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Tent Setup and Care

Here is a listing of recommendations for both scouts and parents regarding tent setup and care:

Tent Tutorial Video 
 

TENT LOCATION

  • If camping in a wooded area, check trees above tent for dead limbs and branches. Don’t set up tent under dead branches or near dead trees.

  • If setting up on a slope, set up tent with door facing downhill. Do not set up a tent oriented across a slope. When sleeping on a slope always sleep with your head uphill to avoid headaches.

  • Find a flat level spot to erect your tent. Do not sleep in a gully. Remove sticks, stones, lumps of dirt or grass before laying out ground cloth.

  • When tent is set up according to manufacturer's directions, tuck ground cloth under the tent so the ground cloth does not stick out beyond the tent. Make sure small poles on front and back are installed properly. Make sure fly is pulled out as far as possible, not touching the tent.
     

TENT DO’S AND DON’TS

  • Don’t hang wet clothes or towels on tents. Hang wet gear on clothes lines.

  • No food in tents.

  • Don’t eat or store food in tents.

  • No flames in tents.

  • Don’t light matches or use gas lanterns or stoves in tents.

  • Do not spray insect repellent in or on tent.
     

OPEN ALL ZIPPERS WHEN ENTERING OR LEAVING TENT!!

  • Keep your tent neat and clean.
     

TENT TAKE DOWN

  • Sweep out tent and wipe out any mud.

  • Close all zippers.

  • Try to take down tent when dry.

    • Turn tent on side to dry.

  • Collect all stakes and poles.

  • Stuff tent, poles, and stakes into bag.

    • Stuff fly first, then tent.

  • Wipe ground cloth removing any leaves or dirt before folding
    .

WET TENT

  • Stuff wet tent into bag as best you can.

  • Take tent home.

  • Erect or hang tent up as soon as possible.

  • DO NOT LEAVE IN BAG.

  • DO NOT PUT IN DRYER.

  • When tent is thoroughly dry, stuff tent in bag.
     

Dear Parents:

After a campout it may be necessary to send a tent or dining fly home with our scouts to dry. This is a very essential part of the camping experience and is vital to keeping our equipment in pristine condition.
When you get the tent, it is very important to take the tent out of the bag immediately upon returning home.
Mildew can set in a few hours if left wet in the bag.

  • Either set the tent up in the back yard or hang up in the basement, garage, etc.

  • If the weather is cooperative, our nylon tents can be dry in an hour or so.

  • Make sure the bottom of the tent is also dry.
    (You can flip it over on its side to dry the bottom)

​Once the tent is thoroughly dry, stuff it back in the bag and bring it back to our next troop meeting.

  • Do not fold the tent!

  • Just stuff it in the bag, poles and stakes first, then the fly, then the tent.
     

DO NOT PUT THE TENT OR FLY IN YOUR CLOTHES DRYER!!

This will SEVERELY damage the tent!  The excess heat will cause damage to the nylon fabric!
The dining flies are canvas.

  • Just hang them up and let them dry.

  • Fold and return at our next meeting.

Some of our tents are going on 25 years old thanks to the loving care our families have given them over the years. With a retail price of between $350 and $500 each, we need you to continue this mission!
 

Thanks for your help!

Troop 90 Quartermasters & Committee

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