The art of pitching a tent
Setting up a campsite is an essential part of any camping excursion. Without the proper equipment, it can be difficult to enjoy your time outdoors. One of the most important items to have for setting up camp is a tent. There are numerous styles of tents to choose from, so choosing one that best suits your needs should be easy. The following article provides tips on how to pitch a tent properly and other related topics you need to know before camping. So before you are leaving with your new tent on your back, please read this guide.
Choose the right tent
On the market, you can now find tent models that are light and quick to assemble at bargain prices. Among these are the very popular “igloos” that set up themselves, in the sense that, when thrown into the air, they automatically ‘pop’ into the classic “igloo” shape. Plant four / eight stakes on the ground and you are done. While they’re very cheap, they aren’t always the best quality purchases. Our advice is not to pay too much attention to savings and get quality gear if you have any plans to camp a lot. The important thing is that your tent is equipped with a reinforced bottom sheet to avoid the risk of puncturing your tent and finding yourself in a flood in case it rains. Also check that there is a mosquito net, possibly of soft and flexible fabric. Too stiff fabrics could puncture due to wear and bring in entire families of bedbugs and mosquitoes. That is not our definition of a ‘nice’ camp.
The last detail not to be underestimated is the zippers. Make sure they are from a solid material like aluminum or steel and at least two centimeters in size. Too small zips can easily break after several open-and-close actions and we assure you that it is a really annoying unexpected event when this happens.
Some handy advice
Perhaps it is useless to mention, but we advise you to clean the area chosen for pitching your tent from pebbles and other materials that could damage the tent fabrics. Keep an eye out for holes and anthills to ensure a good night’s sleep. Orient the entrance to an open space and choose a place where the tent will not be exposed to too much sun in the morning.
Use a mallet or hammer to drive the stakes into the ground. The grounds of campsites are generally hard and compact. Plant the stakes at an angle towards the tent so that they anchor effectively in the soil. Push the stakes completely into the soil to avoid stumbling into them when walking nearby. To easily remove them from the ground, simply lift them with the hook of another stake.
Is it raining? You have two choices…
Rain is never fun, especially when you want to set up your tent. You can either wait for it to stop and proceed with the assembly when it’s dry or you can face the rain and proceed. Choosing the second option? Well, keep in mind that speed is important. Try to set up your tent quick enough to keep the inner sheet as dry as possible. The fabric of the tent, when wet, tends to become more elastic and needs more tension to pitch.
However, when the sun comes out and the awning dries, the fabric shrinks and can tear from tension. Our advice is therefore to tighten the pegs and tie rods when the weather is bad and to loosen them when the heat returns. These are just small tricks but they can prove to be of great help. Tent pitching is an art, share this post and put it aside. If you don’t want to set up a tent you might be interested in a rooftop tent. We’ve gathered some of the best 3 person rooftop tents available at the moment in this post.
