Pitch perfect: how to pitch a tent for the most comfortable camping experience
By Mark Mayne (image credit: Unsplash)
Tips for pitching a tent
Any fool can pitch a tent badly, but pitching one well is a combination of skill and art form, as well as good observation. We run down our top tips. (image credit: Decathlon)
1. Know your tent
If it’s a new one (lucky you), pitch it at home, borrow a garden for 20 minutes or find a local open space. Get to know how it works with plenty of time. (image credit: Kelty)
2. Venturing into the wild? Take a repair kit
Make sure you’ve got a mini tent-care-kit. A pole repair sleeve (a metal tube), some spare cord, a few cable ties and duct tape will work as a temporary fix. (image credit: The Gear Loop)
3. Spacial awareness
Aim for a sheltered spot, but not too low down near water, avoid very boggy ground and be mindful of where the sun rises. (image credit: Unsplash)
4. Respect the wind
Tunnel tents want to be end-on to winds, or they’ll just get blown flat, while more geodesic designs need to be angled so the gale doesn’t blow through it. (image credit: Unsplash)
5. Keeping a level head
The more level the site, the better night’s sleep you’ll have. If things are desperate, pointing your head uphill is preferable. (image credit: Unsplash)
6. Flat, flatter, flattest
Go over the ground as carefully as possible, removing anything sharp and any small pebbles. These will only dig into you when sleeping. (image credit: Unsplash)
7. Don’t waste time in the rain
The most important thing about camping in any situation is to make sure that your bedding and inside of the tent starts out as dry as possible. (image credit: Unsplash)
8. Set up your bed as early as possible
Your sleeping mat and sleeping bag need time to relax, the mat to self-inflate, and the sleeping bag to re-loft, especially if it is a down bag. (image credit: Unsplash)
9. Eat and rehydrate/check the tent before bedding down
Sleeping on a full stomach is much more pleasurable, but it’s also very warming too, as your body generates heat from the food and the digestive process (image credit: Primus)
10. Take creature comforts
Having a pillow will make a massive difference, and even if you’re wild camping, there are lightweight pillows that can be stuffed with spare clothes. (image credit: Unsplash)