Canvas Tent Setup Guide

You have purchased your new Canvas Tent.  Now you are headed out on that first camping, hunting, fishing or adventure to try out your new tent.  We have put together a quick tent setup reference guide for you. 

Canvas Tent Setup Guide:

1. Remove any debris from where the tent will be setup.  Make sure there are no items that will be in the tent setup area.
2. Determine canvas tent orientation.  This will be important as it relates to common wind direction and tree orientation.  
3. Position angles (these are the corner kits where the rafters, legs and ridge poles will connect) and tent frame on floor in appropriate location for set up. 3 way angles go on the end of the tent frame and the 4 way angles in the middle of the frame.  Frame poles will be identified with black letters that indicate if they are a rafter, wall or ridge pole.  Use these as a guide when laying out all of the tent frame pieces on the ground.  At this point if you have room it may be helpful to lay the canvas tent out next to the frame pieces that are on the ground.  Make sure the door is the direction you want it.  This will provide for a good visual of everything.  
4. Start to assemble the tent frame by connecting the angle / corner kit pieces.  Some people like to start with the rafters and ridge line.  Then they move to the tent length pieces.  After these are done you will have only the legs remaining.  Now install the legs on one side.  Your frame should be sitting at an angle now with only one side of legs installed.  Now take your canvas and drape it over the frame that has been assembled so far.   It should start to look like a tent now.  At this same point if you have a fly for your tent we recommend draping that over at this point.  If you don’t it isn’t the end of the world.  Though, it is harder getting a fly on when the tent is fully setup.  
5. At this point you will want to crawl inside the tent and install the other side of the legs.  If you have a built in floor this step is a little bit tricky.  You will need enough slack in the floor area where the legs are installed already and then install your other legs while lifting up and decreasing the slack in the floor.  NOTE: IF YOU DO HAVE AN A BUILT IN FLOOR YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETE STEPS 1 TO 4 INSIDE THE TENT.  YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DRAPE THE TENT OVER IN THE SAME MANNER.   
6. At this juncture the tent should be pretty much setup.  There are couple schools of thought as it relates to zippers on the front of the tent.   Our preference is to close your zipper at this juncture.   And start to secure your tent to the ground with the ropes, tensioners and stakes.   We recommend securing the tent first and then securing the fly. 
7. If you have a sod cloth that is part of your tent remember to tuck it inside.  Utilize the grommets provided to secure it to the ground with stakes.  
8. If you have a wood stove for your tent now is when you will start that installation.  Run the stove pipe up from the inside of your tent through your stove jack on your tent and your tent fly.  Make sure the tent fly stove jack and canvas tent stove jack are aligned.  Then bring the stove pipe down and connect it to your wood stove.  Depending on your stove setup you should be good to go at this juncture.  Happy Camping!    
9. To take the tent down you essentially reverse the order.  Make sure to be aware of mud, dirt and other debris when taking your tent down to make sure it stays clean. 

Learn more about our canvas tents.