View Full Version : Pitching a cloudburst.
taildragger
02-28-2008, 21:00
Are there any instructions for pitching one of these. This is my first time to use a non-freestanding shelter and I've got a little bit of sag in the middle. Not sure if this is because I'm only using 7 stakes on it or what.
Any and all suggestions appreciated.
I really like the Cloudburst. We've had one for quite a while. The model I have is the first one he made. I'm not sure if they're different now. If so, what follows may not apply...
I put a stake through the loop at the foot of the tent. Just one stake, and it hooks into the vertical line, not the horizontal ones.
Moving to the head of the tent, before starting the staking process, close all zippers and Velcro. Stake out the middle line, then the lines to either side. Move the feet of the hoops around until most of the slack is gone from the tent.
If you're expecting rain, you might want to stake out the sides to make sure they don't drain onto the floor inside. The harder you stretch the sides, though, the more you lower the ceiling. I prefer a little slack to a very low ceiling.
Silnylon relaxes in humid air. An hour or so after pitching the tent, you might want to tighten it up again.
Once you get the hang of it, pitching it is much quicker than pitching any conventional tent I've every had.
taildragger
02-28-2008, 21:52
Okay, then the taught side lines might explain that (its pitched fairly taught now), or maybe the fact that I put the polls in before I staked it...
But this is a first gen, when I crawled in, the thing looked like a cavern, I just need a little more height at the legs for my 15* bag, if not I might get condensation on the bag in the morning.
Hmmm. Though I didn't mention it, I put the poles in before I even start the staking process. I've never had a problem with height, though. If I've scooted towards the foot end and bend my knees, they might touch the ceiling, but I can usually avoid it.
rswanson
02-29-2008, 19:50
Henry has pitching instructions on the product sheets on his website. If you follow them, you can't go wrong. Make sure you have the rear hoop inclined backwards at a slight angle. Restaking the rear guylines is the easiest way to adjust the pitch. When your tarptent is pitched correctly, it should resemble the pictures on his site. I have at least a two foot clearance at the knees, if not more.
This is a great shelter. Ounce for ounce, I think its the best design for a two person shelter available now.