Avoid the question completely. Hammock....lol
Lead, Follow, or get out of the way. I'm goin hikin.
I just RTFM.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
I usually do the poles first and then reposition the tent to my liking. Having said this if the wind picks up it might be quite painful to try to keep the tent in place without staking it first.
Interesting mix... I guess I expected "poles first" to win out; that would be my vote if I was allowed to vote in my own poll. Thanks for the insight, friends :-)
Self standing tent.
What the world needs is a self staying tent. Until then, stakes rule.Originally Posted by rocketsocks
Wayne
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Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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If the poll had been qualified to include only "freestanding" tents, poles first probably would have won.
So many people these days are using single-wall, tarp style tents that employ trekking poles to pitch—especially those who frequent this forum—that the results are not representative of the average folks who know nothing beyond REI and Big Agnes or Marmot dome-style tents with poles.
Stakes first; necessary on a non free-standing tent, and a tighter floor and pitch on a free-standing tent.
Just bought a few snow stakes for the fly. My kit is so heavy it ain't goin' no where.What the world needs is a self staying tent. Until then, stakes rule.
Wayne
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Poles or stakes first? Hmm, which tent did I bring, and what's the wind like?
I always know where I am. I'm right here.
Totally fair, and that was my intention. My interest lay more with whether people had a preferred order with shelters that can be set up either way, and less about shelters (tarps, mids, etc.) that inherently have a specific order.
Kind of a battle of the pros:
Stakes first - taut pitch, wind defense
Poles first - post-pitch relocation, "fly first" options
At any rate, it appears that Secret Poll Option C -- "No preference; dictated by shelter type and environmental conditions" -- wins in a landslide. One of these days I'll find a gear topic that has any semblance of consensus! 😃
On any freestanding tent, I put poles in first. I generally have no trouble getting a tight pitch when it comes to staking and the ability to have some play in the tent corners when it comes to adhering the poles is more than welcomed.
On my non-free standing, it has to be stakes first or else the poles just fall right down.
On my cowboy camping, though, it is usually neither poles nor stakes but sleep that comes first.
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Hubba. Poles first. Free stander
Cooper spur 1 poles first. Free stander
I move the whole thing around to get it comfortable on the floor. I place the stakes in case I need the rain fly later or I put it on immediately.
In wind I turn narrow end to face incoming wind and throw pack inside for weight to keep from blowing away. Hot nights I turn it sideways for cross ventilation best I can get.
Henry's TT Stratosphere 1. Corner Stakes first. Pole. Then guy out if needed. Not a free stander. Favorite tent this year.
CarbonReflex. (Sold) Stakes first. Not free standing.
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Sigh.
It's all variable-dependent.
I can't see pitching a trekking pole tent anything but stakes first.
For free-standing, I'd say it is totally wind-dependent. No wind? Poles first. Wind? Stake the windward side.
For my BA FlyCreek, if it is raining and not howling, I'll pitch it fly-first/poles first. Not windy? Poles first, adjust location to absolute perfection, stake as needed, tighten guy lines before bed...
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