Pictures of Squall 2

[gumball]

Does anyone have any pictures of their HS Squall 2 set up, from a few different angles? I'm not pitching it quite right, with the middle of the tent sagging some, rather than looking taut like the picture of the S2 on Henry's website. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but his pics are mainly from the front. I figured a couple other views, if anyone has them, might be handy.

I saw some somewhere, I thought it was here...but maybe it was another site.

Is there really another hiking site....???

Thanks if have some and can post them.

gum

[Frosty]

Does anyone have any pictures of their HS Squall 2 set up, from a few different angles? I'm not pitching it quite right, with the middle of the tent sagging some, rather than looking taut like the picture of the S2 on Henry's website. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but his pics are mainly from the front. I figured a couple other views, if anyone has them, might be handy.

I saw some somewhere, I thought it was here...but maybe it was another site.

Is there really another hiking site....???

Thanks if have some and can post them.

gum

Pictures of properly pitched Squall2's will look just like the ones on Henry's sight. Can't see how they will give you more help than Henry's setup instructions.

WHy not take pictures of your own setup for us to look at?

Get a side shot of the angle of the front guy, a picture of the how the three rear points are connected to the rear stake, and one of the angle the front corner tie-down lines make with the front of the tent (as in overhead).

[rswanson]

I'm not pitching it quite right, with the middle of the tent sagging some, rather than looking taut like the picture of the S2 on Henry's website. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but his pics are mainly from the front. I figured a couple other views, if anyone has them, might be handy.

There are a more pics of the Squall on Henry's own site...try the Gallery link. There are some good pics of the tent in a review over at backpackgeartest.org. Also, backpackinglight.com has some good pics in their review of the tent and the comparison of the Squall with the Six Moon Designs Europa tarpent but you have to be a subscriber to access both articles. The ridgeline of the Squall 2 is a caternary cut, which is supposed to have a slope to it.

Henry always makes himself available to his customers if they have questions about his products. It seems to me that he doesn't want any unsatisfied customers. Shoot him and email or give him a call and I bet he'll help you out.

[gumball]

Thanks, that was very helpful. I'm going to pitch it again tonight. For some reason, it appears as though I am not getting quite as taut of a pitch as I should. It helps to take a look at it from different angles--if we still have problems, I will call. I do understand he's been a little busy with production, so I was trying not to bug the poor guy.

Much appreciated! gum

[Frosty]

I'm going to pitch it again tonight. For some reason, it appears as though I am not getting quite as taut of a pitch as I should.

Post some pics. We'll figure it out.

To get it as taut as possible, after anchoring the rear stake and putting it through the loop, lift the hoop and position it so that the rear attachment lines are taut.

Set up the front side pegs loosely to keep the tent upright until fiished.

put in your front poles.

make sure you don't have too much excess line on the front guy above the tensioner (to let you get a long front guy and a lower angle), then pull the guy line down and peg it. Look over the setup to make sure that the front guy line, the ridge, and the rear peg form a straight line. If not, adjust. (It is easier to move the front guy stake left/right to get a straight line, but if a rock is in the way you can remove the rear stake. Remember to keep the hoop perpendicular to the rear stake/ridge line.

pull the side pegs out and stake them. I like to have them not directly to the side, but slightly forward. tighten them, then retighten the front guy with the tensioner.

if the tent is new, you will have to retension it a few times.

when it gets wet, it will definately sag, and you will need to retension it. Henry Shires tarptents are designed to be retensioned from inside the tent. First time you are in your tent in a downpour and need to re-tension, you will thank him effusively.

[Franco]

One possible reason is that the width at the front is not correct, more than likely you should have it pitched wider, and or the guylines are set at a wrong angle, looking from the back they should be at 10 o'clock on the left side and 2 on the right .
Franco

[gumball]

Okay, all very helpful.

Yes, I will take some pictures, but I am going to mess around with it a little first--I do appreciate all the advice, tho, it helps.

We took it out for the first time a few weeks ago on a 60 mile section. A tiny bit of rain, but some heavy outside condensation. We didn't have it pitched right, and it really sagged on the sides to the point that the tent was touching my sleeping bag. It was the first time we'd pitched it on a hike, and I pitched in a hurry while my husband was fetching water, as it had started to rain.

We're very happy with the tent, probably get another in a different style--this is one of those things that's a practice issue. We are headed out in less than two weeks for a 100 mile section below damascus, so i want to be a little more prepared.

thanks again.

[Roland]

Gumball,

Frosty gives excellent advice that, if followed, is certain to resolve your problem.

