Tips and advice on pitching a tent

How to pitch your tent:

There are so many different ways, and opinions differ widely. But as experienced campers we’ve been converted to the method described in the video below which shows how to put up an extra large tent.

It will teach you how to pitch a tunnel tent solo so that it's as easy as possible and works well for even heavy tent set ups or dealing with windy conditions.

Ease of pitch

We’ve all seen the poor family struggling with the hard-to-pitch tent as the light starts to fail – so why risk the family argument? Most modern tents are exceptionally easy to pitch and take down.

Consider using a pop up tent if you feel worried about mastering the poles, or why not invest in an inflatable tent? Replacing steel or fibreglass poles with inflatable beams means your tent will be in shape in a matter of minutes. Here we’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of these modern tents.  

Test pitch first

Always do a test pitch before your first trip or if you’ve recently taken a long break from camping or bought a new piece of kit. Ignore any looks from neighbours and throw it up in your back garden.

This is also the perfect time to check for any damage or repairs to be made from last season and a lot of campers will turn a hose on the tent at this point to test if it’s still ready for the British weather.
 

Get help

A lot of modern tents are much easier with two people to put them up, and a third who is able to go beneath the flysheet and take some of the weight is a huge bonus.  So if you can, grab willing hands to help.
 

Flysheets

A lot of tents are double skinned- the outer layer being the flysheet. Root around in the sofa till you find the instructions to find out what the situation is inside your own tent. If the manual says to put up the flysheet first, do so and you have a rainproof cover under which to put up the inner in peace.

Putting up the inner first is quicker to pitch, but it won’t keep any rain off in the meantime, so you’ll want to get your skates on. You might find inner and outer layers are attached for pitching, which will make life easy.
 

Poles before pegs

Traditional wisdom says that for flysheet first tents, turn your attention the poles first and get them in their sleeves before anything else.  After that you can drive in your pegs, going for a 45 degree angle and only using a mallet if you need it.

General pitching tips

OK, deep breath –it’s time to pick your holiday spot. You’re looking for somewhere that’s as flat as you can get but not low lying, as it could flood.

First read our in-depth guide and find out how to choose a pitch in the perfect spot. 

Next, follow your tent’s instructions and peg that tent in well. If you find something won’t zip, don’t be tempted to force it, it’s likely to break.

 

Pitching a large tunnel tent

To see the full process demonstrated by the team at Cross Camping, click the video below. 

First, peg the four corners down securely, then slide a roofbar through the roofsleeve on each side of the centre and attach the leg to it on each side.

Now, lift the roof and push the bars further into the sleeve, causing the tent to rise. Attach the ring and pin to the bottom of the pole. Leave the front door open to help let air in.

Next, slide the back roof poles into their sleeves and do the same.

 

 

Finally, slide the pole through the furthest back sleeve, and through the front porch sleeve and attach on both sides . Finally work around the tent connecting clips on the tent to the poles and you're done.

 

How do you pitch in the rain?

Ah the great British weather – it’s bound to happen eventually! Keep your tent and a mallet or two (two working together will put up faster) so they’re the first things in your hand as you arrive.

Ideally wear light clothes that will dry easily- think cotton t-shirt and shorts, not jeans that will get soaked.  A foam kneeling pad is a nice touch to keep your legs from getting soggy while you hammer.

Aim to get the outer tent up as fast as you can for shelter and perhaps ask kids to stay dry in the car until you’re done so that not everyone needs to towel off. When it’s all finished, aim for a celebratory biscuit and hot cocoa.

 

How do you pitch on a hardstanding surface?

Hardstanding pitches use a harder surface than grass, such as round gravel pebbles. They’re popular for caravans and motorhomes but in some cases, tents can pitch on them too. 

Some modern sites even use a plastic mesh buried in the ground, which tents can peg into and will also never allow heavy vehicles not to get stuck in the mud. The advantage of course, is in not having to move the tent to protect grass beneath you on long stays. Water will drain from the ground better too.

So how do you peg in? The hard surface shouldn’t be very deep so a peg will usually dig straight through. Business as usual, basically!

 

How do you pitch in the wind?

So you don’t want your prized possession blowing away? If it’s getting gusty, first look for a sheltered pitch, then peg down any part of the tent you can to avoid chasing it across the site. You’re then at leisure to keep building it without too much trouble. The good news is that if you put it up correctly, it should stay firm in all but extreme conditions, so fingers crossed!

 

How do you pitch on a slope?

If you’re not partial to waking up metres further down the hill, pitch the tent so your head is at the top of the slope and your feet at the bottom when you're in bed to prevent you rolling out of it.

When you get into bed, make sure you're as far up the slope as possible because you'll work your way down during the night. Why not wedge something at the foot of the mattress to minimize movement too and use an anti-slip mat on any tables.

What’s the best way to strike camp, or take down my tent?

A handy way to dig stubborn tent pegs out is to lever them with another tent peg, but make sure you never pull them out by the guy rope. Just like pulling a plug out of its socket by the cord, that’s asking for an accident.

If you have an air beam tent, here’s another very popular method for getting it deflated and folded away and can also help to other tents of pesky air pockets. You need to bring the rear off the tent into the middle then the front back to the middle and keep doing that until it reaches bag-size. After that, roll towards the open end of the air beam and push remaining air out.

How can I take down my tent in the rain?

The skies have opened but you’re still heaving out pegs? Don’t panic! It’s time for some damage limitation.

If you know ahead of time that it will rain, pack up as much as you can early and line the trusty car boot with a waterproof tarp or similar. Now, get the car as close to the tent as you can and get bedroom pods into the tent bag and in the boot. You then need to unpeg to main shell, which is likely to go fast with drizzle on your neck.

Give the tent a good shake as you fold it up and tip it, where possible, to stop water puddling on it. Fold wet parts onto wet parts so that the doors remain outside of your tent package to stop water seeping inwards into the dry inner tent. This is called ‘wet to wet’ packing up by campers.

Now, run for the hills!

 

How do I get the tent back in its seemingly tiny bag?

As soon as the tent springs forth from its original packaging you’ll realise that it seems the only way it could ever go back in would be by bending the laws of physics. Just like your sleeping bag, it seems mammoth compared to its case.

Let’s start by saying that you don’t have to stick with the bag or case that you were given. If it’s just too much of a squeeze and you have boot space, upgrade to something like the Isabella Bag.

If you’re going for the big crunch, though, first judge how the tent must be folded to match your bag. Is it thirds? Quarters? You can remove bedrooms and bag them separately to ease space.

Then, fold with all air points and zips open and use your bodyweight (shoes off!) to push air out of the tent.  Keep your tent at the width of the bag by tucking in any cheeky outlying material and constantly measure it against the bag.