Windy conditions can be a pain, but it’s something which every camper can overcome. However, when the wind whips your tent out of your hands, that’s when it becomes a problem for even the most experienced of campers. That’s why it’s important to know exactly how to set up a tent in the wind.
Pitching a tent in high wind conditions is simply-put a combination of location, positioning, and stability. Your tent should not be placed near dead trees or loose branches which might fall on it. You should always position your tent with the narrowest end facing windward, and guy out your tent in order to strengthen its pole structure.
This post will guide you through step-by-step instructions to ensure that you know how to pitch a tent in high winds from start to finish.
What You Will Need to Pitch a Tent in High Winds
- High Wind Tent
- Most tents are built for all weather conditions, so you may be able to get by without a specific high wind tent. However, an aerodynamic or wind-resistant tent will be helpful if you anticipate extreme wind conditions.
- Tent poles
- Stakes
- Make sure you have enough stakes to anchor the tent and all guy lines.
- Heavy gear to weigh the tent down
- There’s no need to pack extra gear just for this. You can use your backpack, canteen, trek poles, etc. which you already have with you.
- Rainfly
- Guy lines
- Most tents come with guy lines attached. However, if you are using your tent for the first time, the guy lines may be included separately with the stakes.
- It can be a good idea to pack extra guy lines if you anticipate encountering high winds. Additional guy lines will allow you to lengthen the attached guy line or add new guy lines to provide extra stability.
Before You Start: Check Your Gear
Before you set off on your camping expedition, check your gear to make sure everything is accounted for. This is generally a good rule to follow, but it is essential when you could be facing extreme weather conditions.
Forgetting something as simple as a tent stake could cause you a lot of problems in windy conditions, particularly if you’re pitching a tent alone.
If you anticipate high winds, you might want to consider investing in a high wind tent. Dome-shaped tents are aerodynamically engineered for enduring high winds.
Step 1: Select Your Camping Spot Wisely
Once you’ve arrived where you will camp, find an area with natural windbreaks. If available, hills, bushes, trees, and boulders are all capable of keeping the wind from hitting your tent.
Before you go to town on pitching your tent, be sure to look up above the tent site. If you see any dead trees or loose branches, you might want to choose a new spot. Safety is always more important than sheltering from the wind.
Step 2: Prepare Your Tent Poles
Unpack your tent poles first and assemble them. Having your poles ready to go when you need them is the best strategy for pitching a tent in the wind.
After assembling, place the poles close by for easy access.
Now is also a good time to unpack the tent stakes and put them in your pocket for later use.
Learn How to fix your tent pole here
Step 3: Lay Out Your Tent
Before setting out your tent, take note of the wind direction.
Usually, it is best to position the narrowest end of the tent facing the wind.
Never position your tent with the door windward facing, or you could turn it into a kite when you unzip the door.
With your back to the wind, lay out your tent by holding one side and allow the wind to carry the rest of the tent into position.
Step 4: Stake Windward Corners First
Stake down the two windward corners first.
Make sure to spread the tent out as far and wide as possible when staking in order to ensure optimal structure.
Do not hammer your tent stakes into the ground at a 90-degree angle. Instead, hammer them in at a 45-degree angle with the stake spike towards the tent. This will stop the force of the wind from pulling the stakes out of the ground.
Step 5: Fasten the Poles in Place
Lay the poles on top of the tent to keep it from flying away.
Attach your poles at the windward corners you have just staked. Next, move to the opposite side, stake the tent down, and attach the poles.
Finish this step by attaching the sides of the tent to the poles using the various fasteners on the tent.
Step 6: Use Your Gear to Weigh Down the Tent
Now that your tent has its structure, throw some of your gear inside to keep it weighted down.
Step 7: Attach the Rainfly
As you did earlier, stand with your back to the wind and allow the wind to do most of the work to carry the rainfly into the correct position over the top of the tent.
Secure one windward corner first, then slide the fabric through your hand until you’ve reached the second windward corner and secure. Repeat this process with the two opposite corners.
Tighten the rainfly cords at each foot of the tent in order to prevent the extra fabric from flapping in the wind.
Even if you don’t anticipate rain, insert the rainfly support poles which will provide added stability.
Step 8: Guy Out Your Tent
Guy out your tent to strengthen the structure created by the poles and minimize noise from your tent fabric flapping in the wind.
Most tents have guy lines which are already attached, with a tightening system in place. Other tents are designed with loops that are called guy out points. In this case, you will need to tie your guy lines to the loops and use knots to tighten the lines.
To guy out your tent, pull the guy line away from the pole as far as possible. Use stakes or heavy objects, such as logs or boulders, to anchor the line. Use the built-in fastener or tie a knot in order to tighten the guy line.
For maximum stability, anchor the guy line a little way out from your tent.
At the bare minimum, you should guy out the windward side of your tent. However, uniformly guying out every side of the tent will provide you with the most stability.
Now You’re All Set
Now that you know how to successfully set up your tent in high wind conditions, you won’t need to worry about it taking flight when you’re out and about. You can go about your business without worrying whether your temporary home will be waiting for you when you return.
Did these step-by-step instructions help you in a windy situation?
If you enjoyed this tutorial, or if you have any other recommendations for pitching a tent in high wind conditions, leave a comment below and share this post with your friends.
