Setting up a tent is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. You might end up with some problems if you don’t take the time to pitch it correctly. Here at Camp Out Colorado, we have some suggestions that will help you enjoy your camping trip through good weather or poor. By taking a few extra simple steps, you can easily avoid a lot of the most common mistakes that can ruin a perfectly good camping trip.

Now that you have most of your tent up, you are ready to do the finishing touches. Don’t hurry past these last few steps — make sure your tent is set up right so your home away from home stays nice and cozy.

If you haven’t yet read the previous entries on getting started pitching a tent, be sure to do so:

The Right Way to Pitch a Tent – Campground

The Right Way to Pitch a Tent – Setup

The Final Touches to Tent Setup

Giga Tent PROSPECT ROCK 10 x 8 Family tent

The tent is up, partially staked and almost ready for you to move in! At this time go around and drive in the rest of the tent stakes. Pull the floor so it is flat and taut, but not too tight. Attach the rain fly if your tent has one, and stake down the edges. Make sure your rain fly’s edges are held out to allow air to flow through your tent.

Most tents are designed to have airflow through them. This might seem counter-intuitive, but you will generally stay warmer in a tent with some ventilation then one that doesn’t have ventilation. This is because the moisture from your breath can quickly build up inside the tent. This moisture gets into your sleeping bag, clothes, and everything else, making you much colder, much faster. With good airflow, you will keep your gear dry, and keep you warmer.

That should just about do it for setting up your tent. Some tents have small flaps on the front as a place to take off your shoes before getting in. These work OK, but I like to put down a small 2’x3’ scrap of carpet. It is softer than the ground and can even give you a place to wipe your feet if you want.

Cabela's Marine Carpet doubles as a great tent camping welcome mat!

This might seem like a lot to consider for something as simple as setting up a tent. However, taking these extra steps and preparing for different conditions is worth it. If a big storm hits, dropping a lot of rain, we know the water will go around the tent and not get inside, soaking our gear and sleeping bag. We have also carefully staked down the tent, making it easy to get in and out of it, even late at night. We don’t have to worry about the doors or windows getting stuck and letting in the wildlife. With our attention to detail on the rain fly and our tent’s ventilation, we know it can handle the weather and wind and will help keep us warm throughout the night.

If you use these simple tent camping tips and tricks, you will enjoy a great many successful and fun camping trips. When others in your campground group are out in the rain and sleet, fighting flooding tents, or battling a swarm of mosquitoes at midnight, you can roll over and smile knowing you are safe and snug inside a well-pitched tent!