from inflating and put pressure on the pegs.
- Try and use natural trees as windbreaks especially when the weather is windy. Move closer to the trees so they will lessen the arrival of the cold a little.
- Avoid camping in dry rivers/creeks in case of flash flooding and avoid camping under trees, which can be dangerous if a storm comes and causes branches to fall into your tent without warning.
Step 4. Determine where the sun will rise
It will be a good thing for you to anticipate the arrival of the sun in the morning, so you will not wake up violently. In summer, the tent can become like an oven, making you sweaty and irritable when you wake up if you pitch your tent right up against the rising sun. The ideal tent placement will keep you in the shade in the morning so you can wake up comfortably at the time you choose.
Step 5. Organize your campsite neatly
Separate the sleeping area with the cooking area and the toilet area, preferably placed against the wind. If you have a bonfire at your campsite, make sure it's not close enough to splash embers into the tent, and make sure you turn off the fire before you go to bed.
