This year I have gone from the useless Rage dome tent to a much better Outwell indiana 8 tunnel tent and if it works out it'll change again next year. The question I have is that how do I get the whole thing up? As the instructions are not very good I have been looking at the the outwell site videos and there seems to be 2 ways to erect tunnel tents. The first is to start at the back and put the poles in 1 section and erect that and peg it out and then pole and peg each section as you go. This is how we do it now but it's not easy as the straps do not seem to give you enough slack to put the pin in.
The other way shown is by putting all the poles in and then lifting all the sections up at once and let the tent stand up on its own whilst you peg it out. As my tent is discontinued there are no videos on the site to watch and find out which is the right way for my actual tent. The boys and I have been practicing and in fairness they are really good at helping but I'm just curious to find out if we are doing it right. In it's defence it is still easier than trying to deal with the bendy fibreglass poles on the Rage tent that I always thought would snap at any second.
Which way do any of you get the things up? am I doing it right and it is just hard to get some of the pins into the poles whilst trying to hold it vertical or is there a simpler ways around this that I'm just not seeing?
Thanks
Gary
------------- Gary
While we try to teach out children about life, Our children teach us what life is all about
I think it is easiest to fit poles whilst tent is on the ground, then pin them and the tent then lifts up from one end, and then pegging corners to hold it in place. You can then peg out all the rest of the guys.
2 Starting at the back bend the poles and ring and pin them on the ground.
3 Grab all the poles and stand them up,its at this point we walk the tent into its final position.
4 Take a guy line that is attached to the back pole ,peg it and then walk the tent out towards the front and then peg a guy line attached to the front pole and its up.
5 Peg the rest of the tent at your leisure while the OH gets the kettle on.
We took ages (or so it seemed) just erecting a Mojave 5 and a Nevada 3 using vertical method. This time we are doing it as Surfin's instructions. Hopefully easier and less arguments.
------------- Mavis
It is easier to smile than frown so share a smile every day
Thanks for that all of you. I'll try it your way as well and see if it's any easier. Trouble is, we haven't been away yet this year due to one thing or another so have only practised in the back garden and can only peg out the 2 ends as the flowers and garage are in the way. It takes us about an hour to get the thing put up so I didn't know if it was just the lack of space or us doing it the hard way.
Thanks again, time for another practise session before we at last go away in just under 3 weeks.
Gary
------------- Gary
While we try to teach out children about life, Our children teach us what life is all about
My teenage daughter and i thread all poles put them in ring and pin with the straps loose we peg the back corners then lift all poles and walk forward obviously letting go of each pole one at a time when they cant go any further forward we then peg one or two of the very front guys and tent is up then i peg the rest while daughter starts to empty the car ie seat 1st lol as by this time i need a rest .
Notice how they undo the tension straps and fit the poles flat so there's no strain on them, then peg the SIG ends so it's square and flat after the tunnel has been established. That seems to produce a good pitch (after a little adjustment of the bases of each pole which tend to stick in the grass).
Quote: Originally posted by firestorm1 on 12/7/2010
... <i>It takes us about an hour to get the thing put up</i> ...
That's nothing to be ashamed of. We took three hours to put our Outwell Minnesota 4 up the first time we tried. Admittedly it was pouring down with rain and the site was sodden and we spent an hour, soaked to the skin, looking for a dry patch, and it was cold and the instructions are useless and direct one to approach the task in the least appropriate way, and the footprint that had been supplied, and was labelled as being for our model, was actually for a Minnesota 6 (we were told) and had to be folded in half, and the sewn in groundsheet filled with water and had to be baled out, like a flooded dinghy, and, and, and, and BUT, the fact remains that it took us three hours.
With practice, and some blood blisters, bruises and a few arguments (all my fault), we've got erection time down to thirty minutes, plus another thirty minutes to add the extension and canopy. There's a video on YouTube of a fellow putting up a Minnesota 4 up in 5:25. I doubt I'll achieve that.
Start on the ground. Put the adjustable straps in first, then pull as much of each frame sleeve over to the non-adjustable side as you can, frame by frame. The pin should go in without too much strain. Be sure to pull the sleeve back to the adjustable side when done as the pin may drop out if you don't and the tent looks lopsided when erected anyway. Don't tighten anything until you've pegged out the groundsheet.
This works for us on our tent. It may not work for you on yours.
There is no sewn in groundsheet on the indianna I think? you have straps running across the floor of the tent and a seperate groundsheet that goes over the straps ?
Have you loosened the adjustable straps before trying to put the pins in the poles ? And check that the straps are not twisted at all.
its easier to fit the pins in with the poles lying flat, as theres not as much strain on the fabric as there is when its standing up .
I too find its easier to put all the poles in first, peg the back one up loosely and lift them all up and walk it all forwards, peg the front pole out , then adjust the postions of the side poles before pegging it all down.
I agree: Loosen off the pin straps and pin the poles whilst the tent is down. Peg the rear of the fly, lift the poles up and walk it out as others have described.
On a point of clarification- someone mentioned bending the poles to get the pins in. This advice is correct for fibreglass poles, but IIRC your tent has metal poles which won't bend. Loosening off the straps should be enough.
PS: Watch any video for a tunnel tent, the basic principle is the same.
We're doing it with a Wolf Lake 5 which is probably a bit heavier, but similar. We put it up 3 times last week ...
We have 5 poles to put in: put the front pole in with legs pointing to the BACK, making sure the main straps are underneath the flysheet, and put the pins in, with adjustment straps pretty loose. Repeat with the second pole, laying it precisely on top of the first one, and then work your way all the way to the back. Once you've got all the poles in, move the flysheet with poles fixed in towards the rear of the tent and approximately peg in the back corners. Then simply (!) lift all the poles vertical in one go, and walk towards the front, depositing each section as it becomes taught. When you reach the front, keep hold of the final pole arch, undo the central guy and peg it in place. You now have a successful erection (I love it ), and can peg it down and adjust it at your liesure (ouch!).
It's actually really easy this way, and in theory you could do it on your own .
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Topic: The right way to get it vertical
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