How to set up a tent correctly

Beginner tourists mistakenly believe that there is nothing difficult about setting up a tent. Indeed, modern models have a simplified design that allows you to set up a place to stay overnight in just a few minutes.

But in order for your vacation to be truly comfortable, you need to know how to set up a tent correctly. Today's article is dedicated to this very issue. By following the tips and recommendations below, you can create a more comfortable resting place.

Step-by-step instructions on how to set up a tent

If you bought a modern camping tent, there should be no difficulties in assembling it. Most manufacturers include installation instructions inside so that even a novice tourist does not encounter difficulties when arranging a place to stay for the night (Figure 1).

In fact, the tent being installed does not require any special skills, and its assembly scheme is practically independent of the model:

1. First you need to remove the awning from the cover and lay it out on the selected area with the dark, dense side down.
2. Next you need to assemble the frame arcs. To do this, the tubes are simply inserted into one another, and the elastic band inside will firmly hold them together.
3. Further actions depend on the tent model. In modern awning products, the arcs are overlapped crosswise, and the lower edges of the frame are inserted into special holes in the bottom. Then the bottom layer of the tent is attached to the poles, and an awning is thrown on top, which is attached to the poles with special plastic holders. To firmly secure the structure, all that remains is to pull the ropes and secure their edges with pegs.

Figure 1: Setting up a shelter can sometimes require help from friends.

In general, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the structure of the tent and the technology for its installation before the start of the hike. Then you will be prepared for any surprises and you will not have any difficulties in arranging a place to stay for the night.

There are several types of tents that are most often used during hiking and outdoor recreation (Figure 2).

The following tents are usually set up in the forest:

1. Gable: usually have the shape of a house. This species is already a little outdated and is rarely sold in tourist shops. However, army tents, which are also house-shaped, are best for winter camping. They provide good weather protection, although they take a little longer to install than modern models.
2. Hemispherical frame: the most popular type. Such tents are made of light and durable materials, so they do not allow moisture to pass through, are resistant to gusts of wind, but are easy to set up and disassemble.
3. Half barrels: more spacious than hemispherical tents. They are usually equipped with a vestibule in which you can store personal belongings or hide from bad weather. The only drawback of such structures is that they require quite a lot of space to install. This is due to the fact that the pegs need to be widened so that the structure can withstand even strong gusts of wind.

Figure 2. Tourists most often use half-barrel, hemispherical and gable models

If you are going on a hiking trip, it is better to give preference to hemispherical frame models. They are very light, require minimal effort for installation, but at the same time are able to protect from wind and precipitation.

If you have an old-style tent-house at your disposal, it is perfect for outdoor recreation with your family. There is plenty of space inside for both personal belongings and sleeping. However, you should be prepared for the fact that such a structure weighs quite a lot, and its installation will take more time.

How to set up a tent: rules

Modern tent models are so well thought out that setting them up on a camping trip takes a minimum of time and does not require much effort. But to make your vacation truly comfortable, you need to follow certain rules for arranging a shelter (Figure 3).

When setting up a tent, consider the following nuances:

1. Try to arrange a place to spend the night at the edge of the forest, and not in its depths, since there are usually much fewer mosquitoes at the edge of the plantings. For the same reasons, you should not put up a tent next to a body of water.
2. If you are afraid of rain, dig around the perimeter of the tent with shallow holes that will act as drainage holes.
3. Since people sleep in a tent with their feet facing the exit, the entrance hole should be located directly opposite the resting place. This way you can easily find the entrance to your shelter at night.
4. Before installation, be sure to clear the area of ​​pine cones, branches and other plant debris. It will be felt through the bottom of the tent and will interfere with a quality night's sleep.
5. The pegs that secure the tent must be stuck into the ground at an angle of 45 degrees. It makes no sense to completely bury them in the ground, since due to strong tension the peg may jump out and the structure will be damaged.

Some other material must be laid out at the bottom of the tent: mattresses, air mattresses or a simple layer of dense fabric. This way you will protect yourself from the cold coming from the ground. In addition, if you were unable to properly clean the area under the tent from debris, such an additional layer will ensure a comfortable rest.

Figure 3. Step-by-step installation diagram

But the most important thing in arranging a vacation spot is to choose the right place to place the tent. Since this plays a key role in a comfortable stay, let us dwell on this point in more detail.

