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Tarptent TT Stratosphire li (lithium) pitch problem / doors flapping
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Home › Forums › General Forums › General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion › Tarptent TT Stratosphire li (lithium) pitch problem / doors flapping
- This topic has 16 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 2 months ago by Diane “Piper” Soini.
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Dec 24, 2018 at 11:10 pm #3569991
Hi there, wondering if anyone else has issues getting the pitch tight around the rainfly and doors on the TT SS li. I used to own the SS2 (and own other tents) and had no issues with it. I follow the instructions on the TT website and have watched the few videos from users on the web. I tighten everything as much as possible, even use the additional guy lines on doors but the fabric around the doors flaps a lot in wind and with water splashing against it. I can’t pull the peg out any further as it creates too much tension around the ridge. Poles are set to 123 cm, can’t do any higher. TT have been good with their comms but I’m just wondering whether there’s something going on design wise with the tent that’s not great? Cheers
Dec 24, 2018 at 11:13 pm #3569992I meant the Stratospire li :)
Dec 24, 2018 at 11:18 pm #3569994Do you have any photos of your pitch ?
Dec 25, 2018 at 12:21 am #3570003Hi Franco here they are. Where the fabric is a fair distance away from the ground it also flaps around a lot. If I move pegs around then it fixes one side and creates more issues on the other side of the door Almost like there’s too much fabric. The inside mesh seems really close to the rainfly in parts as well. To be fair I’ve sent the same images to TT yesterday and waiting for a reply, they’ve been good but I’d like to hear from the wider community whether the design just isn’t as “foolproof” as the SS2.
Thanks
Dec 25, 2018 at 12:51 am #3570006Try this.
Using the set up in the second photo, undo the door stake and fully extend the tie out.
Now hold the tips of the door panels (still closed) up in the air , move back away from the tent and move those tips up and down and left to right till you see both panels in tension.
Hold it there with one end and stake the tie out so that the panels remain where you have them.
Another way would be to have a good look at the set up video on the TT product page. Note the shape of the tent when flat on the ground as well as when fully erected *view from above) that will show the correct angles for those panels.
Quick tip : the door tie out should be a continuation in a straight line of the zipper line .
Dec 30, 2018 at 3:58 pm #3570744I’ve never had a tent of any ultralight brand that doesn’t have floppy doors. I have never figured out what the problem is or what the secret is to solving it. I have at times put a stick under the line so that the doors will be straight.
Dec 30, 2018 at 9:32 pm #3570760No offence Diane but I never had a single Tarptent that I could not set up TAUT all around.
Mind you I have had people telling me that theirs could not be done…till I showed how to.
BTW, apart from still owning several, for about two years I seam sealed them for the local customers so I have set up most of them.
I know that I annoy some people when I say this but it is very simple : if you see photos of your tent set up nice and taut and yours isn’t , it isn’t the tent …it’s you.
Dec 30, 2018 at 10:36 pm #3570772I find DCF shelters to be pickier about having everything just right that Silnylon shelters because there is no stretch. Of course, since there is no stretch, you don’t have to re-tention anything but you need to get your stakes just right as DCF is less forgiving to having a stake a little off or the ground not as flat. After using a DCF shelter for several years, I broke down and bought the Silpoly X-mid so we will see how it compares.
Dec 30, 2018 at 10:43 pm #3570773That difference has been reported by owners of several designs, some can do them others find it too difficult or not worth the bother.
But they can be done…
(an early report :http://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/2012/03/trailstar-wars.html)
BTW, I only set up two DCF shelters (not by TT) and a tarp . The shelters were a pain to do but the numerous guylines needed to get a good pitch were probably of no help in getting an easy set up and I did not have a silnylon version to do in comparison.
Dec 30, 2018 at 11:15 pm #3570775Hi Franco, I’ve tried that and it seems to work better. I’m just worried about putting too much stress on the seams! My other concern is that -as you know- ground in Australis is so varied and often hard that it relies on the perfect stake which is a bit of a shame. Any special tips for windy conditions?
And thanks to others for comments and feedback, too
Dec 30, 2018 at 11:16 pm #3570777By the way, Franco, do you start with staking the door sides like the Tarptent website suggests or the strut ends like you do on the SS2?
Dec 30, 2018 at 11:18 pm #3570779Diane, I’ve owned silnylon and DCF UL shelters from Tarptent, Six Moon Designs, ZPacks and Mountain Laurel Designs. For me, the most challenging was my ZPacks Duplex… Some were easier to pitch than others but I’ve been able to get them all quite taut after practice. I have two pieces of advice:
1) if you have trouble with a particular point (like a door) hold the guyout point with your fingers and move it around until you find the spot where it becomes taut. Then guyout with the line straight in like with that point.
2) take photos of the problem from a couple different angles and post them here. People here can generally make suggestions to help optimize the pitch.
Dec 30, 2018 at 11:31 pm #3570780Hi Larissa,
I don’t have the Li version, I based my comments having seen the same problem with other tents.
I take with me a mix of 8″ Easton and 8″ Y stakes. I also have a couple of thin shepherd hooks stakes (at time) so that I can use with my Caldera Cone set up but come handy for non load bearing tie outs.
Jan 3, 2019 at 11:44 am #3571178Looks like you need to lower your poles. The height is causing the sagging panels. Your tie out point can’t be pulled far enough out which creates the sag. Lowering your poles will let you set the tie out points further out and that will tighten everything.
Jan 3, 2019 at 9:03 pm #3571296Something that I missed the first time and that iit s a common with the Sil SS is the excessive curvature on the ridge line . It should look like this :
It is possible to get that having the poles too high but often it is because the two Pitch Loc ends are too far from each other. That will also cause the door panels not to sit right.
Jan 3, 2019 at 9:21 pm #3571303Looks to me like Henry designed all the catenary cuts just right, not too much, not too little. Makes for a taut pitch all around.
Have never had a problem getting a TT set up for a taut pitch with the exception of my Contrail which seemed to stretch more than my other later TTs. I’d get the Contrail taut then 30 minutes later have to re-tighten. Maybe it was my hiking pole support that was not set properly. (Naaaa, couldn’t have been my fault.;o)
Perhaps the OP needs to check her pole setup. Jus’ sayin’…
Jan 4, 2019 at 2:16 am #3571376So many times to get the doors taught requires the line to hover in space a foot or two. This is especially true for our Lunar Duo. For my Gossamer Gear One it seems to require a combination of perfect flatness of the ground plus perfect alignment of the stars.
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