Some people say that pitching the Trailstar is more challenging than a rectangular tarp, and that's somewhat true in my experience. After some trial and error, I figured out a way to get a perfect taut pitch without having to move a single stake just about every time. This is for the standard pitch, with one of the mid-panel guyouts as the top of the triangular door.

1. Stake out the rear stake opposite the entrance (Stake #1.)
2. Clove hitch the guyline attached to Stake #4 around your trekking pole about 12 inches from the LineLock. Stake out stake #4 and pull the ridgeline tight with the extra slack in the LineLock. Your pole may or may not stand up on its own now.
3. Holding the trekking pole upright with one hand, reach down and put in stakes #3 and #5.
4. Insert your second trekking pole into the center of the Trailstar and raise it up until the ridgeline is taught. (The exact height depends on how much slack you left in the guylines and how tall your first trekking pole is.)
5. Insert stakes #2 and #6.
To prevent slack between adjacent panels, you must have the guyline pulling parallel to the seam on each main corner. If there is an angle between the guyline and the panel seam, one side will be tight and the other will have slack in it.
Following this method, James W., my wife and I set up my Trailstar in literally less than a minute after running down Kuna Pass to get out of a thunderstorm. No restaking was required, and the drum tight pitch kept us dry for the next 30 minutes as the storm blew over.

Hope this helps my fellow Trailstar owners out there.