Site selection criteria

Even if you go on vacation to places where tourists often stop, this does not mean that you can put up a tent anywhere. As with the assembly of the structure, the choice of place to sleep plays a decisive role in comfortable sleep and rest (Figure 4).

The procedure for selecting a site is as follows:

1. Under no circumstances place the awning in a low area. If it rains, your shelter will flood with water. It is better to choose flat areas or places on a small hill.
2. If it is possible to put up a tent in the shade, choose such a place. This will protect the interior from overheating during the daytime. This condition is especially important to observe if you are installing a tent near the beach on the sand.
3. Pay attention to the trails along the ground. Don't place an awning where ants travel. These insects do not change the trajectory of their movement, and will quickly fill the interior space of your temporary home.

Figure 4. Choosing the right place to stay is the key to a comfortable stay

Also, try not to pitch your tent near a fire, as flying sparks can cause the tarp to catch fire. Also, pay attention to the paths people use. You should not arrange your home right in the center or in close proximity to the trail. This way, you risk damaging your tent if someone gets caught on a peg or rope during the night.

How to set up a tent in winter

Winter hikes are considered the most difficult, if only because subzero temperatures make it difficult to have a comfortable overnight stay. But, if you follow the tips on how to install a tourist or raincoat tent correctly, your night's rest will be quite comfortable even in winter (Figure 5).

The main purpose of installing an awning in winter is to avoid freezing while sleeping at night and not being covered with snow.

To arrange a comfortable winter parking, follow these recommendations:

1. Carefully assess the area around you, preferably with binoculars. Choose an area where you are guaranteed not to be covered with snow or covered by an avalanche. For the same reasons, never set up a tent on the edge of a cliff.
2. Instead, spend more time looking for a perfectly level and solid area. This is in any case faster than compacting it yourself.
3. If a suitable flat area is not found, level the snow on another. You can even dig a place for future shelter. But in the process, make sure that the awning is positioned so that its entrance is not blocked by snow.
4. To set up a winter tent, regular pegs may not be enough. They should be replaced with special anchors. If you don't have them at hand, use any other objects: crampons, ski poles or thick branches.

Figure 5. In winter, you need to look for a place to rest especially carefully

When arranging a winter place to spend the night, you should also adhere to the rule regarding the distance of the awning from the fire. To keep warm inside the tent, it is better to take a special camping stove with you.

Installing a tent has its own characteristics depending on the type of structure and model. If there are no difficulties with the frame options, then putting up a raincoat tent or half-barrel will be more difficult. Since the second option is considered a more modern option, we will provide instructions for assembling just such a tent shelter.

To make the structure strong and stable, follow these recommendations:

1. Remove the tent from the cover, straighten it and spread the bottom on the prepared area. Next, pin it to the ground with pegs.
2. Assemble the arcs and connect them to the rest of the awning.
3. Now you need to stretch the inner surface of the tent, stretch the awning and secure it on top.

You can act a little differently. First, straighten the upper awning, assemble the arcs, insert them into the grooves of the awning and secure with ties. After this, you need to stretch the awning, straighten the tent and attach it to the awning from the bottom side. At the final stage, the bottom is straightened and secured.

Regardless of the chosen method, a tent installed using one of these methods will meet all safety and comfort requirements.

Setting up a children's tent

Installing a children's tent is even easier, because the design of such products is initially extremely simple and safe.

Typically, children's houses are packed in small round cases that are easy to transport or even carry in your hands.

To make a suitable house for children to play outdoors, you need to remove the awning from the cover and pull it up by the “ceiling”. The design of such houses is such that they unfold literally in seconds. All you have to do is secure the structure with pegs to prevent it from being blown away by the wind.

How to set up a cube tent

The cube tent differs from other models in its appearance and purpose. Typically, such structures are used during fishing, but they are also suitable as temporary shelter for outdoor recreation (Figure 6).

Warm, sunny days have arrived, the May holidays are ahead - all these factors encourage you to go to hiking with a tent. A tent is the most important attribute of any hike; the comfort of a traveler’s rest largely depends on it. Therefore, in order for your tent to serve you as long as possible and delight you with its qualities, you need to follow a number of rules for its installation. Choosing the right place to set up a tent will provide you with excellent sleep and no body aches or headaches in the morning. And in some cases it will even save life.

