Message Forums

Yippee!! We've just found the space and the weather to put up our new Vango Aurora before we go on our first trip on Mon. However, we have a few queries I hope someone can answer.

It was pretty windy today, so we thought it would be a good idea to peg the groundsheet first to stop it flying around, only to find that we couldn't get the poles anywhere near the pins to form the tent, so we struggled with an unpegged GS flying in a force 5 wind!! Is there a knack to windy erections, or do you just have to hang on like Hornblower until a calm period arrives?

Secondly, where the 4 poles that form the main dome cross, there's a loop of material (that I assume the poles go through), but also a 10cm long piece of similar material with a draw string closure on it. Any Vango experts hazard a guess what this is for?

And lastly, what about guying? Do you adjust the tension in the ropes to adjust the shape of the tent and make it geometric? Is there any prefered sequence of doing them up?

Thanks for bearing up with a numpty, guy's!

Doesn't the groundsheet go in after the tent is erected? There shouldn't be any wind inside the tent unless it was purchased from the pound shop.

When a tent is lying on the ground it isn't often affected too much by the wind, but it may help to temporarily stick a peg in each corner to prevent the material flapping about.

Trying to erect a tent for the first time on a windy day without the guy ropes having been fitted may be a problem, but assuming the guy ropes have already been fixed to the tent then as soon as the poles are fitted and it is time to raise the material off the ground, temporarily fix a guy rope front and back or certainly on the windward side as an anchor. Then stretch the tent out into it's shape and temporarily peg it down at the base. It isn't going anywhere then and the pegs can all be repositioned and the guy ropes properly positioned and tensioned as the tent is stretched into shape.

Once the flysheet is up, then is the time to start messing about with the inner tent and groundsheets.

Quote: Originally posted by Bob™57 on 06/7/2007

---

Doesn't the groundsheet go in after the tent is erected? There shouldn't be any wind inside the tent unless it was purchased from the pound shop.

---

Hi Tim

Try pegging just one corner in winds, the ground sheet will take shape as you place the poles as you should get a 10 or so cm bathtub effect around the base of the tent.

If you peg out all of the fly then place the poles then the poles will be fighting the pegged tension in the flysheet and this can cause either the fabric to tear or poles to snap. Poles define the shape of your tent, let them do that then peg the tent down totally. You can always move the tent about once the poles are in place with dome or geodesic tents so hinging on one peg isn't too bad.

Guying isn't there to change the shape of the tent but rather to help add the flysheet's strength to the framework of the tent and to support the flysheet. Generally when i use the guys i oppose them when i pop them up, don't add too much tension to the guys untill the opposite side is also under tension, a good indicator is checking the the fly remains even sitting on the frame and don't go to mad with tension unless it's really blowing a gale.

If you attempt to bend the poles into a position they don't want to be in then you're probably stressing the poles or the flysheet.

Finally...could the drawstring be there to keep the apex of the two poles in place and stop them rubbing together?