PDA

View Full Version : Big Agnes UL tent set up in rain



gwb
05-04-2013, 17:40
I just got a Big Agnes UL3. I thought I had researched this enough but I didn't realize you need there footprint to set up only the fly. Any other ways to do it without the BA ground cover? Also I imagine this relates to all these UL1,2,3... What is the best way to set this up in the rain? Can you set the tent up with the fly attached? I have been using a Tarptent Contrail for the last few years and I think I took that tent's simplicity for granted. I hope I made the right choice. Any input would be much appreciated!!

grayfox
05-05-2013, 11:44
Probably the best advice is to just bite the bullit and buy the ground sheet. Usually any set up with just the poles and fly is less stable than the whole unit working together. If you don't need the bug protection then any light and simple flat tarp along with your treking poles will probably be an easier and lighter option.

If you still want to try--set your tent up using the inner tent attached only at ground level but not suspended from the poles. If you are happy with the degree of stability this offers then try to duplicate the effect of the 'floor'. If the tent poles need to fit into grommets then you can make a floor cloth with grommets or just make, for each pole end, a 2 inch piece of webbing with two grommets--one for the pole and one for the stake which can be micro-adjusted as needed when you set up the fly. Another way is to make a set of colored(white=back/red=middle/black=front or what have you) lines joined together in the middle and running out to the poles to replace the tension of the floor and help place the poles correctly. These lines can tie into the poles or fly webbing or they can tie into the two grommet webbing idea. When I made one of these for a tipi style tent, it needed a perimeter line as well to get the set up right.

Hope this helps. As for setting up in the rain--try not to have to do it by planning well when you know rain is likely. Wait out the worst under your tent fly and then set up the tent when the rain lets up. If worse comes to worst--well, its just water after all. Try to protect your core body temp by not getting wet from trying to set up a tent in wind and rain.

swjohnsey
05-05-2013, 12:30
It only takes 5 minutes. You are over thinking this.

gwb
05-06-2013, 06:32
Thanks for the input. Overthinking maybe? But I have had to set up camp in downours already, storms your not going to wait out. When solo using my old Eureka Solitare I could set it up with the rain fly attached and the tent floor/body would stay dy, and I'm talking about a down pouring rain. Same with my Contrail. Different since it is a tarptent, but that can also be st up easily in a hard rain while keeping the floor mostly dy. So my question I guess. Can these Big Agnes UL tents be set up with the fly attached. Only set it up twice so far and it would seem cumbersome, at best. I have limited space to set up and experiment at home... Thanks again.

Coffee
05-06-2013, 06:53
I set up the Copper Spur UL1 in fly only configuration (groundsheet and fly only) and then crawled in under the fly and was able to put up the inner. Now this was at home in my living room, not in a rainstorm and it was cumbersome but possible. I ended up returning the CS to REI because the actual length of the tent fell short of the advertised 90 inches and now I have a Hexamid which seems ideal for rainy setup but I haven't had an opportunity to put it up in the rain yet.

grayfox
05-06-2013, 09:20
"But I have had to set up camp in downpours already, storms you're not going to wait out." gwb

Yeah, me too-so here is what I learned.

Try to find the most sheltered but open place you can--not under old trees that may fall, not in a ditch or low place, and not on top of a rise that may draw lightning. With your back to the wind, stake down the back of the tent body and/or fly so that the wind doesn't blow it away or wind it up into a knot. These stakes may need to be adjusted later but will make handling the fabric easier at first and you will be abe to use the fabric as a wind break while you put the poles together. Then it is just a matter of getting everything buckled or cliped together as best you can. When you get into the tent use your bandana to wipe up as much moisture as you can before you unload your pack. A perfectly pitched tent is better able to withstand wind and heavy rain, but your body weight inside will make up for slight imperfections that you can fix later.

The best advice I can offer for setting up camp in the rain is not to hurry. Concentrate on doing everything methodically and 'slowly'. Don't rush around the tent risking a fall on slippery ground--trouble comes in pairs or threes and all you need for a worst case scenario is to be skewered by falling onto a tent pole-and be wet to boot! And you know it will be so dark that you can hardly see what you're doing so practice setting up your tent by feel. Have fun, don't worry too much about this kind of thing but if you do come home with a good story be sure to share it with us.

southern9
10-13-2013, 21:12
I have the UL3 as well. I bit the bullet and bought the footprint,(IIRC campsaver $55) Prior to that, the only way I could see is making a light rope layout with adjustable loops at the corners, as stated above. I saw one that was shaped like two V's tied together like this >-< with a short length tied in the middle. You may be able to loop the cordage around a grommet for the corners. I like the idea of extra floor protection.