A tent can be pitched almost anywhere, but not all places are suitable for camping. After all, on a hike it is important to have a good rest at night, so you need to choose a place to spend the night in advance, before dark.

General rules for setting up a tent

The place for the tent should be level, without hummocks, stones, or knots.

If the tent is located on a slope, you need to lay it down so that your head is higher than your feet.

The distance between the fire and the tent is at least 3 meters. The tent burns out very quickly, and sparks cause holes to appear in it. Smoke from the fire should not go towards the tent.

You cannot put a tent in a hole. If it rains, you might end up in a puddle.

You should not place your tent close to water. There are a lot of mosquitoes near the water, and it will be damp and cool at night and in the evening. The water level may rise due to rain and flood the tent. This rule also applies to islands and swampy lowlands.

You cannot place a tent near power lines.

You cannot pitch a tent on or under a cliff.

Do not pitch a tent near a lonely tree in the rain, there is a danger of lightning strike.

Installing a scarf in the forest

In the forest many suitable places to pitch a tent. For example, under coniferous trees, it is dry there even in rainy weather, and a carpet of needles provides a soft bedding. You cannot stop under large trees in a strong wind, they can fall on their own or a massive branch can fall from them onto your tent (head). This rule is especially true for dry trees and aspens. In bad weather it is better to stop among young trees. Make sure that the tent is not placed on an anthill or very close to it.

Do not pitch your tent on green moss. It looks soft but contains a lot of moisture. In general, before setting up the tent, test the soil; if it becomes wet after pressing or water collects in your footprints, look for another place. You can turn around and lie down, turning from side to side, so you can assess whether this place is suitable for you and in which direction you need to lie with your head.

It is preferable to pitch a tent under trees rather than in a clearing. In spring and autumn, the grass in the clearing is covered with frost, but there is no frost under the trees. From the dew in the meadow guy ropes get wet and the tent awning sags. The top fly begins to touch the inner tent and can get it wet. Make sure that the awning is neat and well stretched.

Setting up a tent camp in an open area

It is dangerous to make a fire on the site of former battles.

It is dangerous to make a fire on peat bogs in dry weather.

It is dangerous to make a fire in the dry steppe.

It is dangerous to set up a tent on the road, even if it is abandoned.

It is dangerous to pitch a tent on the top of a mountain or hill due to strong winds and thunderstorms.

You cannot put up a tent in lowlands and holes, as moisture accumulates in them and becomes damp. In swampy areas, passing rain may cut off your path.

When setting up a tent in summer you need to take care of the presence of natural shadow. This will increase the comfort of campers and save the fabric of the tent awning from wear and tear due to exposure to directed sunlight and heat.

Lining polyethylene under the bottom of the tent In order not to get it dirty or wet, you risk waking up in a puddle of water if it rains slantingly at night. To prevent this from happening, use clothespins and tuck the edges of the polyethylene under the outer awning. Or lay down the film inside the tent.

If you have to camp in rainy weather and on a slope, dig a small trench around the tent so that water flows around it, but does not flow under the bottom.

It is not advisable to pitch a tent on the sand - it will definitely get inside. Sand, due to its abrasiveness, can damage the waterproof layer of your tent. Place the tent away from dense bushes or tall grass - the home of mosquitoes and small midges.

In some areas you need to beware of rockfalls, gas coming out of the ground, and collisions with wild animals. Do not pitch your tent on trails where animals walk.

How to pitch a tent correctly

If you have ever traveled overnight, you have been faced with choosing a place to set up a tent. Unfortunately, not everyone who wants to merge with nature knows how to set up a tent correctly. A tent is one of the main attributes and symbols of a hike. In addition, a properly installed tent is the key to a comfortable rest while camping. With a properly installed tent, you can forget about bad weather, dampness, cold and condensation on the walls of the tent.

To make the savage's holiday on Seliger as possible as possible comfortable You need to take with you:
a tent, preferably windproof;
an inflatable mattress, which is much more comfortable to sleep on than in sleeping bags;
rugs and blankets;
folding chairs and table;
tripod for fire;
kerosene burner;
aluminum saucepans;
kettle;
axes, saws, knives;
coal, since finding firewood on Seliger is a big problem;
garden rake to clear the parking area of ​​pine needles and cones;
table knives and forks, a cutting board and a set of disposable plastic utensils.
. It is better to worry about the upcoming overnight stay in advance, before sunset.