I'd like to emphasize a few points. The direction of pull of the front corner guys is critical. I set these at roughly a 45 degree angle to the tent, so that they pull both laterally and longitudinally. This tensions the mesh sidewalls to allow ventilation. It also helps raise the curb on the bathtub floor.

Additionally, the height of the front pole is important. The Shires supplied pole is approximately 44 1/2" long. If you use hiking poles, they should be adjusted to give equivalent lift.

Lastly, by angling your pegs slightly, they will hold a greater load.

Good luck.

[Lilred]

IF you are staking out the side guylines to taut, it will cause you to have less headroom inside. The side stake outs, usually used when it is raining, should NOT be taut.
The further you tighten down those side lines, the more the center of the tent will sag in.

Hope this makes sense.

[Frosty]

IF you are staking out the side guylines to taut, it will cause you to have less headroom inside. The side stake outs, usually used when it is raining, should NOT be taut.
The further you tighten down those side lines, the more the center of the tent will sag in.

Hope this makes sense.

You are not referring to the two corner stakeouts, right? Those should be taut. I have never used the ones halfway between front and back/

We took it out for the first time a few weeks ago on a 60 mile section. A tiny bit of rain, but some heavy outside condensation. We didn't have it pitched right, and it really sagged on the sides to the point that the tent was touching my sleeping bag.

You may have had it pitched right if you did it before it got wet. It is amazing how much it sags, even in mist.

Just tug on the guy line near the peak where it goes through the flipper-doodle-thingie (technical term) to make it tight again.

[bigcranky]

We didn't have it pitched right, and it really sagged on the sides to the point that the tent was touching my sleeping bag. It was the first time we'd pitched it on a hike, and I pitched in a hurry while my husband was fetching water, as it had started to rain.

Aha. This may not be a pitching problem, it may be a silnylon sagging problem. Silnylon stretches when wet, and the tarptent sags into itself. If you start with a dry, taut tent, it'll sag significantly when wet, even with dew.

I solve this problem by using a trekking pole for my front support. I set the pole a few inches shorter than the max length. Then, when the fabric gets wet and starts to sag, I can increase the length of the pole, pushing up on the front of the tent from inside and eliminating the sag.

You still may have had a pitching problem. While the tarptent is quick to set up, it still demands careful work with the guy lines. Doing it in a hurry can get the angles wrong and leave you with a loose, saggy tent. But you might consider the wet silnylon issue, too.

[bigcranky]

Just tug on the guy line near the peak where it goes through the flipper-doodle-thingie (technical term) to make it tight again.

Frosty beat me to it, and pointed out that the new Tarptents have a fix for the sagging issue. My solution works for the older models.

[gumball]

You are not referring to the two corner stakeouts, right? Those should be taut. I have never used the ones halfway between front and back/

I did have the ones halfway between the front and back staked and thought perhaps that is one of the reasons it sagged. I don't see them guyed out in any of the pictures I've found, so its good to know (and duh, makes sense, that these are staked in the rain to prevent splash.

You may have had it pitched right if you did it before it got wet. It is amazing how much it sags, even in mist.

Just tug on the guy line near the peak where it goes through the flipper-doodle-thingie (technical term) to make it tight again.

Flipper doodle thingie--cripe, I hope Henry has that labelled in the directions Yes, it was only misting, and it sagged considerably. I was a bit mystified as to how to fix it, so if I can identify the flipperdoodlethingie, I may have half my problem licked! I was (am) paranoid about getting my WM sleeping bag wet, so I woke up from a pretty darned comfy sleep a bit alarmed with the wetness of the tarptent against my bag--of course, it didn't hurt it, but I am fond of that bag, it has saved my bacon in some colder-than-expected hiking...so I try to return the favor

[Franco]

The flipper doodle thing is the technical term for those Delrin tighteners attached to the guylines .
Bottom right picture here
Most here are so familiar with the silnylon behavior, sagging in humid conditions and tightening in dry weather, that we overlooked that aspect.
Franco

[gumball]

Ahhhh....the flipper doodle thingie!! yes, I see it. i am not technical enough to post pictures, but we fiddled with the flipper doodle thingie, in fact, on our last 100 miler a few weeks ago. it did help considerably. we also quickly exited a mouse-infested shelter at about 10 pm...sun down, vermon commence. got the tarptent set up in the dark in under 5 minutes, slept VERY comfortably.

thanx, will continue to mess with all the flipper doodles. might even buy a second tarptent for a little variety.