How to Set Up and Guy Your Coleman Tent

Arriving at a campsite can be stressful. As good as it sounds to drop everything and hit the beach, it is essential to take care of business first. This means setting up a functional campsite so that it is actually possible to eat, sleep, and have fun. We want you to make the best of your vacation, so we have put together a stress-reducing guide to setting up and guying your Coleman tent.

Step 1 – Finding Your Site

The first step to successfully setting up a Coleman tent is to find a great campsite. You want to look for flat elevated ground free of rocks and sticks. A clear campsite will prevent any rips and tears in the tent floor or walls and extend the useful life of your Coleman tent. Tree coverage is another factor you might want to look for when selecting a campsite as protection from the sun will not only aid in keeping your tent cool but will also reduce its wear from the elements. For more info on how to extend the life of your Coleman tent, visit our previous blog; How to Care for Your Coleman Tent.

Step 2 – Layout

After you have selected your perfect site, remove the tent from its storage bag and lay it flat on the ground. This step is crucial so that you can judge the footprint of your tent, as well as position the doors in your desired direction. It is also useful to lay out the poles over top of their path to simplify the setup and make sure it goes smoothly.

Step 3 – Pole Setup

With step number 2 complete, you can easily guide/run the poles through the correct pole channels without any timely mistakes.

Step 4 – Peg It

The last step before guying the tent is to peg it to the ground. This step makes sure the tent won’t move or get blown away by the wind. Pegging a tent to the ground is the first step in stabilizing, and can be easily completed by driving the pegs through the loops that are attached to the floor of most tents.

Step 5 – Guying

The last and most important step is to guy your tent. Guylines provide rigidity to a freestanding structure, which is often key in making sure you can withstand the elements! In the case of your Colman tent, they are used to make sure you can withstand high winds, rain, and even prevent a full collapse halfway through your night. By attaching and tensioning your first couple guylines to the tent body, you can ensure the stability and strength of your tent. In the case of most tents, the second set of guylines attach to your rainfly. By attaching and tensioning these lines, you can ensure that your tent is waterproof and is ready for the worst of storms. Of course, like any other structure, you need to maintain the integrity of your tent. To do this you want to make sure that you check your guylines for tension throughout your trip. A good rule of thumb is to check guylines for appropriate tension once a day as they can easily loosen from bumps, trips, or weather factors.

ProTip: Guylines can easily get lost in plain sight because they are very thin and blend in with shrubbery. To prevent trips and injuries, try hanging clothes on the lines, or even tying a towel to the line for visibility.

The most stressful part is over! Grab your chairs and cooler and head down to the beach for a nice day on the shore or cuddle up in your perfectly stable Coleman tent for a deserved afternoon nap!