Choosing a site for a tent camp

When choosing a place to camp, give preference to clearings that are protected from the wind and away from the reservoir. This way you will be warmer and annoying mosquitoes will not drive you crazy.
The next requirement for a camp site is the availability of water and firewood. It is difficult to say which of these requirements is more important. It all depends on the specific conditions of the trip. Usually in the hot summer it is more important to find water. It’s easier with firewood, but in early spring, when the melt water has not yet subsided, this problem comes to the fore.

So, safety, provision of water and firewood - these are the main requirements for a camp site. All of them are taken into account first of all when the bivouac site is marked on the map, and then when it is chosen on the ground.

Choosing a place to set up a tent

1. The place to install the tent must be level. Not in terms of slope, but precisely in terms of relief: no protrusions, bumps, holes, or branches. Practice shows that for some reason people get worse sleep on roots, hillocks and hummocks than on flat ground.

That's why:
1 If there are stones on the site you have chosen to set up your tent, it is better to remove them.

There are sharp twigs lying around - it’s better to remove them: not only will they not let you sleep, but the bottom of the tent (waterproof by default) will be scratched and pierced.

If roots protrude from the ground, and there is nowhere else to set up a tent, you can put some soft things in this place. Or just throw branches with leaves on the ground, it will definitely be more comfortable to sleep.

Yes, and pay attention that there are no anthills under the tent. Vengeful insects practically do not show themselves in the evening, but in the morning they will happily gnaw at the bottom of the tent and wake you up with “friendly” bites even before the official rise.

2. In the mountains, and indeed in any even slightly hilly area, there will be a slight slope where you plan to sleep. It is important to go to bed with your feet down and your head up the slope (head higher than feet). Even if the slope is tiny, and you can’t feel it while lying down, at best you will wake up with a swollen face, and not at best - also with a sore head (from the flow of blood).

3. Sudden rain can ruin all your plans. Therefore, when choosing a place for a tent, try not to stand inside any funnel or hole when looking for salvation from the wind: everything will flow into it.

If there is a fairly steep slope next to the parking lot, in case of bad weather water will flow from it, and directly into your tent. Therefore, it is worth digging around an already erected tent with grooves. Once there, the water will smoothly flow around the tent and leave its inhabitants dry.

4. Pay attention to how far the tent is from the fire. According to popular wisdom, “a tent burns at a rate of $100 per second.” Therefore, the distance between the fire and the tent should be at least three meters. In addition, try to prevent smoke from getting inside, otherwise you will get a headache in the morning.

5. It is better to set up a tent away from water (near which it is very cool and damp in the evenings), and also not on the trail. Otherwise, in the dark, your campers or some late tourists will trip over your tent a couple of times, which could damage the tent or loosen the tension of the awning. As a result, you will have to get out of your warm sleeping bag and, cursing, hammer in the pegs again.

6. Practice shows that it is more convenient to pitch a tent with the exit towards the feet. More precisely, you should lay down in it with your feet towards the exit. Otherwise, if at night someone goes “until the wind” and then comes back, he will definitely step on other people’s heads, and a general uprising for a stupid reason cannot be avoided. Legs take up much less space, and it will be much easier for the unfortunate person to enter at night.

The remaining requirements for the camp site should be considered as desirable, but not mandatory. Such requirements include the convenience of a place for deploying bivouac work.

It is advisable that you don’t have to climb into a deep ravine to get water or drink a mug from a barely noticeable spring, so that you don’t have to go far to get firewood, so that the camp site is protected from the wind, and if there are a lot of mosquitoes in the forest, then, on the contrary, so that the place it was ventilated so that the tents could be pulled up on trees, and not on special stakes, etc.

If the camp does not meet such requirements, it will delay the work on setting up the camp and will require a lot of effort from tourists, but, ultimately, even in such conditions you can ensure yourself a good rest.

