So we have are only holiday booked for the year. The question is do we go or not. We have a large tunnel tent and the wind speed for where we are going is 22mph with 40mph gusts the kids are excited we all need a holiday but we don't want to damage the tent putting it up in strong winds once the tent's up I'm sure it will be fine any advice on putting a tent up in strong winds.
Very, very difficult one, this!
Most tent's would be fine in that wind... once it's pitched, and providing it is pitched well, with decent pegs etc.
The problem arises (or is more concerning) whilst the tent is actually being set up, or indeed taken down.
I'd love to tell you to go for it, but ultimately it has to be your decision. I think I would, but then we don't have kids to consider, and chances are it wouldn't be our main holiday either.
If you do go for it, you certainly want decent pegs (never the sort that get supplied with the tent!), to suit the ground conditions. Aswell as pegging the tent corners first, peg the sides too, and consider loosely pegging the guys whilst the tent is still laid flat, before inserting the poles/standing upright, even if that means removing/re-positioning the pegs later.
Don't leave pegs sticking several inches above ground... fully insert them, wind or no wind, and at 90 deg to the actual guy line, not vertically into the ground!
Don't have all doors fully open as normally advised, as the wind will just rush in and the tent will try to take off! (Just part-open the main door, and allow air in slowly, to aid the standing up process).
Always have at least two pitching, and keep and eye on poles snagging pole sleeves!
Easter's stormy weather was too much for me, and I made a number of errors that resulted in a damaged tent.
Must remember to choose a pitch that offers a bit of shelter, and to pitch with the sloping side of my Dutch Pyramid tent towards the wind in future!
DK
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We have a vango amazon 600 with steel poles,and I managed to break a pole on last year camping trip when putting the tent up in easy conditions, so after a lot of thinking and checking the weather we decided to stay at home as we were going to a campsite close to the coast and it looks quite open . I was up at 3 this morning checking the weather hopping it had changed even thinking about going a day later but the weather is just as bad for Tuesday, we don't mind a bit of bad weather but we didn't want to damage are tent and most of all have any accidents as that the way are luck is running at the moment.
Hi , I would of thought your tent would of stood up to the weather , but better to be safe than sorry and the weather didn't sound very nice anyway , hope you have a more pleasant and enjoyable trip when you do go
I've just been away for three days. Stupidly I was looking at the weather and only considering the rain .... Didn't occur to me to check the wind. Fortunately my husband came to pitch my tent for me but we've never struggled as we did to put it up. Thankfully no damage but tent was like a massive kite.
Once up the tent was rock solid due to my husbands attention to detail re pegs (Deltas) and guy lines. My side canopy got damaged ... Two U shaped metal clips got completely straightened out under the pressure of the wind and came undone flapping around in the early hours. Fortunately that's repairable and no further damage.
Two nights of virtually no sleep for me due to noise, concern about tent damage and also fear we would blow away. Never again .... From now on I'll be carefully checking ALL aspects of the weather.
Home today safe and sound ... tent and occupants.
Lesson learned!
I camped in the worst wind I've ever experienced this week in Langton Matravers. I was worried if the tent (Vango Zeal 500) would be ok as I'd only test pitched it before and it stood up to it well. We had bad rain as well as wind one night and it kept me awake but I surrvived, and the last 2 days on the site were ok so I was happy
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Topic: How much wind is to much
