There are a few threads spread around which show problems with pitching this HUGE tent. Also the instructions are okay - but not that useful if you are not experienced in putting up tents. I recently bought one for family trips and have just had our first outing - after a practice run in the garden.
Tent pitched perfectly (as a semi-experienced camper, but in smaller tents - and pitching it on my own as wifey looked after the child.....fortunately there was no great wind!) with no issues or rising groundsheets.
Thought i would put down my view on "how to" to see if it is of use, or can be added to by others.
Would be interested in techniques for folding / packing as trying to get it to a size to go back in the bag was a mystery!
Anyway here goes:
1 - Lay out tent in rough position you want to pitch it - make sure all doors are zipped shut. Stretch out ropes to make sure there is enough space around to fully pitch it (I am sure it expands slowly whilst you peg stuff in!).
Consider which of the exits you will use most and rotate it accordingly - also think through which side you want the windows to be on, where you will park car etc (assuming you did not lug this round in a back pack!).
2 - Pegg in the two end groundsheet straps at the "back" end of the tent to loosely hold it in position. (ie. the only side with no door)
3 - Assemble and insert fibre-glass poles through all 5 centre slots. Assemble all steel poles and insert them into the slots on each side of the 5 poles - slanted back towards the "back" of the tent.
I found it easier to do this if you gather the tent up so that the majority of the pole is sticking WAY beyond the tent slot.
Starting at the "back", slot ONE of the poles into the hook/pin - AFTER slackening off the straps on both sides of the tent which hold the hook/pin.
The steel pole should now go through it's own slot and slightly into the slot of the fibre glass pole.
Now go to the other side of the tent - stretch the fibre glass pole slot along as far as you can towards you so that it starts to cover the other metal pole (if possible).
Stretch as much of the tent towards the hook/pin as possible and push the pole up so it begins to curve - you should be able to slot the other end into the hook/pin now. This does require SOME force to be able to bend the fibre glass pole into a curve - but not superhuman - MAY be easier if someone can support the weight of the middle of the pole as it bends?
Do not tighten the straps yet.
AFTER the first one is done - loosely pin in the two guy ropes at the end centre of the back of the tent - to lift the tent. only the first pole should be raised, possibly the second one may lift slightly.
Put pegs through the hook/pins now to tie them down to give you more stability - and an anchor point as you stretch the tent out - again only loosely as you will refine and peg properly later.
Now go to the second pole and insert into the hook/pins following the same process.
Once the second one is in - lift/walk the poles away from the first to make them taught. Don't have to be too precise as this will be tightened later - it is through this process the tent expands WAY beyond what it seemed when set out on the floor.
Repeat all the way to the end of the tent. If windy you may want to loosely do the guy ropes as you go along.
Once all five (? From memory?) poles are up do the same with the guy ropes at the front of the tent.
4 - Now you should have all poles up - slotted into the hook/pins and stretched out reasonably from the back.
For me this is where you avoid the groundsheet problems - TAKE time to pin the groundsheet from the back corners firmly into position - each time making sure the groundsheet is taught and square from the back corners. Also adjust the hook/pin straps to ensure the groundsheet between the ends of the poles is nice and taught.
DO THE SAME WITH THE GROUNDSHEET hooks/straps - including repositioning the same first ones you pegged in. The blue material should not be flush to the ground, the groundsheet is designed to sit taught to the ground and then curve up a few inches - so long as the base is taught to the ground no wind will get in - as you pin the flysheet down later it will also sit flush to the ground.
I only used the small pegs for this - except for the corners that got some of the fancy thick pegs - no idea if this is correct - just felt "right".
Snap on the hooks to the poles (Black plastic ones about head height all the way around the tent.
5 - Peg out all the guy ropes loosely - following the "natural" line of the seams of the tent.
Tension the front and back ones first to make the tent roof taught (should be fairly taught anyhow) then the corner ones and then the rest.
6 - go round and peg the flysheet down at all points.
7 - Insert the poles for the side doors - undo the velcro straps and they slot in before velcro-ing back up.
From memory that's it. All done.
Doing the inside is easy - just match the colour tabs and you are flying.
Any comments/suggestions to make easier/better welcomed.
All in all took about 50 minutes as a one man show to get tent, bedrooms and carpet all done....and if *I* can do it, anyone can.
Taking down:
Close doors. Remove door poles - undo fly sheet pegs, unpeg and shorten front side guy ropes, take pegs out of front poles, undo front tow guy roles and gently lower. repeat all the way along loosening a section at a time. Take out steel poles. Take out fibre glass poles. Take out groundsheet pegs.
put in car - head home happy and dry!
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
Our putting up of the tent is pretty similar to yours, but when putting it down we left the doors open at the bottom to allow the air to escape, makes getting it back in the bag much easier.
The first time we used it the front end of the ground sheet did stick up from the ground as described in other posts, but we think that was down to the fact we were on quite a slope as we had no problems this time. We also invested in the side porch before we went to Fforest Fields last week and was amazed how much extra space it provided, although we used our day tent we packed all our kitchen equipment up a couple of days before we came home and moved it into the porch, it all went in no problem.
It's a fantastic tent though isn't it?!
------------- May/June - Spring Valley
Aug/Sept - Leekworth
Tracy - you got me there - maybe the reason I can't get the thing back in the bag - it's currently sprawled out in the garage due to putting it away wet (need to get a footprint). Will open the door to pack away.
Want to get the side porch but there are none kicking around (unless you know different?) until the end of the season per the suppliers.
CT - For what it is worth in the space of our short trip we had folks walking up to our tent and asking for a look round it - being a spanking new one it was drawing some admiring glances - either that or they were casing us out for a swift spot of burglary.
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
It does make a difference blue_manc, we've not had a problem getting ours back in the bag. We had to have our's out in my mam's garden to dry off as there was a bit of rain when we were packing up, but it dried out really quickly.
We got our porch from World of Camping online, but I see they're out of stock now.
------------- May/June - Spring Valley
Aug/Sept - Leekworth
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Gelert Beyond Corvus 6+2: Pitching advice
