Hi everyone, I have searched the forum and seen plenty of advice about pitching in the rain - which is what I will likely be doing this Friday - and there is definitely a common theme - pitch it ASAP!
However, this is the first time myself and the OH will be pitching the Icarus 500 in anger and in the wet! I couldn't find much info about how to actually pitch this particular tent, I'm assuming it's a case of slacken off the pin thingies, insert the 3 poles, put the rear pole up first, peg out the back and then raise the mid and front section and bob's your uncle.
With regards to the footprint, obviously this is straightforward, but what about doing this in the rain - if the top of the footprint gets wet, then won't the water get stuck there permanently when the tent is placed on top? Or is it a case of drying as you go?
Any help with the above would be greatly appreciated!
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Hi
We pitched our Icarus 400 in the rain and wind last year. Basically, lay down the footprint, peg, roll out the tent, and peg four corners, just incase the wind comes. This will protect your foorptint form the rain, byt really I wouldn't worry about a bit of moisture between the footprint and the groundsheet as they are both waterproof.
With regard to poles, we put the back pole in first, peg one guy to hold it up, then do the front pole, and guy, and then do the middle poles. Once we have the tent up, then we adjust the pegging of the tent base and guys as required.
If its really heavy rain, once you have the poles in, you can get in a the tent if required. Be wary of the wind though if the tent is not completley pegger/guyed.
Don't worry tho, my daughter and I had ours basically up quite quickly, 5 mins max, so didn't get to wet.
Not sure about the Icarus but if you've no chance of a quick test pitch in the garden or a local park before you do it for real, Vango's site has videos etc covering pitching.
Not really much you can do with the footprint. If the heavens open and sitting it out in the car isn't an option, I'd lay the footprint out, peg it, towel it over best I could with a big old towel, then get the tent over it as fast as possible.
Good luck. And welcome, BTW
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When I pitch my icarus 500, I push the three poles through the sleeves as it is all laying on the ground. Then I put the end pole ring and pin thing in and push the pole into an arc but leave it laying on the ground. Next the same with the middle pole again leave it laying on the ground on top of the end pole. Then the front pole.
Because up til now you have put no pegs in the whole tent can move and "Ruck up" you can even give the poles a little shake as you bend them into an arc helping them slide though the sleeves. I find this much easier as you are not trying to lift up the weight of the tent on the pole. Because of the sig keeping the correct distance across the floor to the pin on the other side its quite easy to do yourself.
Next bash 4 pegs in 2 at the front and 2 at the back of the footprint. Simply pull up the front of the tent (above the door) and pull it along to the front of the footprint hook 2 guys over your pegs, the weight of the rest of it will hold it up walk around the back and hook that on to your 2 pegs.
Now its just a matter of lining it up to fit nice over the footprint zip up the doors and peg out the sig. Peg out the guys. 15 minutes later drink tea.
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Topic: Pitching Icarus 500 + footprint + rain
