Tents

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• Tents

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Different Types of Tents

• Tents come in many different shapes, sizes and
  styles. From one person designs made to fit in a
  rucksack, to eight berth frame tents ready to be
  fully furnished with everything including the
  kitchen sink! In between them there are numerous
  styles offering excellent choice and flexibility,
  made out of lightweight materials that are
  suitable for a variety of locations.
• Each tent is designed with a different purpose in
  mind.

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Our Tents

• As Scouts we use tents for a variety of purposes
  and activities from week long summer camps to
  lightweight expeditions.
• For these different camps we have different types
  of tent. The most common used in Scouts are the
  patrol tent and the hike tent but there are many
  other kinds on the market which all have pros and
  cons and should be chosen according to the
  purpose.
• We also use other tents and canvasses such as
  mess tents, store tents, fire shelters or
  marquees depending on the type of camping we are
  doing.

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The Patrol Tent

• These tents are most commonly made of canvas and
  usually have separate groundsheets. Large enough
  to sleep around 6 Scouts and accommodate their
  kit.

• Patrol tents are traditional Scout tents and are
  often used in camping competitions. Due to their
  size they take at least 3 people to put them up
  properly. It could also be considered as a ridge
  tent.

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Parts of Patrol Tents

• Every item has a name easier than just saying
  'Can you hand me that thingamajig please!'
• Two main Tent Poles of 2 pieces each, a Ridge
  Pole made up of 3 bits.
• Canvas tent with Flaps (doors to you and me) sewn
  in.
• Walls and Sod Cloths sewn in too.
• Sod cloths should be tucked under ground sheet -
  walls can be rolled up for fresh air.
• Main Guys with Dollies (no, not Parton!) hold the
  main poles up, and can be front or storm lashed.
  
• Main canvas has several Guy Ropes, keep straight
  with seam - 4 corner guys at 45 degree angle with
  corner.
• Brailing pegs hold the walls and flaps tight to
  the ground - can be released to roll up walls.
• Flysheet to protect from rain. Top of main poles
  have Spacers to keep flysheet off tent.

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Ridge Tents

• A classic ridge design with sloping sides and a
  roofline that runs parallel to the ground
  (A-framed shape).Ridge style tents offer good
  stability in bad weather conditions and even
  heavy snow, but they can be heavy and so not a
  good choice if you're backpacking or travelling
  on foot carrying your tent.

• Most ridge tents other than the patrol tent are
  made of lightweight materials such as nylon.
• There is usually an outer tent and then an inner
  with a sewn in groundsheet.
• The deeply sloping sides often make the full
  height of the tent unusable.

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Tunnel Tent

• A tunnel design uses two hooped poles or more
  running in parallel to maximise internal space.
  Some can be huge others are sized generously but
  still fairly lightweight. Small or large, many
  tunnel designs offer a large porch area and good
  living space useful for family camping trips.
• The construction will most commonly consist of a
  nylon outer and an inner with a sewn-in
  groundsheet.
• Smaller designs are great for lightweight camping.

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Frame Tent

• These are often larger family tents and are
  often used for camping holidays. The frame is
  built first and then covered with the canvas,
  however this can be a disadvantage in bad weather
  conditions.
• A frame tent will be bulky and heavy when packed
  away and will most often be used on a site with
  vehicle access. There is usually a sleeping area
  at the back and a front area for cooking or
  relaxing.
• Many marquees or mess tents are also pitched in
  this way.

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Pop Up Tents

• Pop-ups were once regarded as play tents but no
  longer. Larger sizes, better designs and good
  materials combined with out-of-the-bag pitching
  are now a popular choice offering a fast
  effective shelter. The flexible poles offer a
  similar tent profile to tunnel designs.
• Striking these tents can be more difficult and
  putting them back in their bag at the end of camp
  can be a real skill.

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Bell Tents

• Bell tents have a unique silhouette, are quick to
  put up and pack down small they were used as
  military kit in the 19th Century.
• The design is simple natural cotton canvas
  drapes down from a central pole, and is held
  tight by guy ropes, pegged down around the
  circumference of the tent to create a distinctive
  old-fashioned shape outside and a good working
  area within.
• They are fully waterproof, and in full sun you
  can roll up the sides and enjoy the breezy shade
  beneath.

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Tipi

• Tipis are constructed from poles and canvas or
  historically rawhide. Most versions start with 3
  poles which are joined with a tripod lashing at
  the height of the cover. Another 12 poles are
  then arranged against the main poles in the
  tripod.
• The cover is then tied to another pole which is
  then lifted up and the top of the pole is rested
  where all the poles meet. The skin is pulled
  around the pole framework.
• The overlap seam is closed with wooden lacing
  pins which are thin sticks about 10 inches long
  with one or both ends tapered.
• Sometimes a door is attached to one of the bottom
  lacing pins.

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Dome Tents

• These tents look like bubbles and are made from
  various strong but flexible materials.
• There are usually 2 cross poles and often a third
  pole if the tent has a porch area.
• These are very good tents for shedding water and
  remaining standing in high winds, making them
  very popular in Scouting and in Scotland.
• Dome tents come in a variety of sizes and vary
  greatly in quality
• We will look at pitching them in more detail as
  we use these regularly for lightweight
  expeditions and Zodiacs.

