Pitching a pyramid tent

[Franco Darioli]

You can pitch a pyramid tents two ways .
One like this :
)
and that is how you get the most usable space under it , or like this:

this way it will shed wind more effectively simulating ,somewhat, the tipi shape but you loose a lot of usable space inside.
(some are cut that way but not many)
The "tipi" look (with the catenary curves) is achieved by pulling the corners as far as the fabric allows away from each other (still making sure that the sides are parallel to each other…) if on the other hand you unintentionally have that look, don't pull those corners as far as they go….
So if only one side is "curved in" that corner was pulled to far out.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xShpfttHtzc

[Dave @ Oware]

Make sure the zipper and any buckles are closed FIRST. Eyeball the angles to make sure you are getting a square rather than a diamond shape with the four corners. Put the pole up AFTER staking out the four corners.

[Franco Darioli]

Yes, you can see those bits in my video clip but if you do watch it keep in mind that there are better ways to spend 7 min of your life.

Having a door panel partially or fully open and or not having the sides/ends parallel to each other (when applicable) are common mistakes with most shelters, the exception to that (that I can think of…) are freestanding tents .
The starting point is always the same :
if your shelter does not look like it does in the official photos, you are not doing it right
(of course that could be intentional…)

[Tipi Walter]

Thanks for the pic, it reminds me of a Chouinard Pyramid tent I used for part of the winter of '87. Dang thing got caught in a winter windstorm on top of a mountain and I spent all night holding down the leading edge as it wanted to billow up and away like an umbrella.

Designed for a snow layer perimeter to seal the edges to the ground, otherwise a beast in high winds, bad in ground water and rough at the beginnings of a blizzard whereby it fills with spindrift.

[Franco Darioli]

Hi Tipi
Yes the second one is , the first is just the Black Diamond version (Mega Light).
Both shots conviniently stolen by me from Google Images.

[Nick Gatel]

Yes, it is a Chouinard. Actually it is mine being aired out for a trip last year after sitting in my gear closet for a couple years. It was my main shelter for over 20 years, but I have lighter options these days.

The side stake-out points effectively make it an eight sided-shelter, instead of four, like the first picture. This probably reduces the wind load by maybe 50% or more. I am sure some mechanical engineering expert here can enlighten us. If the side stake out isn't done correctly, you can unwittingly turn it into a 4 sided shelter, which isn't optimum.

Without stakes or the included pole, it weighs around 2 1/2 lbs, quite light for the 80's. I usually used my hiking staff as a pole, put would need to find a rock to raise it high enough. Never had any problems with it in any wind, and it withstood its share of strong winds. Since I only hike solo, spindrift was never a problem, since it is so palatial inside, I could move to the other side. A pole in the middle can be an inconvenience. It is subject to condensation, though. One night it got down to 17F inside the shelter and the next morning all walls where covered in a sheet of ice.

Probably my favorite shelter of all time.

[Franco Darioli]

Hi Nick,
small world…
now that you mention it, I do remember seeing that and some of your other shots before, the main reason for stealing yours was because it was a close match to the one from BD.
(nice and sharp too)
The point really was to show how and why some get those catenary curves with this type of shelter.

[Nick Gatel]

Franco,

Consider it a compliment coming from you.

[Author]

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