Aesthetic requirements for the camp site and appearance are also among the additional requirements. Of course, all other things being equal, it is better to set up camp in some beautiful, pleasing place. It is not without reason that experienced tourists who have traveled a lot in their native land try to remember such places and, on occasion, bring newcomers there. But, of course, aesthetic requirements for a camp site should not be given preference over the main ones.

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The same can be said about the appearance of the camp. Of course, it’s beautiful if the tents are placed at the same distance from the fire or if the dining “table” is decorated with a bouquet of wildflowers. But under no circumstances should this become an end in itself. Meanwhile, an inexperienced leader often forgets about this. And so, in order for the tents to be placed in one line, the camp is set up not in the forest, where it is protected from the wind and partly from the rain, where firewood is literally nearby, but somewhere on the edge of the field, near the road, open to everyone rain and wind, from where you have to walk three hundred meters to get firewood. And for the sake of a bouquet of flowers decorating the “table”, lunch is delayed for half an hour, and everyone eats cold food. In a word, when choosing a place for a camp, you should not forget about what is important and what is secondary.

Setting up a tent in the forest

It is easiest to find a good place to spend the night in the forest. The main thing is that there are no old, rotten trees nearby that could fall on your head.
It is also important to make sure that there are no anthills nearby, otherwise the forest orderlies will come to visit you with an “inspection”.
You should also not put up a tent on the paths of forest animals - why disturb their peace? And it won’t be good for you either if a seasoned bear or wild boar does not want to bypass an obstacle that suddenly appears on its rightful path.

A carpet of small shrubs - lingonberries, blueberries, cloudberries - is an excellent spring mattress for a tired traveler. Even on a grassy lawn it is harder to sleep. White moss lichen covers dry places. True, in rainy weather it becomes limp, but it is still dry underneath.
But on green mosses, so soft and tempting to look at, it is usually damp.
In general, before setting up the tent in your favorite place, run the interweaving of the stems through your fingers and feel the soil. If moisture appears after pressing, look for a drier place.

Lie down on the chosen place (you can lay it on a mat), roll from side to side. This way you can better determine how to position the tent, where is the top and where is the bottom. And in advance, remove a stone or branch found nearby, cut off a tussock of grass or fern from the turf.

Shelter from the rain can be found in an old mixed spruce forest. As a rule, there are always powerful, spreading spruces here, under which nothing grows, they shade the ground so much. A large amount of old dry needles accumulates here under the trunks. Wild boars, deer, and elk often roost under such trees. If the tent fits between the gnarled tree roots that often come to the surface, why not use this forest hotel for a person? This is the ideal place to spend the night. And warm, and soft, and dry!

Where is it better to pitch a tent in the forest or in a clearing?

It is always warmer to sleep under a canopy of trees than in an open meadow. This is especially felt on spring and autumn nights, when in the morning the blades of grass in the open are covered with frost, but there is no frost under the trees.
In summer, heavy dew falls on the meadow and the tent gets wet. Nylon ropes stretch and weaken from moisture, the awning sags, begins to touch the fabric of the tent, and if the awning’s impregnation is old, moisture will penetrate inside the tent.

You can always find shelter from the wind in the forest. Only in hurricane winds is there a danger that trees will begin to fall. During such a strong wind, you should not camp in a mature, tall forest, especially among thick aspens - they are the most fragile and break first, as easily as matches. In such weather it is better to stop among young trees.

Setting up a tent in a swamp

It happens that night overtakes a traveler in a swamp and there is no time left to choose a place. It's OK. You should chop small pine trees, make a flooring out of them, and place a tent on top.

Setting up a tent on a hillside

If you find yourself on the slope of a mountain or river valley and don’t have time to find a flat area before dark, it doesn’t matter. The slope can also be used. Set up your tent so that you sleep with your feet facing down the slope. Place a log or large rocks at the entrance of the tent so that your feet rest against them and prevent you from sliding down.

Or another option is to roll up a roll of clothing and place it under your “butt” - this also prevents rolling. Inside the tent, under the rug in the gaps, place your shoes, backpack, and food.
The next option is to put grass, rotten, easily broken wood, moss, and lichen into a sleeping bag cover. And use all this for “profiling”. The main thing is imagination! Then you will sleep softly and evenly...

Setting up a tent in winter

Before setting up a tent on the snow, you should compact the area. The easiest way to do this is with skis or a wide board. Use fir branches as a mattress. It is better not to throw the spruce branches in disarray, but to stick them into the compacted snow at a slight angle to create a springy “mattress”. This makes a wonderful spring mat.