Starvin Marvin
10-14-2013, 08:16
Not sure which BA UL tent you have, but you can set it up upside down. Lay the assembled poles out on the ground. Lay the tent body on top, upside down. Hook it up while using the floor to protect the interior from the rain. Start at the front and attach the fly. Roll the tent forward while using the fly to protect the tent body from rain. Once right side up, finish attaching the fly. Place tent in desired position and stake out. If you practice a few times in the dry, you'll find that it's actually pretty easy, and it saves on the 5 oz for the ground cloth. -Tip- have the fly ready at the front of the tent before attaching tent body to the poles.

CarlZ993
10-14-2013, 13:48
On my thru, I met the BA rep in Neels Gap. He explained the easiest way to set up their free-standing tents in the rain was to stake out the ground sheet and set up the poles w/ the fly over it. Note: assemble the poles first. Once the shell is erected, you enter the tent body (dry) and set up the tent body from the inside. Tent body stays dry.

I'll have to practice this sometime before I take out my BA UL-3 again.

Venchka
10-14-2013, 16:15
cOULDA. sHOULDA. wOULDA. If the TarpTent Contrail doesn't meet your current needs, buy another TarpTent that does meet your current needs. They all set up as a unit with the fly protecting the inner tent. Just Hilleberg, The Tent Maker tents.

Wayne

Starchild
10-14-2013, 16:34
I set up the Copper Spur UL1 in fly only configuration (groundsheet and fly only) and then crawled in under the fly and was able to put up the inner. Now this was at home in my living room, not in a rainstorm and it was cumbersome but possible. I ended up returning the CS to REI because the actual length of the tent fell short of the advertised 90 inches and now I have a Hexamid which seems ideal for rainy setup but I haven't had an opportunity to put it up in the rain yet.


The Heximid is not 'ideal' for rainy setup but OK for it. It does work better setting it up first, then put in the bathtub floor as a second step. But there is a great deal of convenience leaving the bathtub floor in place. The 2 issues I have found is it's difficult to determine which part of the tent is which at first (coming out of the stuff sack) and the need to orientate it, which does allow the rain to enter it while you have it inside out and don't realize it. The second one is the geometry of this tent is easy get it up but sometimes tricky to get it right. This means many times the height of the tent will be less then ideal. Usable yes, but setting it up properly gives quite a bit more room.

hikerboy57
10-14-2013, 17:47
even in downpour, i had little trouble setting it up the old fashioned way without getting the interior very wet.open poles first. lay out tent and attach poles, get fly over it before you finish staking it out, finish up the rest.

ShoTwiRe
04-27-2014, 21:14
i know this is very late but i wanna do the same. wat size grommets?

djmcw2003
11-25-2014, 11:56
I just got a Big Agnes UL3. I thought I had researched this enough but I didn't realize you need there footprint to set up only the fly. Any other ways to do it without the BA ground cover? Also I imagine this relates to all these UL1,2,3... What is the best way to set this up in the rain? Can you set the tent up with the fly attached? I have been using a Tarptent Contrail for the last few years and I think I took that tent's simplicity for granted. I hope I made the right choice. Any input would be much appreciated!!

I added one grommet to each of the straps of the fly itself (the tent poles fit perfectly in 1/4" grommets and the straps will be on the inside when set up). I was able to set the fly up no problem and then the tent while under it. Once the rain subsides, fine tune the setup.

I hope this helps,l wish I had some pix!

4Bears
11-25-2014, 18:27
This may be under thinking the problem but I think I would try the following. Set the tent up at home then take some 550 cord and tie a loop at one pole then diagonal to the next, then straight over to the pole at the second end, then diagonally to the last and finishing at the original pole. This would give the outline you would need to put the poles up in place to then put the fly up. Worth a try and if it works you save the money that the footprint would cost.

Franco
11-25-2014, 20:28
That can work if you have two people setting the tent up. (you need to hold all four corners )
Theoretically one person could do it (I could...) but it isn't worth trying after a long hike.
However if you add another loop that can take a stake on each corner, then it can be done by one person.
So you first stake sown that X frame then insert the poles into the corner "grommet" then put the fly on top.

squeezebox
11-26-2014, 09:18
I cut a piece of Tyvek for a ground sheet. I was thinking of sewing a piece of webbing in each corner then melting a hole for the poles to stick in. Instead I tied a piece of cord to each corner with a small loop on the end for the poles. It works.