Just spent a weekend away in our new Coleman Matrix 6, absolutly loved it!
Im just wondering if any other Matxix owners have any tip on how to put this tent up?
Following the Guide/colour coding is straight forward, but found that with all the poles in place, getting the two main cross section poles up and in place was tricky.( i had to actually go inside the tent,push them up over head height,swap places with the GF and put them into the ground eyelets.)
Ive noticed on the Matrix 9 review page that Fleur had posted pictures with the front and side pods already erected into place before the main chamber, is this a much easier way to do it?
I would love to be able to put this tent up myself,or with less help from my GF, as with back problems, she cannot always help 100%, so any advise it apprieciated.
Thanks
Hokes
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I would think that you need to place the two centre poles in place . I make an assum ption that there are tension straps on one of the pait of opposing eyelets. These need to be slackened, pole then gets inserted , then once the opposite pole is in , tighten .Once these are are in place, complete the centre sides and front entrance . Peg and guy this area so the groundsheet is flat and square . Go around the bedrooms in turn placing the final pole in and peg and guy .I do not think it will be stable enough to work bedrooms to centre , and get the tent as square as needed.I base my experience on the Evolva ,rather than the Matrix , but I do see some similarities.
We've tried it both ways with our x9.....bedrooms first.........centre first.
Starting with the centre first we found more difficult. The tent is very heavy as you try to raise the centre with the weight of the bedrooms pulling against you.
Starting with the inner poles of the bedrooms then the outer poles of the bedrooms then finally the 2 centre poles. We found that attaching guys to bedrooms just sufficiently tight to stop them collapsing give enough slack in the central section to insert the poles from the outside. We then squared up the tent before tightening the guys. Hope that makes sense.
We are new to this so there is probably an easier way but that works for us.
I can see the sense in building the sides and then the centre poles also . It is difficult to speculate about a tent you have not pitch !! You will have to do your own Knex illustration !
------------- Be seeing you!!
Numbersix
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We have just put up out X9 for the fist time (Practice run in the garden) never put a tent up in my life so this was interesting..
I agree - Putting the poles in was straight forward enough .. Just got to be careful that you don't stand on any as you navigate your way around.. We now faced the same dilemma.. How to you actually raise it up.. After about 15 strokey beard minutes, we opted for the "One on the inside and one on the outside" approach same as you .. But it was a little bit awkward .. and heavy (GF failed the tent lifting test). But once we raised the two centre poles into place (these were the only ones we had fitted into the eyelets at this time) The rest popped up quite easily . We then secured these into the eyelets one at a time before going round and pegging down the ground sheet and guys. Took as about 1 hour .
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Topic: Coleman Matrix 6/9 user advice
