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Hi all

1st time camping with a Coleman Darwin 7, Pitching problems & poles spitting. The intruction for pitching the tent are rubbish. any addvice on pitching this tent would be greatfuly received

Thanks

Sean 

hello,

i'm new to this but have seen the darwin 7 at a yeomans show and it seems to tick all the right boxes am just worried about leaks. has anyone had experience of the ground sheet letting in water? i like the storage area at the back for clothes & towels but would obviously need that bit to remain pretty dry.

Had one of these - only used it a couple of times and had to replace three pole sections due to splitting - Sean H had the same issue.

The back of ours didn't let water in through the ground sheet but things did get wet through the amount of condensation that seemed to prefer to drip right there.

I've got a darwin 5, I'm a 5'4" girlie and I can pitch it by myself, including pegging it all out and putting the kettle on, in well under an hour, so here's how you do it:

Take the bedroom pods out before attempting to erect it, make sure all flaps and doors are zipped shut, put a few pegs in the groundsheet to stop it moving around or taking off. Put the silver (longest, 2nd from back) pole in first, making sure you put the coloured pole end in the sleeve first. Put the end of the pole in the eyelet (can't stress this point enough!). Go to the back of the tent and pull it up with 2 guy ropes and peg these out to keep it up, with the 7 it will probably help if someone gets inside at this stage and pushes the tent up from the inside as it's heavier than mine. Then put the poles in the sleeves in the following order, putting each one in the eyelet as you go along: yellow (back), green, red side poles, blue, black, so you are working from the back forwards. Don't put all the poles in flat on the ground then attempt to put them in the eyelets as it takes a mahoosive amount of strength to pull it up with all the poles in and if you are unlucky you will snap them.

I hope that helps!