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How to Prepare to Set Up Your Camping Tent
For anyone living the rustic life on a far-off campsite as their yearly vacation, the trick to camping isn’t necessarily living off of the land: it’s living in your tent. If you were prudent, you brought along a tent that you know how to set up, effectively holds out moisture and insects, and provides a comfortable shelter for you and yours on your camping trip. But what if you’ve never tried it before? Here are some brief tips for setting up a tent the next time you go camping.
First, there are two ways to prepare, and you’ll want to try both of them. The first is to make sure you have a good tent in hand. If an old camping tent is available, make sure to take it out before your trip: check for holes, tears, and anything else that might compromise the tent’s functions as a shelter. If you don’t have an old tent lying around, make sure that you do plenty of research in order to find the best and most cost-effective tent available near you.
Once you have a tent in hand, you’ll want to make sure you know to set it up. Nothing is more frustrating than traveling all the way out to your campsite, only to find out that one small part of the instructions doesn’t make any sense and is ruining your experience. By taking out your tent and setting it up in the front yard a week or so before you go camping, you can work out those kinks ahead of time. If you get stuck at any one particular point, you can take the time to figure it out in a situation in which you don’t actually need the shelter.Setting up a tent usually relies on a few things: stakes, tent poles, and the tent tarp. Most tent structures are established by having you drive a few stakes into the ground. These stakes will typically have something attached to them – such as a loop – that the tent poles can then essentially “plug in” to, allowing the poles to bend and create a dome-like skeleton over your head.
Once this skeleton is complete, you follow the tent instructions and lay the tarp over the skeleton, making sure that it’s properly laid out and attached in every area. Then you’re free to unzip the door and climb in.
Each tent is different, but if you know how to put up a tent, you’ll have a head start the next time you take the family out to the woods. Just make sure you’ve read the directions already!
Photo Credits: candescent
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Four Steps for Effective Tent Setup
Imagine it: you’re out under the stars, sitting at a lovely campsite with a roaring fire brushing away the chilly night. When it’s time for bed, you get under a spacious tent, which then blocks some of the overnight rain. You wake up dry and warm, ready for another day on the campsite.
Sounds like the ultimate camper’s dream, right? You can make it a reality with an effective tent set-up. Here are the steps you’ll want to follow.
- Step #1: Unload everything.Many tents come in tent packages that include all of the gear you’ll need, not to mention instructions and a protective bag. If it’s windy outside, make sure that all of these materials are well-protected from the wind or at least securely weighed down. There’s nothing more frustrating than poorly putting together a tent only to see the materials blow away.
- Step #2: Identify your materials.Following the instructions, you’ll want to make sure that you have all of the materials handy. Many instructions and manuals will make sure to list and illustrate all of these materials so that you can perform this step. Once you know you have the right materials, you’ll not only know where you can find them, but what they actually are. It’s better than going to search through a pile of tent materials every time you begin a new step.
- Step #3: Plot out a great spot.Most tent manuals will have you begin your tent by setting the foundation – this means driving stakes into the ground so that you can have a secure tent. Before you start following those directions, make sure you’ve chosen a flat, clear spot for your tent, far enough from the fire to prevent any potential hazards. Picking a good spot for your tent will be key – make sure that your tent door will face the campsite.
- Step #4: Follow the directions as closely as possible.At this point, you can begin driving in those stakes, establishing the tent skeleton, and attaching the tarp. Many tents are different, but a lot will follow these general directions. Make sure you read each step thoroughly so that you aren’t caught off-guard later. Some steps might include second actions that you’ll need to perform for later; don’t miss any of these.
Establishing a great campsite starts with the tent: if you have a good one, you can live in the outdoors as comfortably as you live at home. A large enough tent can fit a great inflatable bed, keeping you dry and warm every single night.
Photo Credits: stevecadman
