subject: Making Sense of Tents [print this page] Making Sense of Tents Making Sense of Tents
Guylines - These are easily adjustable and help to maintain the tents shape and stability. It is worth spending a little time getting all the guylines taut and checking them again before settling down to sleep, so to ensure maximum sturdiness in the event of any strong winds or bad weather. Some guylines are reflective or luminous which makes them easier to avoid tripping over by torchlight. Why not change yours or personalise them with your own bright visual warnings?
Groundsheet - A groundsheet is usually sewn-in as a tray-shaped floor to your tent. The purpose is to keep you off damp ground, protect against rainfall run-off and cut out draughts as well as stopping creepy-crawlies getting inside. To protect a sewn-in groundsheet from abrasion, it pays to place it over a cheap plastic tarp or, even better, a custom tent 'footprint' that fits the shape exactly. As there's no real insulation value in a groundsheet, spreading out a fleece blanket makes a comfy 'carpet'.
Mesh doors - Mesh doors keep annoying biting insects, creepy crawlies and irritating moths at bay whilst allowing air to flow through the tiny pores to aid ventilation when going to sleep in your tent.
Flysheet - Pitched over the inner tent's like a large umbrella, it's made from strong waterproof material to keep out rain and any bad weather. It also offers some protection from the sun and the doorways may unzip fully to form sun and rain awnings.
To read the whole article please follow this link: Making Sense of Tents
