tent pitching

Tent-Pitching

Done by:P/CI (NPCC) Sim Guo CHen

For use in St. Joseph's Institution NPCC only

Objectives of Tent Pitching

• Provides Shelter• Practice of knots and lashings• Inculcate values– Communication– Teamwork– Leadership


Parts of a Tent


Equipment Needed

• Outer sheet• Inner sheet• Ground sheet• Vertical pole• Horizontal pole• Metal pegs (14) • Twine (12 X 1.5m, 2 X 2.0m)• Extra peg/mallet


Factors to Consider

• Minimise damage to equipment• Minimise risk of danger• Maximise comfort during stay


Selection of Campsite• Elevation: Select an area that is as flat as possible

or has a gentle slope. Avoid marshy, low lying ground that could flood under the condition of heavy rain.

• Obstacles: Remove all stones, sticks or anything that may damage the groundsheet.

• Wind: Make use of any natural wind breakers, hedges, walls or boulders and where possible face th eopenings of the tents along prevailing winds to maximise ventilation and minimise air resistance acting against the tent sheets.


Selection of Campsite• Overlying trees: Choose a site away from bushes, tree

with low hanging branches. It is better not to pitch under trees, especially in windy weather. Rainwater may continue to drip sticky sap onto the tents, which may affect the maintenance of the tent sheets. Fallen branches may injure someone or damage the equipments

• Animal threats: Avoid dead logs and undergrowth, which may be habitats of harmful insects like bees, army ants, hornets or wasps and snakes. Avoid stagnant pools of water as there may be mosquitoes breeding in there. Avoid animal tracks.


Pitching Procedures

• Erect the tent frame by inserting the pins of vertical poles into the holes at two ends of the horizontal pole, making sure that the vertical poles are perpendicular to the ground. Drape the inner sheet over the frame across the horizontal pole.

• Start by securing the corner guylines. Tie one end of the guyline on the sleeve rings with a bowline.


Pitching Procedures

• Before pegging, ensure that the corner of the inner sheet, the centre of the horizontal pole and the spot where the peg is to be hammered, are in a straight line. Hammer the peg at 45° to the ground, exposing only a length of about 8 fingers’ spacing.

1 peg distance

Outer sheet

Inner sheet


Rationale

• Why do we use inner sheet for peg reference and not ground sheet? – Tent sheets may not belong to same tent set,

dimension may be different so it will be less accurate

– The groundsheet may shift while pitching


Pitching Procedures

• Secure the corner guylines. All 4 of them should be tied using the tent guyline with 1.5m long twines, ideally simultaneously. If not, the diagonal corners should be done together. This is to ensure maximum tension is obtained.


Pitching Procedures

• Tie the two side/wall guylines, ensuring that the pegs in each side of the tents are in a straight line.

• Adjust the guylines so that the surface of the inner sheet is tight and that the wall flaps are vertical and touching the ground.

• Tie the two main guylines using an approximately 2.5m long twine, with a clove hitch to the pin. The distance of the peg from the base of the vertical pole should be the length of the vertical pole


Rationale

• Why do the pegs for the inner sheet and outer sheet differ in distance only in terms of width from the tent and not length?– Inner sheet and outer sheet only differ in width

and not in length– This ensures that there is proper tension in the

outer sheet


Rationale

• Why should the distance of the peg from the vertical pole be one vertical pole length?– Anything longer will have more base area which

results in more stability but will use more rope– Anything shorter will have less base area which

results in less stability but will use less rope


Pitching Procedures• Drape the outer sheet

over the inner sheet. Secure the four corner guylines and the two side guylines. The wall flaps should ideally be just touching the ground. Corner guylines and side guylines for outer sheet should be 1 peg distance away from the guylines for inner sheet away from centre of tent.

1 peg distance

Outer sheet

Inner sheet


Pitching Procedures

• Window flaps should be rolled neatly and tied. • Unfold the groundsheet inside the tent and lay it out

flat. Any overlying area of the groundsheet should be folded neatly underneath the groundsheet itself.

• A well-pitched tent should have a ventilation gap of about 15-20cm between the inner and outer sheets.


Rationale

• Why should the wall flap be just touching the ground? – Deter animals and insects from entering– Promotes maintenance– Indicator of proper tension


Rationale

• Why do we place the clove hitch between the inner sheet and the outer sheet?– Below both sheet will cause twine to be in direct

contact on metal casing which is sharp so the twine might snap due to excess rubbing with the casing

– Above both sheets will not allow outer sheet to be removed easily for cleaning and the twine will be exposed to environmental conditions


Rationale

• Why do we lay the groundsheet last? – It may get dirty– Reduces damage to the groundsheet by the vertical

pole which may be placed above the groundsheet• What is the function of ventilation gap? – Reduce temperature fluctuations inside the tent, i.e.

ensure tent is cool in the day and ensure tent is warm in the night. This is because air is a poor conductor of heat.

– Cushion for falling objects to prevent damage to tent


Rationale

• Why do we make sure the vertical pole stands on grass rather than on the ground sheet? – Ensures that the ground sheet can be shifted (eg.

to cover belongings)– Prevent damage to ground sheet


Rationale

• Colour of Tent Sheets– Green on outside • Blend in with the environment

– Silver on inside• Keep temperatures of tent stable


Rationale

• What is the function of outersheet? – Protective layer for easy cleaning without

affecting main tent skeleton– Divert rainwater further away from groundsheet

than innersheet– Forms ventilation gap with innersheet


Rationale

• What is the purpose of extra sleeve rings? – Reinforcement (in the event of lack of stability,

extra sleeve rings can be used to secure the tent to the ground using guylines)

– Backup (in the event that the corner sleeve rings are torn, the others can be used as alternatives)

– Enclosed tent (the sleeve rings at the door flap of the tent is used to close the tent when twine is used to tie the sleeve rings of the left door flap to that of the right)


3 Practical Fundamentals

• Pegging• Tent guyline• Bowline on sleeve rings


Pegging - Method

• One leg should be placed in front of the peg• When pegging, the other leg should remain

knelt on the ground so as to maintain an upright posture


Pegging – 4Ds

• Depth – Length of peg exposed should be 8 fingers’ length and one palm should fit below the peg

• Deviation – towards the centre of the tent• Distance • Degree – 45 degrees to the ground


Rationale

• Why should the degree between the peg and the ground be 45 degrees?– Anything more than 45 degree will be harder to

peg but more surface area of contact with the ground

– Anything less than 45 degree will be easier to peg but less surface area of contact with the ground


Safety Precautions

• When passing a peg, the sharp end should always point towards the ground

• Do NOT throw a peg• When removing pegs, either use another pegt

o interlock with the hook and turn it left and right till the soil holding it loosens and the peg can be safely removed, or hit the peg at its sides using another peg until the soil holding it loosens and the peg can be safely removed


Reinforcements of Pegs

• If the ground is soft, the following rinforcements can be done to keep the pegs in place:


Animal Threats

• Sulfur can be scattered around tents to repel snakes


Trenches

• Type A trenches should be dug directly under the edges of the outer sheet to collect and divert the flow of rainwater as it slides off the outer sheet.


Trenches

• Type B trenches are dug to divert the water from the surrounding area and to prevent water to be collected around the location of the tent.


tent pitching

Documents