How to Build a Wenzel Cottonwood 2-Room Family Dome Tent

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Properly setting up your Wenzel Cottonwood dome tent could mean the difference between a comfortable night for your family and, if a storm strikes, a wet, miserable disaster. Because the tent only uses a two-pole dome structure with a pole-supported rainfly, you must make the tent taut for it to withstand rough weather. To guarantee a taut tent, you must use guylines and stakes. Two people can set up the Cottonwood tent in under five minutes and expect a dry night in stormy weather.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Wenzel Cottonwood tent
Fiberglass poles
Stakes
Guylines
Fabric divider

Step 1

Lay the Cottonwood family dome tent flat on the ground and slide the two longer fiberglass poles into the tent's roof sleeves, making an "X" across the tent.

Step 2

Go to the backside of the tent and insert the pins at each corner into the ends of the tent poles. Pole failures often occur at the ferrules, so double-check that the pins are fully inserted.

Step 3

Send one person into the tent to slowly lift the poles. As she's lifting, insert the front corner pins into the tent poles. Clip the plastic hooks to the poles. Tension should be even along each pole.

Step 4

Stake out the tent. While staking, pull the tent tight, which maximizes the tent's inner space and makes the structure taut. Start by staking out the four corners and finish by staking the center of each side.

Step 5

Hang the fly over the tent with the awning over the front door. Each fly corner hooks into the D rings at the tent's base. Insert the two small poles into the awning's corners and the corresponding grommet on the tent's body.

Step 6

Tie guylines to each loop on the side of the fly and stake these out. The guylines stabilize the tent in winds, which makes this two-pole design stronger.

Step 7

Attach the fabric divider to the center of the tent's inside. This divides the tent into two rooms.

Tips & Warnings

Before setting up your tent, select a flat spot free of dips and depressions. During a strong rainstorm, depressions funnel water under your tent.

Remove debris from your tent site before setting up the tent. It helps prolong the life of your tent's floor and makes sleeping in the tent more comfortable.

Don't set up your tent under any trees with widow makers, which are loosely hanging dead branches that could fall during a windstorm.

Article Written By Bryan Hansel

Bryan Hansel is a freelance photographer and kayaking guide who began writing in 1993. His outdoors articles appear on various websites. Hansel holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and religion from the University of Iowa.

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