Dome tent set up safety... Do poles ever go flying?

[gema]

I just bought my the Eureka Tetragon 5 person tent. I liked the idea of an 8x8 floor (although there are just two of us), and a height of 6'. We'll be car camping and I want to be able to stand up. The reviews are decent (after weather proofing) and it's on sale this week...

I checked out some You Tube videos on how to set it up, but the videos were for the smaller model. Still, it's a 2 pole dome style tent and it seems easy enough. (Insert corner pins into poles, stand in door way with poles leaning towards doorway, raise poles and velcro top loop onto poles, then start attaching clips...)

The problem that I'm now facing is reality versus computer research! We've been having rain, so I naively thought that I could do a test set up in my living room. The tent would have fit, but the poles are much longer than I expected them to be. I'm surprised that I didn't take out a window. Anyway, I didn't set it up and today was too rainy to try outside. What I'm wondering is, with the tent poles being so long, and there aren't any sleeves to slide them through, before putting the pins into the pole ends, isn't there the risk of the poles going flying? I'll often be setting up by myself and now I'm wondering if the tent is going to be a safety issue, with the poles being long and just the pins holding them in, until the top loop gets attached.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated! Because I'm inexperienced, I don't know if tent poles do actually go flying out of their pins or not. I'm tempted to return it (even though I got a great price!) and go for something like the Copper Canyon 4 person tent...

Thanks much!

[Mike]

Re: Dome tent set up safety... Do poles ever go flying?

Yes sometimes the corner pegs come out of the poles and "SPROING!!" The pole springs out straight

It is frustrating, but not dangerous. I find that swearing immediately after this happens really helps the situation

[gema]

Re: Dome tent set up safety... Do poles ever go flying?

Thanks for the info, Mike and Hogsnapper!

I returned the Tetragon. I definitely want to be able to put up a tent by myself and I think having sleeves for the poles will make me feel more confident about doing that.

So... I'm now considering going with the Eureka Copper Canyon 4 person tent (8x8 and 7' high), or the Cabela's West Wind 4 person dome tent. (7'8"x9'10", 58" high). I love the fly on the West Wind, but I wish it was taller. I decided not to rush into my decision, but we already had plans for our first camping trip. So, I decided to buy something inexpensive to get us by until I do more research.

I got the Coleman Sundome 4 person tent (9x7, 59" high), on sale for $45.00. I was very reluctant about buying it because the rain fly is short. But, it was for one night of beach camping and I figured that we could hop in the car if it leaked (thunder storms were forecasted).

The Coleman Sundome did great! It was a rock star through a night of rain and wind, including a nasty torrential downpour/thunder storm. It stayed completely dry. I folded a tarp underneath it (1" smaller than floor size), and used a guy line on each side of the tent. Personally, I think it's too drafty for anything other than a summer tent. But, it's really an okay tent for quick weekend car camping. I'll definitely keep it as a second tent and I'm sure that we'll use it for more beach camping, this summer. After her first camp out, my four year old is hooked!

[tplife]

Re: Dome tent set up safety... Do poles ever go flying?

The tetragon series is a good performer, considering its price point. While it's all dated with pin-and-ring design and cheap poly flooring, low-tech non-wound fiberglass poles, D-doors it has a longer rainfly and as long as you don't go bigger than the 3-man model, pole integrity is okay for wind and rain (mine has two cross poles with an eve brace across the door and rear window). We got one at a steep, steep discount for a "loaner" tent and I used it once in sub-freezing nighttime conditions in the eastern Sierras hunting. Freezing rain and a half inch of snow wasn't a big deal, but I was careful to use a tarp over the top to retain some warmth, totally unnecessary when you get a "quality" tent, which this isn't. The whole fabric surface outside was stiff from the cold but thawed well in the morning sun and the tent continues to do duty as a "loaner" for guests who join us from time to time. Your Sundome is another example of an inexpensive tent that gets the job done, after all, that's what it's all about, isn't it?