How to pitch a campfire / baker tent

[firebreather]

Ok after all the interest in my campfire tent. I have agreed to do a "how to" and show the different ways that I pitch it. I have done blogs before but never a how to so please bear with me.
I have placed a 30l barrel in some piccys for a size comparison.

Ok so after getting your new toy home its time to pitch it. Find a spot (in this case my back garden) and lay the tent on the ground.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0030.jpg

Then sort out the poles and put them in place.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0031.jpg

Peg out the guy lines at the rear of the tent and using the main frame guy lines stand in front of the tent and pull it up. The guy lines at the rear keep the tent steady and It should just stand up as you pull. This is not an easy task to master but it does get easier with practice. It helps if you use a block for the main poles to lever against. Keep the guy lines long enough for you to peg them out in front of the tent together. Then when its up adjust the lines into their right place. Sorry as I was on my own doing this I have no photos of this stage.
Anyway the campfire tent is now up and the main frame has been pegged out. It will look like this.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0032.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0033.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0034.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0035.jpg

You can use the tent like this but WHY when there is sooooo much more the campfire tent will do.
Pull out the front porch and add the poles. Pegging the guy lines one side at a time.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0040.jpg
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0039.jpg

Now at this stage I add another set of guy lines to the porch and tension it sideways as well as forwards.
If the wind is blowing from either side then just untie one of the wings and peg it out,adjust the tension as needed.This can be done with either side but I have just shown one.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0044.jpg

If you want there is the option of both wings.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0045.jpg

Now lets say you are out and it starts raining but you dont want to loose too much height from the living space. Another quick modification of the front poles and tension and it will look like this. Allowing the rain to roll off to one side and stopping it from puddling on the roof.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0047.jpg

As you can see not too much height is lost with this set up

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0048.jpg

Then its time for beddy boos and the rain is hammering it down. Lower the other pole and re-tension the guys again.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0051.jpg

If the weather turns really nasty the wings can be pulled out from inside the porch and pulled over the top and tied together to provide extra support. I have never done this but Bill Mason suggested it so I have shown it. To be honest if it gets to this stage you need to be asking yourself if you have got the right tent for the environment you are in. A geodesic dome might have been a better option.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0053.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0055.jpg

The view from inside with the tent set up low for rain.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0057.jpg


The secret to making the campfire tent work is tension. As you alter the set up you will need to re-tension the lines, practice makes this a very easy job to do, I can change the set up in a few minutes. Remember that cotton tents will "give" in the rain and you need to relax the tension as it dries.
Hope this helps and makes sence.

Cheers Greg

[Singeblister]

Good tutorial mate , do you ever take those muckboots off ?

[AJB]

Brilliant!

[addo]

Cracking set up you have there greg, very traditional. Is it still warm in the "bed chamber" with the porch up and the fire outside of that. Just wondered if you could still feel the heat over that distance.
Cheers.

[firebreather]

Good tutorial mate , do you ever take those muckboots off ?

Not if I can help it mate. :D they are the best things I have bought in a long time. just wish I had got them sooner.

Greg

[firebreather]

Cracking set up you have there greg, very traditional. Is it still warm in the "bed chamber" with the porch up and the fire outside of that. Just wondered if you could still feel the heat over that distance.
Cheers.

yes you can. its nice and warm. At the last middlewood meet we had our fire going in a small 5 l beer can stove and it made the tent toasty warm. The wings and the porch work like a reflector oven and "cook " whatever is inside it namely me :D .
Its that warm that Lin has agreed to come to the next one and use it. She has even agreed to spend new years eve out camping......so we must have done something right normally I get :twak: its cold and :buttkick: its still cold.

Greg

[topknot]

That is very very good, mate
Topknot.

[andywinkk]

Good work greg, ive have finnaly got around to making mine, cant wait to sleep in it

well done

[big_swede]

impressive!

[Lasse]

Looks comfy!

So... How much weight does that tent add to your backpack? ^^

[firebreather]

Looks comfy!

So... How much weight does that tent add to your backpack? ^^

A fair wack :D Its not really a back packing tent. good for canoes and car camping but I would not want to carry it far. Split between 2 people it should be ok.

tent, poles and pegs= 8.6 kg
tent only = 5.1 kg
poles and pegs = 3.5 kg

Cheers Greg

[firebreather]

Cheers for the kind words guys.

Greg

[firebreather]

After a couple of PM's here is some more info that I forgot to add. :o

The rear of the tent (bedroom area) should be pitched facing into the wind. So that the wind hits the rear and flows up and over the tent, otherwise it will become a kite SMyikesannim. This is dependant on wind speed, if its only a slight breeze then there should not be an issue but if its blowing hard then you would not want it blowing straight in would you ;)

If using the tent on wet muddy ground then I have found it an advantage to lay a plastic footprint under the bedroom area to help keep it dry. As the floor is made up from cotton canvas and will eventually get wet. Now i use a footprint on all of my tents when its wet/ muddy so this is normal for me but I have been told that it is not common practice for everybody.

Cheers Greg

[Shewie]

Great post Greg, I might come knocking at the next Middlewood meet and have a butchers at it if you don`t mind

[firebreather]

Great post Greg, I might come knocking at the next Middlewood meet and have a butchers at it if you don`t mind

Pop on over for a brew. The next one in the pipeline is the 4 man version and we should be bringing that to middlewood.

Cheers Greg

[Chris the Cat]

What is "Middlewood"?
Chris (new here,popped over from britishblades and loving it!)
Very interesting post there sir!
Regards.
Chris.

[firebreather]

What is "Middlewood"?
Chris (new here,popped over from britishblades and loving it!)
Very interesting post there sir!
Regards.
Chris.

Cheers Chris.
Middlewood is scout camp that we use. Its a meet up /camping weekend that is organised by one of the guys on here currently Simon M.
There are loads of write ups in the meets section about it.The last one was called vertical smoke and the next is called brass monkeys ;)
Greg

[firebreather]

Ok as a few members have asked for piccys of the tent packed away in its bag. The dimensions are 31 inch long by 26 inch round. I have added the standard 30l barrel for size comparison.

out of the bag

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0062.jpg

In the bag

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0066.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0068.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t2/firebreather30/PICT0069.jpg

Hope this helps.

Greg