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Choosing a Dome Tent

• 1. Guylines - These are easily adjustable and
  help to maintain the tents shape and stability.
  It is worth spending a little time getting all
  the guylines taut and checking them again before
  settling down to sleep, so to ensure maximum
  sturdiness in the event of any strong winds or
  bad weather. Some guylines are reflective or
  luminous which makes them easier to avoid
  tripping over by torchlight. Why not change yours
  or personalise them with your own bright visual
  warnings?
• 2. Groundsheet - A groundsheet is usually
  sewn-in as a tray-shaped floor to your tent. The
  purpose is to keep you off damp ground, protect
  against rainfall run-off and cut out draughts as
  well as stopping creepy-crawlies getting inside.
  To protect a sewn-in groundsheet from abrasion,
  it pays to place it over a cheap plastic tarp or,
  even better, a custom tent 'footprint' that fits
  the shape exactly. As there's no real insulation
  value in a groundsheet, spreading out a fleece
  blanket makes a comfy 'carpet'.
• 3. Mesh doors - Mesh doors keep annoying biting
  insects, creepy crawlies and irritating moths at
  bay whilst allowing air to flow through the tiny
  pores to aid ventilation when going to sleep in
  your tent.
• 4. Flysheet - Pitched over the inner tent's like
  a large umbrella, it's made from strong
  waterproof material to keep out rain and any bad
  weather. It also offers some protection from the
  sun and the doorways may unzip fully to form sun
  and rain awnings.
• 5. Doors - On inners and flysheets, doors
  usually have a two-way opening facility for
  flexibility with ventilation and shelter.
  Condensation can easily form on the inside of a
  totally waterproof flysheet with two people (or
  more) breathing away all night in a tent zipped
  up tight against insects and draughts it's easy
  to mistake this condensation for leaking! This
  can be helped by opening up the doors, venting
  the tent and getting rid of the moisture.
  Maintaining good ventilation is advisable when
  camping, and most tents have features and tips to
  aid good airflow and minimise the potential
  problem.
• 6. Poles - Poles make up the framework of your
  tent, the sections are often linked for easy
  assembly using elastic cord. Colour-coded poles
  and pole 'tunnels' help easy pitching and are
  great for helping to teach the children how to
  put a tent up. Continuous or in sections, pole
  sleeves guide the poles into position so that
  they can be held snugly in place by eyelets or
  ring and pin systems that slot neatly into pole
  ends.
• 7. Porch - Porch space can vary throughout tent
  designs, from just enough space to park a
  rucksack, boots and stove in a lightweight tent,
  to a huge living space sheltering a table and
  chairs on larger family styles.
• Inner tents - Light and very breathable, often
  with insect mesh doors, inners make cosy
  bedrooms.
• Dimensions - The tent dimensions will show you
  how much length, height and width you have to
  play with helping you make the best choice for
  you. The overall size diagrams of the tent will
  give you a good idea about how much space it will
  take up on a site and the pitch size you will
  need if you are pre-booking a campsite. It also
  makes sense to give some thought to the internal
  dimensions, especially headroom if you want to
  stand up in larger designs.

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Sigma Pitching

• Assemble poles and lay them on the ground
  parallel (3 poles- 2 longer diagonal poles and
  1 shorter porch pole
• Open out tent and position in required direction.
  
• Insert the two longer poles diagonally through
  pole sleeves on outside of flysheet.
• Insert the shorter porch pole into front pole
  sleeve over doorway
• Locate one end of each diagonal pole onto pin
  system at rear tent corners
• Push each diagonal pole into an arch from door
  end and locate pole ends onto corresponding pin
  system.
• Locate one end of the porch pole onto second pin
  at front pole end of tent.
• Push porch pole into an arch from opposite side
  and locate pole end onto pin system.
• Peg down four corners through the metal ring
  using pin-pegs.

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Zetes Pitching

• Assemble the 2 poles and lay them parallel on the
  ground.
• Open out tent and position in required direction.
  
• Insert the two poles straight through pole
  sleeves on outside of flysheet.
• Locate one end of each pole on one side of
  flysheet into the metal pin system at the end of
  the pole sleeves
• Push poles into an arch from opposite ends and
  locate pole ends into corresponding metal pin.
• Start pegging out the main corners at rear end of
  the tent using the pin pegs provided.
• Pull the tent forward until taut and peg out the
  main corners at the front end of the tent, again
  with the pin pegs.
• Ensure the tent is in a straight line.
• Secure the tent using the pin pegs through the
  ring pin system
• .

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Summary

• Choosing a tent is an important part of the
  planning when going to camp. It needs to be fit
  for the job and should be chosen according to
  number of people, transport, duration of camp,
  weather, location, size and weight.
• Striking tents properly after camp and caring for
  them appropriately whilst away and when you
  return home can ensure they are suitable for use
  and ready to go the next time they are needed.
• Tent Care
• Clearing away gravel and twigs from your pitch
  reduces the chance of tiny holes appearing in the
  groundsheet using a cheap tarp under it will
  help protect it and make it far easier to clean.
  A regular sweeping out of the tent takes just a
  couple of minutes and keeps your tent clean and
  tidy. Without it, debris can puncture fabric when
  it is tightly packed away. Even synthetic
  fabrics don't like mould and mildew, so it's no
  surprise that airing the tent and drying it
  completely before packing it away for a while is
  very important!
• It's worth checking out guylines, tensioners,
  eyelets, knots, zips and poles for damage each
  time you use the tent. Tents are durable and
  resilient but over time the various components
  will wear and suffer damage. Hopefully, a small
  spares and repair kit won't be needed but, if you
  have one handy, there's no drama prevention is
  better than cure! Zips can take quite a beating
  and it helps if they run smoothly. They tend to
  get yanked all ways and can be put under quite a
  lot of strain, so make sure the stitching around
  the zips is sturdy and make any repairs before
  loose threads lead to frayed tent fabric. If a
  main or mesh door won't zip closed easily,
  reposition the pegs rather than trying to force
  the zip closed often the tent can be pitched too
  taught and the zip can struggle to close up
  allowing the tent shape a little more slack can
  make all the difference.