I have read on this website occasions where tents have blown away where as others have stayed firm - Why is that?
Is it the tent model? Is it the tent material? Is the way the tent was pitched? Is it the way the tent is pegged out (Guy ropes not 45 degree angle) Is it the type of pegs used?
The reason I ask is that I lost a tent last year and it was not an expensive one (Argos Pro-Action) and we now have a Sunncamp Vario 600 plus and I do not want to lose this
Certainly an expensive canvas tent will be better in strong winds because of the tensile strength of the materials & poles. Frame tents are better in the wind because the poles are steel & they can have an awning strap added for extra security.
The worst tents in bad weather will be the large nylon family tents that have maximum space for minimum cost. Its not just about poor quailty, it is the design. ie, the complete tent does not have tensile strength to withstand the force of wind against it, made worse that the tent lacks rigidity so deforming & trapping the wind. Once a component breaks, then its just a chain reaction. Obviously the 'budget' tents of this type will have less tensile strength than the well known brand names.
While pegging & type of pegs are obviously important, its little use if the pegs stay in the ground along with the guys & the tent tears away from them.
I suppose its fair to say that any tent should be taken down in a gale tho.
Factors? Poor quality tent, crappy pegs, bad erection and pegging technique, poor conditions, luck.
Luck? Think about it...two tents, side by side in same open field, same model, both well pegged out. Wind comes along, flattens the first one, second one survives. Why? Well, perhaps the first tent acted as a windbreak for the second? So it's a matter of luck whether you're in the first tent or the other one, no?
Really the best you can do is buy a decent quality tent, some extra beefy pegs, chose your pitch and orientation wisely and pitch it out to the best of your ability. Oh, and not go out when the forecast is for 50mph winds. If you do get into trouble zip everything down, get the canopy down and loose items into the car, try to storm guy the tent and use your car as a windbreak. After that though...well, sometimes there's nothing you can do about it, tbh.
I have seen some excellent quality tents flattened in gales because the owners saw the guylines as useful optional accessories to hang your tea-towels on, and pegs were left only half hammered in to the ground. Another common mistake is to draw out the wrong loop on the plastic 'thingy' at the end of the guy rope. This means that the guy rope loosens too easily. (Sorry I can't explain that more technically - maybe someone else will be able to put it better!)
Both our Khyams (Rigidome and Rigipod) have withstood some fantastic gales despite my insistance that I have my favourite pitch in the middle of a field on the top of a coastal hill at our favourite campsite (Yes, I know!!!!). One year we were one of only two tents left standing.
We watch the weather forecast carefully, peg absolutely every available guyline down, use storm pegs on the key corner guys and cross-peg wherever possible. We try to park the car as an additional windbreak where possible too.
B Chrystie - I think I do all that you suggest in the last paragraph except cross-peg. I know I should know what you mean but dont so can you enlighten me please?
Thank you for your replies. We will be taking a radio to keep an ear on the weather and purchasing some Delta pegs. Perhaps, looking back, I could of pitched better
Quote: Originally posted by familyfitz on 19/6/2010
B Chrystie - I think I do all that you suggest in the last paragraph except cross-peg. I know I should know what you mean but dont so can you enlighten me please?
TIA
Cross pegging is using two pegs
Guys at 45' two pegs making a X also at 45' so that you have 45' above ground and 45' below ground with the pegs X all together a right angle, with the pegs underground getting maximum grip.
Val - what did you mean by storm guy the tent please?
If you do get into trouble zip everything down, get the canopy down and loose items into the car, try to storm guy the tent and use your car as a windbreak.
Quote: Originally posted by scotzlynnie on 20/6/2010
Val - what did you mean by storm guy the tent please?
If you do get into trouble zip everything down, get the canopy down and loose items into the car, try to storm guy the tent and use your car as a windbreak.
Please enlighten me.
Until Val gets here.....
Storm guys are extra guys added to usually Frame tents or Awnings with metal poles. Look a bit like a suitcase strap but much longer. Usually called tie down kits
Other types of tents, all guys out and keep checking all night if need be. Better still If in doubt drop the tent.
Some tents can take extra guys in which case you can use a set of extra guys to help these are storm guy kits
But not suitable for all tents. This is one of those times when one size will not fit all. Depending on what type of tent you have depends on whether a storm guy is a suitable option.
Quote: Originally posted by scotzlynnie on 20/6/2010
Val - what did you mean by storm guy the tent please?
If you do get into trouble zip everything down, get the canopy down and loose items into the car, try to storm guy the tent and use your car as a windbreak.
Please enlighten me.
Until Val gets here.....
Storm guys are extra guys added to usually Frame tents or Awnings with metal poles. Look a bit like a suitcase strap but much longer. Usually called tie down kits
Other types of tents, all guys out and keep checking all night if need be. Better still If in doubt drop the tent.
Some tents can take extra guys in which case you can use a set of extra guys to help these are storm guy kits
But not suitable for all tents. This is one of those times when one size will not fit all. Depending on what type of tent you have depends on whether a storm guy is a suitable option.
Ahem...that first is not storm guying, that's using a storm strap, sorry. Storm straps are very useful for cotton frame tents, trailer tents and caravan awnings but they'll chafe straight through most synthetic tents in a few hours.
Nope, storm guying is when you use extra guylines outside the tent on the vunerable side. You can attach these to either existing guying points (the best points are through the little brass eyelet rings in the poles sleeves....very sturdy) or using Clingons or similar. Exactly where depends on the design of the tent and the direction and force of the wind, but if you actually stand and look at the tent being blown around you can usually work out what poles or areas need extra support and add guylines accordingly. Carry extra normal type guylines made up with sliders in your tent first aid kit for this purpose.
Storm guying also refers to a method of internally guying down a frame tent btw, but it does need to be a frame tent with metal frame and loose ground sheet.
I'm sure that aerodynamics has something to do with it...........
Whatever "aerodynamics" is............
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We used our new-to-us guyed windbreak this last week and can recommend extra guys - it was ok before but an extra guy on each pole made a lot of difference. The tent itself remained steady in the stiff breeze it got a lot of, but we used clingons and extra pegs on the bottom of the doors to stop them flapping at night, and would have put extra guys on the tent if needed.
Got the clingons after they were recommended on here - together with guylines salvaged from an old tent, I think these are a really good standby.
As for the plastic thingy (alas I can't remember its name), if memory serves you pull out the guy from the loop behind the knot -
Obviously the plastic thing needs pulling further up to tighten it. If breezy keep checking all the guylines, (strangely, I really like this job, and probably do it far too often), they should be tight enough to 'twang', if not, slide the plastic thing further up till it is, as it will loosen slightly if the tent is being pulled by the wind.
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Topic: Why is that?
