View Full Version : Poles or stakes first?
elmedico27
11-21-2016, 21:23
A tent poll, if you will: when setting up your tent, do you stake out the corners first, then insert the poles? Or do you go poles first then stake? If you have a preference, any reason (other than you've always just done it that way)?
theoilman
11-21-2016, 21:29
I've tried both ways. With my Tarptent Moment it is a mistake to do the pole first.
Sarcasm the elf
11-21-2016, 21:32
That depends on specific design of the tent. Generally though, if it is a freestanding tent I setup the poles first. If it's a non-freestanding tent I stake it out first
With my Haven tarp, two stakes, then the trekking poles, then the rest of the stakes. With my tents, poles first.
Kaptainkriz
11-21-2016, 22:05
What StE said...
That depends on specific design of the tent. Generally though, if it is a freestanding tent I setup the poles first. If it's a non-freestanding tent I stake it out first
It depends a bit on the specific tent design and with some it may not really matter.
For example my fasted ever set up of the TT Moment (49 sec, just a bit of fun...) was by staking one end first but I had the pole first version at around 55 sec several times.
If it is windy generally it is better to stake the windward side first.
(helps to remember that stakes should point away from the shelter, not pushed in straight down).
With trekking pole supported shelters it is mostly stakes first for me.
Order of tent operations: 1 corner, hiking pole, 2nd corner, hiking pole, rest of the corners and side stakes.
Hard to compare fairly though, with all of the different tents available, you're likely to be comparing apples and oranges.
Tarptent Rainbow: Insert ridge pole. Stake down corners and two guy points. Done.
Freestanding Kelty tent, but I've found it easier to do the poles first, but it's not necessary. I usually erect my tent by myself, so it's just my process.
If you've got a tent with pockets rather than clips for the poles, it may be tricky to feed the pole through properly on your own... in a hurry... in the rain :-)
colorado_rob
11-22-2016, 09:30
Funny, with some of my tents, I swear I do either first randomly, with no rhyme or reason, so sorry, I cannot vote lacking that choice.
(with zpacks tents, and I assume other non-free-standing tents, one has to do stakes first)
cmoulder
11-22-2016, 10:07
For the Duplex I put in 2 corner stakes (long side) first, then the pole (trekking pole adjusted to about 45") and then the other side pole, and then the other side stakes. However, I'm sure there are others who do it differently with good results.
There is a bit of an art to pitching it—and other tarps or tarp-type, non-freestanding shelters—quickly and correctly, especially when pitching on uneven ground or when pitching lower for better wind shedding.
For the Duomid, all corners must be staked out first.
3705337054
Greenlight
11-22-2016, 10:41
It depends on the make and model of the tent, the terrain, and the weather conditions. Generally, on those few occasions when I still use my tent, I stake last. It's an REI Passage I, and the poles do a good job of holding the structure up until I get them through both the tent grommets and the footprint grommets. Once everything is secure, I can slide the whole tent around until I get it where I want it. I'm not tied to the real estate I staked it to. Once the tent is staked, the fly still has to be put in place and staked or tied down, and only the vestibule tie down is separate from the rest. The rest are secured to the main structure.
A tent poll, if you will: when setting up your tent, do you stake out the corners first, then insert the poles? Or do you go poles first then stake? If you have a preference, any reason (other than you've always just done it that way)?
HooKooDooKu
11-22-2016, 10:44
Need a third option of "it depends".
Normally, I simply setup the poles and only stake out the rain fly.
But while hiking the JMT this summer, I was flailing trying to set the tent up in the wind. Fortunately a fellow hiker happened by and saw my predicament and was familiar with my tent. They showed me how to stake out the ground cloth so that you could then setup the poles with just the ground cloth and attach the tent to the poles afterwards.
So when it's windy, I now stake out the fly 1st, but in calm conditions, I setup the poles first.
Definitely It Depends.
MSR Hubba Hubba NX: Ground sheet. Stakes in 4 corners. Poles. Fly. Final stakes.
Garuda Atman: Footprint. Stakes. Poles. Final stakes.
The Hilleberg tent pitching videos are very good and virtually universal.
Wayne
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Starchild
11-22-2016, 12:36
Zpack Heximid has a set up procedure I found wise to follow, 2 stakes, then the pole, pole stake then the rest. Any deviation seemed to create a less than ideal set up which only is correctable by starting over.
All my tents are freestanding, and I setup the poles and the whole tent first, correct the position maybe, then stake out the vestibules, last I decide if there will be wind enough to justify staking the edges.
Only in really heavy wind I'd stake the groundsheet first, then setup the poles, hang in the inner, then throw the rainfly over and stake it properly.
But most likely I'd take much more effort to find a wind-protected place than to nail down the tent.
Christoph
11-22-2016, 18:53
I think it all depends on the tent. Mine is an Ebay cheapo so I steak the 4 corners, poles, then steak the fly.
cmoulder
11-22-2016, 19:51
If those steaks are ribeyes, I'm in. :p
Christoph
11-23-2016, 23:26
If those steaks are ribeyes, I'm in. :p
Great, now I'm hungry again.
I've found the tent is tighter if you stake it first...that way its easier to stretch it until the floor is pretty tightly square.
Doc Mike
11-27-2016, 18:40
Avoid the question completely. Hammock....lol
garlic08
11-27-2016, 21:32
I just RTFM.
iAmKrzys
11-27-2016, 21:45
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.
elmedico27
11-30-2016, 00:07
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 :-)
rocketsocks
11-30-2016, 00:46
Self standing tent.
Self standing tent.
What the world needs is a self staying tent. Until then, stakes rule. [emoji106][emoji41]
Wayne
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cmoulder
11-30-2016, 10:39
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 :-)
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.
DuneElliot
11-30-2016, 10:46
Stakes first; necessary on a non free-standing tent, and a tighter floor and pitch on a free-standing tent.
rocketsocks
11-30-2016, 13:10
What the world needs is a self staying tent. Until then, stakes rule. [emoji106][emoji41]
Wayne
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Just bought a few snow stakes for the fly. My kit is so heavy it ain't goin' no where.
Another Kevin
11-30-2016, 14:30
Poles or stakes first? Hmm, which tent did I bring, and what's the wind like?
elmedico27
12-01-2016, 01:13
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.
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! 😃
theinfamousj
12-01-2016, 01:33
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. [emoji14]
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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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ScareBear
12-11-2016, 00:27
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...