CF Solomid pitching tips?

[Michael Sirofchuck]

I’ve read the instructions and watched the videos, but I just wondered if anyone had any tips for one and/or two pole setups?   For example, has anyone tried a Zpacks Trekking Pole Cup with the top rear guy line?

One pole – pitch to the front or to the rear?  I like the rear pitch because it makes it much easier to enter and exit the tent.

[Matthew / BPL]

I don’t have a mid but MLD seems explicit about the rear guyout point being used just to lightly support the back side. It seems to me that tying off to a stake/snoozing marmot/rock on a long line would do this nicely.

[Michael Sirofchuck]

Matthew, I’ve read that – there are two guyout points in the rear:  one at the bottom and one higher up on the fly.  I interpreted that to be about the lower one, but perhaps not.  In either case, I don’t crank on either one.   I just wondered if that pole cap might give a bit more space inside due to angle.   I have found that snoozing marmots seem to be an excellent anchor.

[Dylan Atkinson]

Michael, hope not to hijack your thread but I was planning on posting a similar question. I just received a silnylon solomid xl and I can’t seem to get a good pitch. I feel pretty dumb ’cause from what I’ve heard and seen, pitching a rectangular mid is a piece of cake.

I make sure to peg the 4 corners in rectangle, then insert the pole, followed by guying out the front and back. My issue is that the mid doesn’t appear as taught as I would imagine it should be, and there is a huge air gap in the back and front. This is the first time I’ve pitched an MLD mid – are the gaps just normal? Is it possible to pitch close to the ground yet maintain a taught pitch? I’ll take a few photos to illustrate my kerfuffle.

[Michael Sirofchuck]

No worries, Dylan.   I have pitched mine only about five times and can’t seem to get just the right pitch either.  It’s too cold and wet to experiment out in the yard right now, so I’m open to hearing any pitching tips.

[jscott]

Line locs attached to the body of the tent help a lot.

[Dylan Atkinson]

Jeffrey, I am firmly in the camp of leaving linelocs on the tent. I was able to get a decent pitch before it started snowing today – but the tarp still didn’t seem as taught as others make it seem.

[Matthew / BPL]

Michael, I’m pretty sure MLD is recommending you not deform the pitch using the upper rear guyout. They even mention pitching a slightly slack lower rectangle and using a longer line on the lower mid-panel guyout to make an eyebrow. This leads me to believe they are talking about the upper point…

Anyways, you could clove hitch around a trekking pole to see if you like pulling the upper guyout from up high.

Post some photos when you get a chance. I’d like to see what it looks like.

[Scott W]

Solomid XL CF

My first mid.  If I get all the corners close to 90 degrees I get a good pitch.  I do notice that the sides as you move further up from the ground have more movement than expected.

The front and rear ground guyouts tensioned to pull the base of the mid out an inch or two seems to work good and adds some air space.  I have yet been able to pitch the entire mid off the ground several inches.  The purpose of the mid panel guyouts appear to help reduce the flapping.

the two pole setup requires the pole extenders and not only adds space but adds support to the front and rear panels that helps the flapping.  I am not sure if there is a “proper” way to place the pole handles in the peak of the mid?  I have been inserting the rear pole first and then placing the handle of the front pole against the rear pole handle?

in the second picture you can see there a slight sag on the closed door.  Even when closed it’s difficult to get the front leading edges taught.

anyway interested in more feedback like how to pitch it off the ground for more air flow.  I got the bug netting option but at most I get a couple inches of air flow unless the ground has slope.  Also on how to arrange the pole handles in a 2 pole pitch.

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