If you’re new to camping or an experienced camper who’s always had someone to pitch your tent, learning how to set up a tent on your own can be daunting. And if you’re planning to camp in the wild, you may also be terrified. A small mistake can easily make you dinner for the wild. But if you put your mind to it, learning how to set up a tent is a hassle-free process.
While it’s impossible to learn how to set up a tent like a pro instantly, practice makes perfect. So, take a few days before the camping trip to practice at home and learn the basics of pitching the perfect tent.
The first step on how to set up a tent is familiarizing yourself with the necessary tent gear. Some of the things you need include the tent itself, stakes, poles, groundsheet, a rainfly, and a tarpaulin (tarp).
You’ll also need a mallet to pound in the pegs and stakes into the ground. Also, make sure you have a peg remover for easy removal of the stakes when you’re ready to take the tent down.
And when you’re packing for your trip, it’s advisable to use a checklist. This way, you’ll ensure you don’t leave anything behind. It’s also a good idea to pack your tent gear in the order you’ll take them out. Doing so will surely save you a lot of hassle.
Finding an appropriate camping site is equally important as knowing how to set up a tent. If you’re spending the night on a camping ground, you don’t need to worry about this. Chances are, the area will have designated and well-developed camping sites.
However, if you don’t have access to a designated camping site, you need to know how to choose the right one.
When you’re looking for the perfect spot to pitch your tent, it’s always best to go for higher ground. Water gathers in low lying areas, washes, depressions, valleys, and canyon floors, which exposes you to flash flooding.
It’s also crucial to ensure the area is flat. You don’t want to pitch your tent in a rocky area because it will be near impossible to enjoy a comfortable sleep.
If it seems like all the right spots have rocks, debris, and twigs, you can clear them out before pitching your tent.
Whether you have the best canopy tent or something you just picked up from a camping supply store, the last thing you want is for the wind to blow your tent away when you’re sleeping. But this won’t happen if you pay attention to the direction of the wind when you’re pitching your tent.
The doors of your tent should face away from where the wind is coming from. It may also help to pitch close to trees so that they can block the breeze a bit. Just make sure your tent isn’t under a tree because that can be dangerous in storms.
It’s also advisable to anticipate where the sun will rise in the morning, especially if you’re camping in the summer. If you pitch your tent in the direct path of the sun, you’ll wake up sweaty, hot, and irritable — not a great way to start your morning!
When you’re learning how to set up a tent, it’s also essential to ensure your sleep area is well away from anything that’s potentially dangerous or that may cause discomfort.
Keep a safe distance from toilets and cooking areas (preferably upwind from them) if you want peace of mind when sleeping. Also, ensure your bonfire is at a safe distance where the sparks can’t get on the tent and cause a fire.
Now onto the fun part — how to set up a tent. Before we begin, you should know that the process of pitching a tent varies from one tent to another.
But if you have a modern tent that features an inner compartment, a flysheet, and poles that form a tunnel or dome-like structure, this comprehensive guide will work.
When you’re learning how to set up a tent, it may be tempting to get right into it without prior preparation. Don’t make this rookie mistake.
The first thing you need to do before reaching for your tent is to lay down your tent’s footprint — you can use a groundsheet or protective tarp.
The tarp is an essential piece of tent gear. It acts as a protective barrier between the ground and the base of your tent. It prolongs the tent’s life span by preventing the bottom from gathering moisture from the ground.
What’s more, the tarp makes your sleep area more comfortable by leveling out the ground while keeping the tent base dust and moisture-free for hassle-free packing.
You should fold the tarp into the shape of the tent, making sure it’s slightly smaller than the tent base. Also, ensure none of the tarp is hanging out from under the tent because it will collect water underneath when it rains. If there’s excess tarp hanging out of the tent, fold it and tuck it under the tent.
Once your foundation is ready, you can unfold your tent. Begin by identifying the base and place it on top of the tarp, making sure your doors and windows are where you want them.
If you are working with a big tent, the direction of the door is something you need to fix in this step because it will be challenging to fix it once the tent is up.
If you’re OK with the base placement, proceed to separate the tent poles and fly. Also, make sure the pegs or stakes are within reach before you proceed to the next step.
Depending on the type of tent you have, you may have one of two tent pole situations. The poles may either be connected with a stretchy cord or bungee rope or include numbers, whereby you’ll have to connect them yourself.
Connect the poles by matching the numbers or colors on each pole or follow the tent instructions. For a tent that doesn’t include pole numbers and colors, it may help to label each pole to make it easier the next time you pitch your tent. Once you’ve connected all the poles, lay them across the flat tent. Then insert the poles into their corresponding flaps in the tent.
Depending on the type of tent you have, you may need to pass the poles through an eyelet then through small flaps. Or you’ll use plastic clips to attach the poles to the tent.
Most tents require two poles that interlink with each other to form an X. For this reason, ensure you’re maintaining push action when connecting the linked sections. Otherwise, you may end up pulling the poles apart, which will only cause frustration.
You’re going to need a partner to help you in this step because it takes a bit of coordination. After inserting the poles in their respective flaps, they should bend on their own to raise the tent. But some tents are a bit more stubborn.
If the tent doesn’t raise on its own, you’ll have to pull at the corners so that they’re square. Adjusting the corners also ensures the poles are secure and untangled.
Some tents also come with small plastic hooks attached to a cord. Hook them onto the appropriate place on the pole frame after raising the tent to secure it further. Next, check for any other structural components and attach them as well before proceeding to the next step.
Once you’ve raised your tent and you’re satisfied with how everything looks, you can secure it in place to protect it from being blown away by the wind. However, before staking your tent, make sure the door is where you want it because there’s no going back once you’ve secured it.
Secure the four corners of the tent using stakes or pegs. If you notice any slack, you can fix it by pulling the edges of the tent from each other before securing them.
