Poles or stakes first?

[elmedico27]

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]

I've tried both ways. With my Tarptent Moment it is a mistake to do the pole first.

[Sarcasm the elf]

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

[egilbe]

With my Haven tarp, two stakes, then the trekking poles, then the rest of the stakes. With my tents, poles first.

[Kaptainkriz]

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

[Franco]

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.

[Engine]

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.

[rafe]

Tarptent Rainbow: Insert ridge pole. Stake down corners and two guy points. Done.

[tarditi]

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]

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]

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.
duomid winter tent.jpgdeadman04.jpg

[Greenlight]

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]

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.

[Venchka]

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]

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.

[Leo L.]

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]

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]

If those steaks are ribeyes, I'm in.

[Christoph]

If those steaks are ribeyes, I'm in.

Great, now I'm hungry again.

[Bronk]

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.