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How to Put Up a Hillary 10 X 11 Dome Tent

How to Put Up a Hillary 10 X 11 Dome Tent

tent on the forest image by Galyna Andrushko from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>

Summitting Everest is not the purpose of the Sears tents carrying Sir Edmund Hillary’s name, but the strength, durability and weather protection of the 10-by-11-foot Hillary Dome makes it a family tent for three-season camping. Domes are easy to erect, resist wind forces, and provide room with external crisscrossed poles. Sears no longer sells Hillary Domes, but the sturdy tents are usually available secondhand.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:
  • Tent-stake hammer
  • Four or six 6-foot-long guy ropes (depending on rain-fly style)
  • Four or six extra stakes (depending on rain-fly style)
  • Heavy duty 12-by-10-foot groundcloth
Step 1
Pick a site to pitch the tent. A flat area generally free of rocks, roots, and sticks provides a comfortable place to set the tent. Police the area to remove any sharp objects sticking up being careful not to damage growing plants. Try to leave the site generally undisturbed by adjusting the tent location to avoid plants.
Step 2
Unroll the ground cloth and stretch it tight. Place the Hillary tent in the center of one edge and unroll the tent. Open the tent body so that the corners fit the tarp. Set the tent entrance for easy and clear access in and out. This makes it safer to exit the tent at night when visibility is low.
Step 3
Connect the two equally long tent pole sections as you feed them through the guides on the tent. Insert the “under” pole first, then the “over” pole with the guides riding over the first pole. When evenly placed through the guides, the poles create an “X.” Attach the poles to the grommets in each corner, raising the tent as the poles lock in. It’s usually easier to connect both ends of one pole to the opposite tent corners before connecting the second pole.
Step 4
Attach the rain fly. The third pole slides through the guides in the rain fly, creating a spine. Toss one end over the tent while holding the other, then adjust the rain fly so that its opening aligns with the tent door. Clip the rain fly to the corners of the tent body. Ensure that the rain fly is held in place so that it is not in direct contact with the tent body to prevent contact leaks.
Step 5
Stake the tent to the ground. Use the hammer, or a flat rock, to pound each stake within one-half inch of the ground. Angle the stakes at 30-degrees towards the tent to anchor against wind pull. If the ground is loose, look for rocks to weight the stakes to the ground. After connecting the guy rope, pound the top of the stake to ground level.
Step 6
Attach the guy ropes to the loops on the rain fly and connect to stakes set about four to six feet from the tent. Depending on the style of rain fly, either four or six tie-downs will be needed.

Tips & Warnings

 
Tie narrow 6-inch strips of aluminum foil from the guy ropes to increase night time visibility.
 
Tie a piece of heavy-duty string or guy rope from pole to pole at the entrance on which a lantern can be hung.
 
A tent not staked to the ground is aerodynamic and it doesn't take much wind to blow it away even when filled with gear.
 
While the guy ropes are not required, a strong gust of wind can blow the tent flat. Even though dome design will ensure it pops back into shape, when the tent is occupied, the temporary collapse can be disconcerting.

Resources

Article Written By Eric Jay Toll

Eric Jay Toll has been writing since 1970, influenced by his active lifestyle. An outdoorsman, businessman, planner and travel writer, Toll's work appears in travel guides for the Navajo Nation, "TIME" and "Planning" magazines and on various websites. He studied broadcast marketing and management at Southern Illinois University.

Write for Trails.com

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