Durston tent on platform

what is a wooded playform?

do you mean wooden platform?

if so, how do you put a stake in a wooden platform?

I think it’s like a T shaped thing you put between the slats.

Also say the word if you want me to edit the title to “platform”

I made these S-hook & nail things.  They are very light. A galvanized nail has a rough texture and grips better than a regular nail.  I just dropped the nail between the boards on the platform.  Worked better if pulling against a cross board under the platform or under the ends of the boards at the sides of the platform.  A stick instead of the nail might even work better.  I’ve seen people pounding a regular tent stake into platforms.  Yikes. Huge damage to the platform.  PS. My current tent is the Durston X-Mid 1P.

ahhh… that makes sense

I’ve slept on wooden platform before and I thought it was really good.  Didn’t put up tent though.

Zpacks sells a platform anchor.

https://zpacks.com/products/aluminum-tent-platform-anchor

Sectionhiker has a couple of articles on this subject.  It looks like ZPacks is selling the platform anchor that Philip writes about.

Sorry for getting the keys confused on my keyboard.  Yes I meant platform.  That is what I get for posting the question from my phone.

Thanks for the tips.  I have a Duplex and Flex Kit to make it freestanding which is why I wondered about a making a Durston freestanding.

I’ve used found sticks on a loop of cord, lowered between the planks.  And on the Chilkoot Trail from Skagway into Canada – where you’re on platforms every night – brought a few drywall screws, but didn’t need them much – there were often nails or screws on the side boards where one needed them.

If its not gale force, I just use large rocks and a stake as a pseudo dead man anchor.  Changed the guylines on my xmid to support this

Has anyone thought of carrying a few little cuphooks for anchors? They would go into softwood quite easily.

Cheers

Nah.  No fun in that.  Pounding the heck out of a stake with a rock is the ‘merikan way.

Roger:  I’ve brought the smallest eye bolts along a few times.  Just a bit thicker gauge than a cup hook but with a smaller eye and slightly more distinct threads.

Hi David

Our ‘eyebolts’ have square ends. One has to drill a hole to get them in.
Do yours have a pointy end?
Um – we can get ‘cuphooks’ with a pointy end but a closed eye rather than an open hook.

Cheers

I bought a Durston X-Mid 1 Pro specifically for platforms.  Section hiking NH 2022 & Maine 2023.  Most platforms I’ve encountered so far are 8×10 and Durston will fit with room for 2nd tent.  My other tent is  Tarptent ProTrail and it needed a 10×5 space to setup so no room to share and most NH spots expect you to share the platform.  Carried a couple zpack anchers and with existing nails around the edges, nothing else needed.

I pitched my Xmid 1 on a platform once . I was exhausted and dehydrated after bushwhacking for hours by headlamp down a steep “trail” that completely disappeared under blowdown’s and new conifer growth that was so think that even if it had been daylight I still don’t think I would have been able to see where my feet were going.           This had really slowed me down and frustrated me after a long day, especially since I had anticipated much easier travel . I had opted not to fill up at the last water source since there would be water at camp and I wanted to keep pace also it had just rained 10 inches only letting up 2 nights before and there had  been no shortage of water over the last 40 miles .But as the trail disappeared so did the streams which had been  in abundance on every other section of the trail and because my fast pace had turned to a crawl I had been with out water much longer than I wanted.                                   So as I rolled into camp tired and thirsty I was a bit dismayed at first because there was only platform sites here and for good reason it was a drainage zone and there was water everywhere had I been here 2 nights before I am sure those platforms would have been more like rafts anchored in an angry river . Okay no rest for the wicked , how am I going to set up a trekking pole tent on a platform? guess I’m going to have to invoke the mullet brake out the extra guy line and go full Macgyver on this .
But no, to my surprise it was probably the easiest and nicest pitch I could ask for ,no extra cord necessary !It was like Dan had designed the XMid with this platform in mind while there was zero gaps in the decking ( the wood probably had expanded with moisture) they were perfectly aligned with the geometry of the tent and without much effort or any damage to the platform I was able to tap my stakes firmly in place between the boards and get some much needed rest comfortably suspended over the flooded terrain.