Tent and Fly Pitching
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Tent and Fly Pitching
Educational Goals
Students must learn how to erect their shelters efficiently and securely. As the course’s experience broadens, so must the students’ ability to make a safe and organized camp in exposed terrain and foul weather. All students must be able to erect a fly or tent above and below the tree line with minimal assistance. They should recognize that taking good care of their equipment is not only a matter of personal responsibility, but also a question of safety.
Key Points
Shelter Parts
Know the parts of your shelter. Develop the habit of conducting a careful inventory every time you pack up.
Setting up a Tent or Fly
After you choose a location, demonstrate setting up a shelter. Show your students how to tie a slippery taut-line or trucker’s hitch. (Start with just one knot, you can always show them the other one later). Discuss the attributes of a well-pitched shelter: tight guy lines, good knots, and a roof pitch that will shed rain or snow if you anticipate inclement weather. The long axis of the shelter should be facing into the wind. The corners and ridgeline should be pulled so the shelter is smooth and secure. Nylon fabric may abrade or puncture when in contact with another object, so watch for branches or rocks rubbing the shelter. Flies should be low and have a steep roof when they need to be storm-proof. They should be high and flat when you want more air to move under them
Camp Organization
Food, climbing gear, fishing equipment, and packs do not need to be in the shelter. Items that must be kept dry, such as clothing, books, and binoculars can be brought in everything left out must be secured against the wind. Tie your laundry to branches or guy lines, put a rock on your sleeping pad, and put food bags versus your pots. Avoiding lost gear is important to both minimize your impact and to your safety. There is a lot of “NOLS trash” in the Winds- telltale plastic bags, p-cord and teabags- don’t add to the mess. Encourage your students to take pride and Pack It In, Pack It Out.
Cooking In Shelters
Stoves and lanterns produce toxic fumes, which in a poorly ventilated space can at best give you a headache, at worst be fatal. Cooking inside a tent is unwise. Stoves can flare up unexpectedly and burn both you and your shelter. Spilled boiling water can be catastrophic. Cooking in the front door of a tent or at the edge of a fly is convenient in foul weather, but is still risky.
Tent Care
Care of equipment is a high priority at Earlham College, because it parallels our concerns for safety and ethics. Zippers are often the weakest part of your tent open and close them carefully by holding the tent as you zip. Assemble your poles methodically. Do not force or twist the sections in and out of joints. Do not use excessive force when putting stakes into the ground. Look for another placement rather than trying to penetrate underlying rocks or hard ground by pounding harder-force only breaks stakes. If possible dry your tent out before packing. Definitely dry it before storing.
Students rarely master knot tying the first day, but be sure everyone can tie the knot successfully when coached. Use camp visits to give to feedback on specific fly or tent pitching skills, to monitor campsite impact, and to offer suggestions on ways to improve your students outdoor living skills.
Leadership Opportunities
Setting up shelters often turns into the guy’s job on Wilderness courses, while the women end up in the kitchen. A well-rounded leader is competent with all skills and gives others the opportunity to achieve the same level of expertise. If your students actively decide to take on individual roles in their tent groups, that is their decision. But make sure everyone becomes bombproof in the basics, and don’t let gender bias inadvertently shift behavior.
