Ten Things You Should Know
Before Using Your New Tent
1. Practice putting
your tent up before you first go camping.
Be familiar with all the parts of you tent
and the correct way to set it up. Read the instructions
thoroughly. It’s generally a good idea to assemble
all the tent poles and then insert them into the pole sleeves
or clips of the tent before putting the ends of the tent
poles into the grommets of the tent. This will help to avoid
placing unnecessary stress on the pole section joints. Assemble
the shock corded poles slowly, section by section. Do not
“snap” the pole sections together.
2. Locate a level, smooth spot to set
up your tent and clean the site of debris.
A ground tarp or “footprint” may help
prolong the life of your tent floor but will not necessarily make
it more waterproof, nor necessarily protect it from all damage.
3. Anchor your tent at all corners to secure it in the wind, and use all guy-lines to make the tent as taut as possible.
4. Vent your tent!
Always keep doors and windows open as much as possible to
provide cross-ventilation and prevent condensation. This
is especially important in wet weather.
5. Do not bring food, toothpaste, or scented items into your tent to keep from attracting bears and other animals.
6. Do not wear your boots in the tent (especially if you have crampons on)!
7. Use the tent zippers slowly and carefully!
Unless a bear is coming in on one side and you are trying to get
out of the other side, there should be no rush to zip or unzip the
doors and windows of your tent.
8. When taking down the tent:
Push (do not pull) the tent poles through the tent sleeves to avoid
separating the pole sections in the sleeves where they may pinch
and tear the tent fabric. Slowly break the shock corded tent pole
down by separating it at the center sections first. This will prevent
added strain on the tent pole’s shock cord.
9. At the end of your trip, air dry your tent and tent
fly thoroughly to avoid mildew.
Never store a wet tent!
10. Store your tent in a dry place.
You may occasionally want to clean your tent by handwashing it with
a sponge and warm soapy water. Rinse with a sponge and clean water
and air dry thoroughly before storing.
