How to set up a one-roofed Tibetan Tent In this example, the tent has a square base, 20 x 20 feet. Preparation:
Before you set up your tent, you will need to purchase the listed materials.
Materials:
1 beam – 10 feet long
2 posts – 11 feet tall
Beam and posts may be made of wood, 2.5” thick. They may also be made of metal.
Rope – 500+ feet.
30 - 35 tent stakes total
4 large, sturdy tent stakes – 1-1.5 feet in length.
10 outside posts – 10 feet tall. Made of wood, 2” thick.
You will also need to attach your 10 foot beam to the top of your two 11 foot posts. You may do this step well in advance, or you may do this step as you are setting up your tent. Watch the video in order to learn how to make a notch.
Step One
Spread the roof of the tent flat on the ground by pulling from its four corners. Do not worry about the walls or porch until later.
Step Two
Tie a 40-foot rope to each of the four corners. Take one rope and pull it outwards, stretching in a diagonal direction. When the rope is stretched, use a sturdy stake, and stake the end of the rope into the ground well. Repeat with all four corners.
Step Three
Take one of your 10-foot outside posts. Twist the post into one of the four ropes that you have already staked. The post should stand 2-3 feet from the tent, and the twist should be 7’6” from the ground. Stand the post up, thereby lifting one corner of the tent. Do this for all four corners. Now, when you look at the tent, you will still see the roof on the ground. Only the four corners are lifted up.
Step Four
Now use your attached beam and posts. Bring the beam and posts under the tent. You will see two holes in the middle of the roof. Position each end of the beam into a hole. You may find that you need to stretch the tent a bit, but do not stretch it too much or you may tear the tent.
You will need two people in order to stand the beam and posts. Both posts must stand at the same time, otherwise the notch may break. Together, stand the two posts straight. If you have four people to hold the four corners, this will be easier.
Lastly, check that the four corner ropes are tied well.
Step Five
Join the walls with the roof. The walls have hooks along their top, and loops along their bottom. The roof has loops. Join the walls with the roof by putting the hooks of the wall through the loops of the roof.
The walls should just touch the ground. For now, only stake the corners. When the corners are staked to the ground, then check that the tent is straight. If there are curves in the wall, you can pull the rope more tightly, adjust the outside posts, or change the locations of the large 1-1.5 foot stakes.
When you think the tent is square, you can put stakes through all the loops that run along the ground.
Step Six
Now, use the rest of your 10’ outside posts to better secure the tent.
Use a chair/stepstool to reach the loops that run along each side of the tent. These loops will be bigger than the loops you have already used for your walls. There should be three unused loops on each side of the tent.
Take three short ropes, 3 feet long. Tie the three ropes to the three loops. Then knot the three ropes together, making the knot close to 2 feet from the tent. Before making this knot, adjust until each rope is taut.
Now, tie a 25’ rope to this knot. Pull the long rope straight out, and stake its end into the ground. Take a 10’ outside post, and twist it into the rope as you have done before. The post should be 2’ from the tent, and the ropes should be 7’6” from the ground.
Repeat with each of the four sides of the tent, with one exception. The front will need more than two feet in order to accommodate the front porch.
Step Seven
Open the front porch. This step is the same as steps two and three, when you raised the roof of the tent. Tie a 25-30 foot rope to both corners of the porch. Take one rope and pull it outwards, stretching in a diagonal direction. When the rope is stretched, stake the end of the rope into the ground well. Repeat with the second porch corner.
Take one of your 10-foot outside posts. Twist the post into one of the ropes that you have already staked. The post should stand 2-3 feet from the tent, and the twist should be 7’6” from the ground. Stand the post up, thereby lifting one corner of the porch. Do this for both porch corners.
Now your tent is open in the front.
Notes:
- In windy weather, it is best to close the porch. Let the posts down, and stake the porch to the ground using its loops.
- A trench around the tent will prevent water from getting inside. Dig 5 inches deep around the tent, piling the dirt between the trench and the tent.
- We recommend you buy a tent with patterns that are sewn, using appliqué. A tent with printed or painted patterns may bleach or bleed in the rain. (We sell only appliquéd fabrics.)
- After a storm, always check that your stakes are still secure, and your ropes are still balanced.
- On a hot day, feel free to open one side of the tent and enjoy the breeze.
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