Took me 45 minutes to pitch my tent in the dark last weekend

I got to the campsite near Big Bear around 9 PM. Thought I could set up quick. Nope. Forgot I'd never practiced setting up that tent in the dark. The poles were all tangled. I kept putting them in the wrong sleeves. Tried using my phone flashlight but it died after 10 minutes. Ended up using my car headlights. Stupid mistake. Has anyone else made this kind of rookie error?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesleypatel12d ago

Started marking the pole sleeves with different colored duct tape after that exact thing happened to me. Red for the long poles, blue for the short ones, green for the cross piece. Made a world of difference the next trip. Also started keeping a spare headlamp clipped to my backpack straps so I don't have to dig for a phone in the dark.

bell.taylor12d ago

Skip the duct tape idea, @wesleypatel. I actually spent a whole weekend training myself to pitch that tent blindfolded in my backyard. Worth every minute. Now if my headlamp dies or I lose the colored tape strips, I can still set up in under 10 minutes by feel alone. Marking poles just adds another thing to lose in the dark.