USING YOUR NEW TENT
Before using your new purchase...
Very occasionally, new tents are delivered with parts such as guy
lines, runners, pegs or even a pole missing. There could even be
a manufacturing fault such as a tear or incorrect stitching lines.
For this reason, we recommend that before taking your new tent anywhere,
particularly abroad, you take the whole item out of its package
and erect it at home (preferably inside). By doing this you will
immediately be able to see if there is indeed anything missing or
incorrect with the tent. This should be done allowing plenty of
time to obtain replacement parts, as necessary. It will also give
you a chance to practise erecting your tent quickly and easily before
embarking on your holiday.
Pitching and using your tent...
Double skin tents can be pitched in one of two ways, either the
fly-sheet or outer tent first or the inner tent first.
The great advantage of pitching the flysheet or outer first is
that it is the waterproof part of the tent that is erected first
so that the inner can be pitched without the worry of it getting
wet. Having erected and secured the outer tent, the inner part is
then attached which can require a little crawling around inside.
The alternative system requires the inner tent to be erected first.
These type of tents are quick and easy to put up and as the flysheet
is thrown over the already erected inner it requires no crawling
around inside. One disadvantage is though that the inner has no
protection during pitching and may be soaked before the flysheet
is added, if you had to pitch in bad weather.
There are a few tents that can be stored and pitched with the inner
attached to the outer tent. This makes them very quick to pitch
and keeps the inner tent dry during wet weather pitching. However
if the outer tent is damp it is advisable to separate the inner
from the outer before packing and to let both parts dry before storing.
When choosing a place to pitch your tent, a flat, dry sheltered
spot is the best. Clear the site of sharp stones or debris. If possible
tent should be pitched facing away from the wind. If camping in
windy weather, try not to pitch down wind of trees. You will find
that the noise of the wind through the branches or even twigs blown
from the tree could make for a very disturbed night.
When pitching a tent where the flysheet pitches first, make sure
that all the poles are threaded through the correct sleeves before
you attempt to secure the poles in the eyelets or ring and pins
of the flysheet. This is especially important if the tent is a large
one. Most of the large dome tents require two people for ease of
erection. For some it is useful to have an extra person, possibly
a child, to go under the flysheet, to take the weight of the fabric
and it then becomes an easy job to make the fabric taut and so to
connect the pole ends to the eyelets or ring and pins of the flysheet.
Dome tents are self-supporting and so can be moved to the most
favourable position before pegging out. Always ensure that you have
an adequate amount of pegs and secure the tent with guy lines, especially
if the weather conditions are adverse. When striking camp you may
find that the outer is damp through condensation or rain. If possible
separate the inner and the outer and spread them to dry in a suitable
place while you continue with other tasks. The inner should be dry
on all areas except perhaps the groundsheet base and should be packed
carefully to ensure that it does not come into contact with a damp
or dirty flysheet or dirty pegs. If you are packing in a rucksack
make sure you pack the items in the order that you can quickly retrieve
them to pitch the next time, without having to unpack your whole
bag. If you must pack the tent when wet or damp then at the earliest
opportunity spread out both the inner and outer to dry thoroughly
before repacking or storing. At the end of your holiday, make sure
that your tent is clean and dry. Use only recommended tent cleaners.
Always store in dry conditions and your tent will be ready for your
next camping trip.
