How to Pitch a Tent Right Every Time - Campsite Setup Guide, by Thomas Survival on YouTube. 11 min 30 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 30 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Look up before you unpack. Avoid dead branches and leaning trees that could fall on your tent, and stay clear of the tallest lone tree nearby.
Read the ground. Pick a slight rise rather than a dip, because low spots collect rainwater and stay wet through the night.
Check the soil. Firm, compacted earth holds stakes better than loose dirt or sand, so test a stake before committing.
Choose shelter over a view. A spot behind a hedge, wall or trees blocks wind better than an open hilltop.
Clear the pitch. Remove rocks, sticks and cones so the ground is smooth under your back and nothing punctures the floor.
Lay the footprint so its edges stay inside the tent floor. Any overhang catches rain and channels water under the tent.
Unroll the tent and turn the door away from the prevailing wind, toward the morning sun if you can.
Feed the poles through the sleeves gently and raise the tent slowly and evenly so the poles do not snap.
Stake the corners at an angle, pulling the fabric taut but not tight, then add guylines on the windward side.
Fit the rainfly with the door aligned first, clip it down and tension the guylines so it does not flap.
Tips and common mistakes
Never cook inside the tent, even in the porch, because a stove gives off carbon monoxide that can kill you in a closed space.
Keep the footprint smaller than the tent floor, not larger, or rain will pool between the layers.
Peg guylines out at a low angle and away from the tent so wind pushes the fabric down rather than lifting it.
Store food away from the sleeping area and out of reach of animals.
Questions
Do I need to stake every corner?
Yes, stake all four corners first, then add guylines. A partly staked tent can flap loose in a gust and let rain in.
Will my tent stay dry in rain?
It will if the footprint stays inside the floor, the rainfly is clipped tight and you pitch on a slight rise rather than in a dip.
Can I pitch a tent alone in wind?
Yes. Lay the tent out, stake the windward corners first and raise it slowly so the wind does not catch the fabric.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
