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It's been so many years since I went camping, I never really paid any attention to it before but I think having the children with me now I want to make sure I make the tent as stable as I can.

What I naturally do is take a guy rope and run it in line with the seam, so if it's on the corner of a square tent for example, the rope will be at 45 degrees if you know what I mean?! If it's sort of mid-way along the length then i'll run it at 90 degrees to it. Also, I don't run them too tight so they will let the tent give a little in the wind.

Does this sound about right?

erm, I'm no expert but I think the 45 degrees bit is right, not sure about the 90 degrees....

I'm sure someone will be along soon who can answer properly

cheers skaty, i'll try that next time, im alway woried tho that it will just take of if it gets loose

There is a useful sheet from the scouts which might help (but it aint hard!)

http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/facts/pdfs/fs315085.pdf

I go round the tent every morning and flick the guylines...if they are tight, I slacken them down, if they`re flopping, I tighten them up. You want them smooth and taut but not drum tight. Tent poles expand on a hot day, and if you`ve tightened the guys too much the guylines will stress the seams. You can always snug them up a bit before going to bed, when the tent is cooler.

On a frame tent, you`re basically holding the canvas down tight onto the frame with a combination of guylines and bottom pegs. . On a synthetic tent with fibreglass poles or similar, the guylines hold the poles in shape and prevent excessive flexing. Excessive flexing is a major cause of pole breakage. But if you guy a fibreglass pole into a totally rigid shape, it can break too. You want a very small amount of movement.

If you`re worried that the tent is flexing too much in a storm even with the guylines taut, then run a second or even third guyline from the most vunerable guying points on the windward side, to brace them more. I alwas keep several spare guylines with sliders already attached in the tent repair kit, though in an emergency use the washing line or strong string or cord. And you should carry enough pegs to double peg every main point if necessary. Delta pegs are great, of course, but have spare standard pegs too.

Good advice from Val - as always

I like your cute kittens, btw.