Equipment and Patrol Boxes

Tent Care

Tarn 3 Components

Every tent generally consists of the following components:

• The main tent
• The fly sheet
• Poles
• Pegs
• Tent bag (everything goes into this)
• Pole bag (long and thin, gets rolled into the tent)
• Peg bag (short and thin, gets rolled into the tent)

A few of our tents have lost their Pole bag and or peg bag but they all have a tent bag.

Wet Tents

In some cases, when we are packing up our tents at the camp, the sun comes out and helps make sure the tents are dry. In this case we can put the tents away dry. But at some camps, like the Nov 2021 Muskrat Meadows camp where the "Atmospheric River" hit us while packing up, our tents will get packed away wet.

If you leave them wet, they will mildew, which will make them stink and ultimately destroy them.

Any tent that is packed away wet, will need to go to someone's home who has a large utility room, sheltered secure balcony or garage and will need to be spread out and given time to dry out.  It may take more than a few days to dry out.

Each patrol needs to decide beforehand who can take the tents home for drying.

Packing Your Tarn 3 Tent Away

When your tent is dried, you will need to pack it up to bring it to Willingdon.  If you have not done this before, you can bring it to the next Wednesday and have one of your patrol leaders show you how to do this, but before you do that, please try following these instructions.  Note these instructions are specific to a Tarn 2 or Tarn 3 tent, but folding the main tent will be different for other tent types.

• Put the poles in the Pole Bag.
• Put the pegs in the Peg Bag.
• stretch out the main tent.
• Fold it in 3rds
• Double check that the width at the widest end is roughly the length of the poles
• This check works for almost all tent types
• Fold up the fly sheet as best you can - it's an odd shape
• Fold it up so that it's about as wide as the main tent folded up
• Place it on top of the main tent and make sure it is not wider
• You may have to fold it lengthwise as it is longer than the main tent
• Choose one end of the main tent / fly sheet and put the Pole Bag and Peg Bag at that end
• Roll it from that end to the other end
• Stuff the rolled up tent into the Tent Bag

If you determine that your tent has any problems, please let your scouters know.  Things you can tell us include:

• Broken or stuck zipper
• Hole in the tent or fly
• Missing peg or pole bag
• Broken or missing pole
• Missing pegs
• Missing fly (it has happened)
• Missing tent (OK, this has NOT happened, but you never know!)