You should climb into the tent carefully so as not to push the snow with your hands again and create holes nearby.

What not to do

The most common mistake made by novice tourists is placing polyethylene under the tent, supposedly in order not to get the bottom dirty or wet. What you fear will happen even faster. If the edge of the polyethylene protrudes even slightly from under the tent, water from the awning will inevitably flow onto it during slanting rain. The only time this is justified is when the corners are bent and attached, for example, with clothespins to the walls of the tent.
It's not scary to pitch a tent on wet grass. Let the bottom get wet, but the mat will still remain dry. If you're really afraid of wet grass, lay down plastic inside the tent. The main thing is not to put up a tent in a depression in the terrain!

You should not camp on low pebble beaches of mountain rivers. Although this is tempting: mosquitoes and midges do not annoy you in a ventilated space. However, rain that falls in the mountains and does not even touch you can sharply increase the water level in the river, and the tent will simply flood.

In the mountains in winter, it is dangerous to put up a tent in avalanche-prone areas - on slopes covered with a thick layer of snow, in narrow valleys, couloirs, and gutters. Do not stand on canopies or snow cornices hanging over cliffs. They may simply break off under your weight. It is dangerous to stand under steep slopes from which rocks may fall.

Tips for novice tourists - little tricks.

In the spring, when the snow has already melted, but the ground has not yet completely thawed, you can first make a fire at the site of the tent. Within an hour the ground will warm up, the fire can be extinguished, trampled and covered with fresh spruce paws. And put a tent on top. It will be much warmer to sleep at night. The main thing is not to leave large coals so that they don’t burn the bottom of the tent!

If you are camping for several days and the weather is rainy, it would be a good idea to dig a shallow ditch around your tent. This way you will avoid possible flooding of the tent.
If you have a choice, try not to pitch your tent on the sand - it will inevitably get inside your house.
Try to pitch your tent away from dense bushes or tall grass, a haven for mosquitoes and midges.

Setting up a tent is a responsible and important task. After all, it depends on how well you will rest after a long journey, or how easy and fun you will spend time in nature. But not only comfort and convenience will be provided to you by a tent, but also safety and coziness.

To set up a tent, choose a dry and level place, without hummocks and mounds (although they can be cut off with a shovel), protected from the wind. Also pay attention to the presence of an anthill nearby and ant trails within a radius of 1-2 meters. Being around ants is not always a joy. They are capable of occupying your backpack, things and tent in a matter of hours. And getting rid of them will cause you a lot of trouble and will take a lot of time. Remember, you are visiting them, not they are visiting you. The forest is their home, their territory. On my last trip to the sea with a tent, I made a mistake: I set up the tent right on the ant trail. As a result, after 3 days my backpack was swarming with ants. They got into my clothes and tent. It took me another 3 days to get rid of the ants.

If you are putting up not one, but several tents, then make sure that there is a convenient area for other tents. Think about your friend!

After you have chosen a place for the tent, prepare the site itself. Remove branches, stones and pine cones. Not only are they uncomfortable to sleep on, but they can also tear the bottom of the tent, which will be more unpleasant and dangerous.

On trampled or clayey soil around the perimeter of the tent, under its very walls, dig a shallow groove (4-7 cm) to drain water, which would otherwise flow under the bottom of the “house” and get it wet. This especially needs to be done if the soil is clayey; moisture will penetrate the bottom and remain there until you remove the tent, since clay does not allow water to pass through. This will cause you a number of inconveniences: at night the bottom of the tent will become very damp and wet, and in the morning an unpleasant cold will come from the bottom, the inside will smell of dampness and mold, and the fabric of the bottom of the tent itself will rot. Again, on my last trip, we did not follow these instructions and experienced all the “delights” of our mistake.

Place your dwelling with the back wall facing the wind and the entrance on the opposite side from nearby ravines, holes or the shore, since at night, crawling out of the tent, you can fall (or be happily drunk).

On a non-steep slope, the tent is placed along the line of water fall with the entrance facing upward, otherwise tourists will slide onto each other. It is convenient to hang the tent by the ridge ropes between the trees.

