Tent Practice Runs

One of the other things we did this weekend to prepare for the trip was to set up our tents.  I highly recommend setting up and taking down your tent more than once before you head out on a trip- even if you're familiar with your tent.  If it's raining or dark out, you want to be comfortable with setting up the tent without having to stand around reading a set of directions.  And if it's been a while since you've used the tent, it's always a good idea to set it up to make sure everything is there and in good working order. You don't want to fix problems on the trail when you could have fixed them in your back yard on a sunny day.








My tent sets up pretty easily.  I have the REI Quarter Dome T2+.  It's a 2 man tent with a little extra space.  I really like the tent even though I have yet to use it on the trail (I did use it in the back yard).  Reviews for this tent mention how complicated it is to set up.  At first I agreed, but realized I was over thinking the set up.  The tent and poles are completely color coded.  It's really a no-brainer and if you have trouble setting up this tent it's because you think it's more complicated than it really is.  Match up the colored lines with the colored poles and that's it.  I had heard or read somewhere that it's possible to set up just the rainfly for this tent and wanted to try that out.  It didn't work very well for me (yet) and since I have enough people to help me keep the tent dry if I need to set up in the rain, I'm not going to bother with it right now.  I did read the directions and discovered a few things about the tent I never bothered to learn about, so I'm fairly comfortable with setting it up.



My mom and cousin have a Eureka Spitfire Solo tent.  It isn't a free standing tent and has a funky shape (like an alien pod or something), so it was important to make sure we knew how to set that up.  Set up is actually pretty simple with 2 short pole configurations and some stakes. But the rainfly gave us a little trouble.  The instructions say the rainfly should not touch the sides of the tent, but in one spot we couldn't get it to not touch the side of the tent.  After some fiddling, I finally called my cousin to get her thoughts and we got it figured out.  With this tent, you need to make sure you stake it down in the exact order the instructions state.  You also need to make sure you have it straight and not "cattywampus" (my cousin's official term) because being slightly off can throw the fly out of whack.  Luckily, my cousin will be on the trip and available to help out with the tent if need be. 



I think for the most part, we're all set.  I'm hitting the store today for last minute items we need, and I'll be packing the food this evening and getting things arranged in my pack.   See you when/if we return!

It's Here!

When I arrived home from work, my new tent was sitting on the porch waiting for me.  I didn't really have a chance to even open the box because I had to head out to clean out our Cub Scout Pack's camping trailer. 

It was dark by the time I got home, and I immediately opened up the box to check things out.  I was disappointed that it was already late at night and I wasn't able to go outside and set it up.  And they were calling for rain the next day so I wouldn't be able to set it then either.


So I did whatever any crazy camping person would do, I decided to set it up in my bedroom.

The only real negative review on this tent was about the ability to set it up.  They said it was confusing and impossible.  Other reviews contradicted the negative ones explaining it was actually pretty easy.  So I spread it out and put the poles together and made an attempt.  10 minutes later I was nearly in tears and was certain I had made a huge mistake.  Then I looked down and realized that not only were the corner grommet tabs color coded for pole placement, but there were actually color coded lines on the tent showing you where to place the poles.  So I realized I had to flip the poles over and then it took maybe 2 minutes to set it up.  I felt like an idiot, but at least I figured it out.  I haven't had time (or room) to put the rain fly on, but I'm sure it's no problem either. 

My cousin ordered a new tent as well.  She went with a Eureka Spitfire 1 person tent.  And while it appears she took her time and waited to set up her new tent outside, she actually opened the box and set it up in her living room. 

This is the tent my mom is thinking about ordering as well.  My cousin gave it high marks.  She said there was a lot of heavy dew in the morning all over the rainfly, but inside the tent was bone dry.



Now we're hoping we have a chance to test out the tents on an actual camping trip before we hit the trail!