1. Introduction
Camping is one of the regular activites of the NPCC. Campers stay in tents at Annual Camps and Adventure Training Camps at the NPCC campsite in Pulau Ubin. Hence, it is necessary for instructors and cadets to familiarize themselves with tent pitching. Besides, tent pitching is also important in Campcraft Competitions that is held by the NPCC HQ once every 2 years.
2. Equipment needed for a NPCC 4-Man Tent
- 1 x inner sheet (with flaps at both ends and walls on both sides)
- 1 x outer sheet
- 1 x ground sheet
- 1 x horizontal pole (also known as "crossbar")
- 2 x vertical poles (also known as "uprights")
- 14+1 x metal pegs
- Twine(12 x 1.5m, 2 x 2.0m)
3. Recommended Tent Pitching Procedures
- Erect the tent frame by inserting the pins of the vertical poles into the holes at both ends of the horizontal pole. Ensure that the vertical poles are perpendicular to the ground. Slip the inner sheet over the frame.
- Proceed to secure the corner guylines. Tie one end of the 1.5m twine to the sleeve rings with a bowline.
- Pull one end of the inner sheet until the wall flap just touches and is perpendicular to the ground. Align the pegs as follows:
- Anchor the other end of the guyline to the peg using a tent guy loop.
- Tighten the corner guylines of the inner sheet around the pegs. Fasten pairs of diagonally opposite corner guylines at the same time. After the four corner guylines have been tightened, hammer in the wall guyline pegs and then tie the two wall guylines. Ensure that the pegs on each side of the tents are in a straight line and parallel to the wall flap.
- Ensure that the surface of the inner sheet is tight and that the wall flaps are upright and just touching the ground.
- Tie the two main guylines to the pins of the vertical poles with clove hitches. The distance of the peg from the base of a vertical pole should be equal to the length of the vertical pole, or roughly three pegs length. Anchor the two main guylines using tent guy loops.
- Drape the outer sheet over the inner sheet. Secure the four corner guylines and the two wall guylines.
- Unfold the ground sheet inside the tent and lay it flat. The sides of the ground sheet may be folded if necessary.
- Adjust the tension of all guylines. A well-pitched tent should have a ventilation gap of about 15-20cm (6 inches) between the inner and outer sheet.
4. Pegging Procedures
- Hold the peg with your master hand facing 45° down towards the ground.
- Using your other hand, peg on the top of it using another peg.
- The end of the peg should have a one palm's length between the peg and the ground.
Information and images provided by NPCC HQ