Be sure to lay a piece of polyethylene under the tent that matches the size of the floor. Otherwise, during heavy rain, the bottom of the tent will leak. Even tents with a bottom of 5000 mm allow water to pass through perfectly if a lot of it accumulates below.

How to arrange your “bedroom” so that it is warm to sleep in a tent?

First, foam is laid on the bottom, and only then sleeping bags or air mattresses (if you like comfortable outdoor recreation). Foams (or they are called tourist rugs) will save you from dampness and cold that come from the soil at night, protect you from cooling and soften the surface for more comfortable rest. Your lower back must be on foam, otherwise you may catch colds and other diseases.

You can place soft and dry things on the mats under your sleeping bags to make your sleep warmer and more comfortable. Place ropes under your feet, spreading them evenly, “soft” and well-packaged products - cereals, dry mixtures, concentrates. A soft backpack is usually placed under the head, covered with a rain jacket or sweater. But it is not always convenient to sleep on a large backpack. A very good option is to put your clothes in a sleeping bag to create a comfortable and soft pillow. Another option is an inflatable pillow. It is easy to inflate and deflate and takes up little space in your backpack. I took a pillow with me, it helped me a lot. Read more about the inflatable pillow in the article “Useful “little things” for traveling and hiking.

Setting up a tent. We provide safe and comfortable sleep

There are different types of tents, and accordingly, the way to set them up is different.

Of the “Soviet” ones, the most common are two- and three-seater ones with a collapsible frame.

Set up a gable tent like this:

1. Attach the lower guy wires to the ground with pegs so that the floor rests tightly and without distortions on the mat.
2. Then take the racks and place one at the entrance and the other at the rear end, overlap them with guys attached to the roof ridge.
3. Tie the ends of the guy ropes to pegs driven into the ground at a distance of 2-3 meters from the tent. The direction of the guy wires should be along the center line passing through the end of the roof.
4. Pull the roof on, zipping up the entrance to the tent first. Guys should represent a continuation of the diagonals of the slopes. Therefore, drive the pegs at an angle of 45 degrees to the sides of the tent.

If you are setting up a tent in the forest, first stretch the main guys of the roof ridge between the trees, and only then stretch the floor and guys of the slopes. Use thin tree trunks and bushes as pegs. Instead of wooden pegs, you can also use metal pins that can easily be stuck into the ground. In water trips, oars can also serve as racks.

And so everything is ready! Have you set up the tent correctly? The tent should have a flat roof, without wrinkles or folds, the walls should not sag, and the floor should not be raised.

To properly install a two- or three-person tent, first lay out the bottom and secure it with guy pegs. By inserting spacers 150 cm long, using guy ropes, the roof of the tent is pulled so that there are no wrinkles, folds or sagging fabric. Attach guys to nearby trees or stakes

The most common modern tents are hemispheres or “half-barrels”. The principle of their installation is as follows:

1. Carefully lay out the inner tent. Moreover, you place the bottom on the ground, and the “roof” should be on top.
2. Secure the bottom with metal pegs (usually included with the tent) by pulling guy ropes.
3. Install the arcs.
4. Throw an outer awning, tie it to the inner tent and tighten it with guy ropes so that there are no wrinkles, folds or sagging fabric on the tent. Also attach guy ropes to nearby trees and stakes.

If you have an “economy” version of a tent, then do everything the same, only you won’t have an awning.

When purchasing a tent in a kit with a cover, poles and pegs, instructions for installing it are usually included.

How to sleep?

1. It is better to sleep in a tent with your head facing the exit, unless, of course, your head is lower than your feet. This makes it more convenient to climb into the sleeping bag and look outside. Very often, when tourists lie with their feet towards the exit, the bag often gets knocked out and gets wet...
2. Remember that if you sleep in a sleeping bag, it is better to dress lightly at night (according to the weather). A person dressed too warmly quickly sweats and freezes. If your underwear is wet, no sweaters or jackets will keep you warm. It is better to insulate yourself from below by placing film or warm clothes under the foam.
3. In good weather, it is better not to zip the entrance to the tent all the way. If your tent entrance consists of 2 layers: fabric and mesh, then it is better to leave one mesh fastened so that no one crawls in or flies in.
4. If you are tightly sealed, the moisture exhaled by people will begin to condense on the inside of the walls and roof; the tent will seem to sweat, and water will begin to drip onto your face and sleeping bags.
5. It is colder to sleep on the edge, so men or the healthiest of women sleep there. In addition, a small amount of condensation accumulates on the side walls of the tent overnight due to the breathing of sleepers, and by morning the edges are damp and humid.

