How to Pitch a Tent in Foul Weather

I would appreciate David Spellman contacting me regarding his experience with the Stephenson 2R tent. I have had a 3R for several years and like to downsize to 2R or 2Rc.
Thank you for your courtesy.
stuart1933.tauber@gmail.com

Hennessy Hammock. Rolled up like a long snake. Tie it off, un-roll it. Three minutes and it's up. Been using it for four years now. I'm sitting there nice and dry watching everyone else wrestle with their tents.

I use the MSR Fling in bad weather. It's single wall, so rain doesn't get inside while you are pitching it. It also cleverly directs all condensation to the outside so that the interior stays dry. It's rated for 2 persons, but at around 3 lbs, it makes a great and very roomy solo shelter.

I use a sheltered hammock from junglehammock.com, so my setup is a bit different. However, the general approach is the same - stake or tie everything quickly while using the fly to keep the main compartment dry.

In the case of a hammock, I typically roll up the fly *in* the hammock if I'm certain there won't be rain. But if there's the slightest hint, I'll repack so the fly is out first, then hang the hammock underneath. One thing I really enjoy about the hammock being in a stuff sack is that I can lash the end to a tree, feed out the hammock as I go (like a rope bag), and tie the other end without anything ever touching ground.

pitching a tent in a storm is one thing but securing it is another: climbers do not build anchors with rope and webbing and then attach them to a single point on a rock wall; they build multiple points of attachment to spread the load.
You must use a separate stake for each guy in a big storm and position the anchor in line with the tent seam or attachment point on the tent.
Use a taut knot prerigged to adjust tension and use a 2" loop of 1/4" elastic fisherman knotted to shock chord each guy line AT THE TENT END.
As for pitching in a storm - PITCH YOUR TARP FIRST!
Remember the wind will back in any storm so moving the tail of the tent to face the wind requires constant attention to the weather.

Really helpful advice, David. Especially with leaving the stakes immediately accessible and always knowing where the tail is. I'll make those changes to my system.

With the Macpac tents, we leave the fly and tent joined together when breaking camp. So when it comes to pitching the tent we can just slide the poles in the sleeves which are attached to the fly. Most Macpac tents are able to be pitched as a fly alone, an inner alone or of course as both.

I can't say I've ever gone into a tent with wet clothes or boots on though!

It seems that the O ring set up means there will be tension into the middle of the tent rather than away from the outer guy loops. This would make for a badly pitched fly with flapping and flicking water in through the mesh and onto the impermeable floor.

I have seen a similar idea which works with the tarps where the 4 outer guy are attached to the next 2 inner guy points. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjMmla9DSzo

cheers,

I use a Stephenson 2R. It gets stored folded (in thirds lengthwise with the floor on the outside) and rolled, with the tail of the tent on the outside of the roll. The poles go on the inside of the roll and the stakes are in a separate bag inside the stuff sack. In the dark,in rain or in high wind, I nail down the tail of the tent with a single stake (it only takes one) and then allow the tent to unroll slowly with the wind (this keeps the tail of the tent into the wind). I grab the poles and put them through the sleeves on the tent (they're two different diameters, so it's easy to tell them apart even without light) and then pull the tent tight with two stakes in the front. At that point the tent is up and the interior is dry. I secure it (if it's windy) with a couple more stakes and then go help my buddies with their tents. It's a bad idea to stuff the fabrics of your tent randomly in a stuff sack. When you pull things out, you have to first identify the tent footprint, then orient it, then stake it down. Then you have to do the same for the tent interior (and lord help you if there's a lot of mesh for ventilation), and then you clip on the fly. And then someone gets to go inside with a sponge and dry the whole thing out. That Stephenson of mine was pricey, but it goes up in about 5 minutes, singlehanded, even in terrible weather, and it's always dry inside (until I get in there with my wet clothes and boots <G>)...