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Topic: Going Away for First Time with New Tent

Chickadee

27/7/2012 at 3:11pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Outwell Indiana 8 High Gear Atakama 5

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2 years ago we bought an Outwell Montana and front extension. Shortly after the purchase, I developed sciatica and have been in constant chronic pain ever since.

We're due to go away next week for 7 nights and I'l hopeful that I'll be ok. The one thing I'm not sure about is the tent. Should we pitch it before we go or just wait until we get there? To be honest, I don't know how the sciatica will be when pitching the tent as many day to day household tasks aggravate it so I really don't want to tempt fate by pitching before we go. If we don't and something is wrong with it, then we're in trouble!

Any advice?

TheFishesThree

27/7/2012 at 3:27pm
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Always always always pitch the tent before you leave. It means you'll know that all the bits are there and how they fit together. In your case it'll also mean you can judge what impact the bending and working you'll do will have on your sciatica. It's always easy to spot the new arrivals at a site who've never taken their new tent out of the bag before that point, usually to much schoolboy sniggering! And if it's blowing a gale at the same time... you'll find out just how friendly your fellow campers are!

Also as a fellow sufferer and if you dont already have one I can recommend a double height airbed. It'll be easier for you to get on and off and it'll offer better insulation than a standard.

arsenaldes

27/7/2012 at 4:02pm
Location: Aston Clinton
Outfit: Kampa Holkham + Outwell Yukon River*

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I would also pitch before you go to make sure everything is there and no faults are found

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Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Everything has been said before, but since nobody ever listens we have to keep going back and saying it all over again and again and again

bean52

27/7/2012 at 4:22pm
Location: London
Outfit: Easy Camp Cosenza 500

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I would say definitely pitch before you go if you can. Last summer I went away with a newly purchased tent without pitching it first. How difficult can it be as they say. As it turned out very difficult. It took me several hours to get it right, and this happened to be on one of the hottest days of the year. I was lucky no other campers were close by otherwise that would probably have raised my stress levels even further and brought me even closer than I was to coronary arrest! As it was I exposed my 11 year old daughter to volumes of swearing that no child should have to contend with. I just hope it hasn't scarred her for life! A practice session beforehand would have been so helpful with hindsight

TheGillFamily

27/7/2012 at 5:39pm
Location: kettering
Outfit: Outwell montana 6 & vango icarus 500

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Its taken us three years to figure out the easiest way to pitch our montana 6 and now its just so simple but I really would do a trial run.

This video gave us the best tips of the easiest way to get it up easy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPkZ872vbw

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Bring on the camping season...

astronomypete

27/7/2012 at 6:15pm
Location: None Entered
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I have every sympathy with you, we are in exactly the same boat, with exactly the same condition. There is nothing worse than making your back worse.

We're pitching our new tent for the first time on site, we felt it was for the best despite the risk that things are missing and that things might not go right.

My back is too bad to do things twice and not be able to drive down to Cornwall. For now its nice and stable and I'd sooner put up with that dull ache in my back and down the back of my legs, than be in intense pain and fail to even get there.

It's a matter of how high your risk taking levels are, only you can judge how your back would react to a tent pitch, if you do it live, at least you can recover on holiday.

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