When the tent does not have an awning, you cannot touch the roof in the rain, otherwise it will begin to leak in this place. Then run your finger along it from the inside from the place of the drop to the bottom - the water will flow along the trace of your finger and stop dripping.

In cold weather, you can warm up a piece of ground before setting up the tent. To do this, light a small but wide fire from thick logs and warm the ground for 1.5-2 hours. Then the fire is removed, coals and ash are swept away from the ground, a bedding is made of branches or spruce branches, and a tent is installed in this place. In such a tent, even at sub-zero temperatures, you can relax comfortably and warmly.

Fighting bloodsuckers

After setting up the tent, be sure to treat its surface with products against mosquitoes, ticks, midges and other insects, especially the entrance.

In order to drive mosquitoes, midges and other harmful bloodsuckers out of the tent, punch several small holes in the bottom of an empty tin can and attach it to a stick. Place a few hot coals from the fire in a jar, and then a piece of wet moss or resin from a pine or spruce trunk. “Blow” the coals in the jar, the thick smoke from which will drive the bloodsuckers out of the tent.

At night, place a smoker at the entrance to the tent on the leeward side, this will drive insects away from the tent. Several smokers can also be placed near the fire to ward off bloodsuckers.

Blooming bird cherry trees can also repel midges. Its leaves and flowers have a detrimental effect on small organisms. Therefore, set up your camp near the bird cherry bushes, place or hang fresh leaves and a few twigs at its entrance. But remember, don’t do this if your friend is allergic to bird cherry, which is very common.

The stems of wormwood and tansy have similar “repellent” properties. To prevent midges from bothering you around the fire, throw chamomile stems into it.

After resting and sleeping, be sure to dry the sleeping bags and the tent itself inside. To do this, take the sleeping bags out of the tent and hang them on ropes (if available), or simply throw them over the tent lid. Also remove foam from the outside of the tent. Open all entrances to the tent to evaporate any moisture that has accumulated overnight.

Fold the tent in a dried, clean state to avoid damage to the fabric during storage. If there is no way to dry it, then be sure to do it when you return home from a hike...

In general, there are few restrictions on visiting the forest. Now, for example, entry into coniferous forests and, accordingly, setting up tents there is prohibited, since a fire regime has been in effect in the Voronezh region since April 30. Moreover, you cannot make fires, and not only in nature, but even in garden plots. There are patrols in the green zones that monitor barbecue lovers.

Violators face a fine: from 2 to 4 thousand rubles for individuals, from 15 to 30 thousand rubles for officials and from 400 to 500 thousand rubles for legal entities. And if, as a result of careless handling of fire, forest plantations are destroyed or damaged, this is fraught with a fine of up to 250 thousand rubles or imprisonment for up to 4 years.

“Tents can be set up in deciduous forests and in the floodplains of rivers or lakes, no one has ever prohibited this,” says Vyacheslav Orbinsky, head of the federal state fire and forestry supervision department of the forestry department of the Voronezh region. “You just need to follow the fire safety rules and not start a fire.” You also cannot leave garbage behind (for littering the forest there is a fine of 100 to 500 rubles - Ed.). In addition, the deciduous forest is safer for tourists themselves. In hot weather, the temperature in coniferous forests is much higher than in deciduous forests - due to the difference in crown density. And in the heat it’s generally not recommended to be in the forests.”

Where are we headed?

Before going somewhere on a hike, rescuers recommend registering your tourist group. And if you decide to go along particularly dangerous routes, for example into the mountains, you should inform about the trip at least 10 days in advance. This is necessary so that in an emergency situation rescuers know where to go and who to look for.

In the Voronezh region, families and independent groups of tourists, unfortunately, are not registered. In any case, during this summer only organized groups that went on a hike with a guide or instructor became registered. They are usually provided by companies that offer hiking routes and rafting trips, and they register the groups. Fortunately, rescuers have not yet had to pull tourists out of trouble, whether in registered or unregistered groups.