Mountain hardwear Tent Owners Manual
TenT Owner’s Manual
Contents
Selecting A Site .....................2
Footprints ..........................2
Caring For Your Tent On The Trail .........3
Stormproofing Your Tent ................3
Guy-Out Cord ........................4
Internal Guy System ...................4
Internal Guy System cont................ 5
Ultraviolet (UV) Light ..................5
Food Storage ....................... 6
Tent Pole Care ....................... 6
Field Repairs ........................7
Poles .............................7
Zippers ............................7
Tears and Other Damage ...............8
Caring For Your Tent At Home ...........8
Seam Sealing The Tent Body ............8
Seam Sealing the Tent Fly ..............9
Cleaning Your Tent ....................9
Storing Your Tent ..................... 9
What Does Your Tent Weigh? ............ 9
Low Impact Camping .................10
Tent Accessories .................... 10
Mountain Hardwear Lifetime Warranty ....11
Repairs ........................... 11
WARNING!!! PLEASE READ! ............12
hank you for choosing a Mountain Hardwear tent.
We take pride in making lightweight durable shelters
T
this user manual and “test pitch” your new tent before taking
it into the wilderness.
For your safety, please read and understand the warning on
page 12. If you do not understand any part of the warning
call Mountain Hardwear at 800-330-6800 or 510-558-3000
before using the tent.
for outdoor enthusiasts. Please take the time to read
warnInG!!!
1
Selecting A Site
Choose a site that is level, clear of sharp stones and other debris,
is sheltered from the wind, and will drain when it rains. You may
wish to face your tent south or east to catch the morning sun. Do
not pitch your tent under trees, in water drainages, or on ridge
tops.
Even though most of our tents are free-standing, we recommend
that you always stake out your tent to prevent it from flying away
in a gust of wind. Secure all pull-outs (webbing loops located on
the perimeter of the tent). Cinch all webbing adjustments tightly.
Footprints
We recommend using a Mountain Hardwear footprint to protect
the floor of your tent. Footprints are designed to fit precisely
under each tent style and shield the tent floor from sharp twigs,
rocks, tree sap, and the like. Footprints can be purchased at your
Mountain Hardwear dealer.
Mountain hardwear tent footprint
2
CarInG FOr Y O u r T e n T O n The T r a I l
Stormproofing Your Tent
All Mountain tents:
1.Using a 3 hole line tightener and cord (Fig. 2a). Adjust the
tension by sliding the tightener to either tighten or loosen the
line as shown in Fig. 2b.
figure 2a figure 2b
Superlight and Expedition tents:
Using Line-Lok™ cord cleats. Use cord 2 – 5 mm
(5/64 3/16 inch) in diameter.
1. Feed cord through cord cleat and secure (Fig.1a).
(code and cleat should appear as in Fig.1b)
2. To tension the cord, slide the cleat upward (Fig.1c).
3. To release tension, pull the cords apart (Fig. 1c).
figure 1a figure 1b figure 1c figure 1d
3
Expedition tents:
Guy-Out Cord
Guy-out loops are sewn to the outside of the flysheet. On the inside of the flysheet (opposite of where the guy-out loops are sewn)
are clips (Fig. 3). Attach these clips to the tent pole and then
attach a cord to the guy-out loop and anchor the tent properly.
Make sure you tie your guy-out cord to objects (tent stakes, rocks,
snow pickets, etc.) which will hold the tent in a strong wind.
Internal Guy System
figure 3
To further stormproof your tent add two internal guy systems to
the inside of your tent by using the cord and cord cleats provided
and the webbing loops sewn into the interior walls and roof. Join
two pieces of 96” cord, forming one long cord. Tie one end of the
cord to
point B (Fig. 4a) at one inside corner of the tent, and thread the
free end through the webbing loops at points C, D, and E. Now
thread the free end through a cord
cleat (Fig. 1 previous page) and then guide it through the webbing loop at point F. Secure the free end of the cord to the line
tightener.
With the second long cord and cleat, follow the same procedure
for points G, H, D, I, and J. Adjust these two internal guy systems
as conditions require (Fig. 4b).
4
Internal Guy System cont.
figure 4a
figure 4b
Ultraviolet (UV) Light
Ultraviolet light degrades lightweight tent fabric (and almost any
synthetic material). UV light will cause the fabric to fade, lose
strength, and eventually disintegrate. e amount of UV damage is directly related to the fabric’s exposure to the sun and the
altitude at which the tent is pitched. If it is left pitched during the
day, high-altitude exposure can damage a tent beyond use within
a month. e best way to prolong the life of your tent is to keep it
out of the sun. Pitch your tent in a shady spot whenever possible.
By striking (taking your tent down) in the morning and pitching
your tent late in the day, your tent will last many years.
5
Food Storage
Never store food in your tent. Animals will often tear or bite their
way into a tent to get your food.
Tent Pole Care
When assembling the poles, never allow the pole
sections to snap against each other. Always make sure that all pole
sections are fully engaged before bending (fig. 5). Keep the poles
clean and free of silt, sand, and salt, taking special care with the
tips as they are not anodized and can corrode. When disassembling your poles, always start from the center, then work your way
to the tips. is allows the elastic cord to be evenly stretched, an
important factor when the poles are stored disassembled for a long
period of time.
Using tent poles near saltwater. Special care should be used when
figure 5
storing or using aluminum tent poles in saltwater environments
for an extended time. Clean the tent poles with fresh water or
for additional protection use an aluminum lubricant such as
Boeshield. You can find out more about Boeshield at www.
Boeshield.com. e use of aluminum lubricants is not necessary
under most conditions, as Easton aluminum poles come hard
anodized from the factory.
6
FIeld repa I r s
Poles
If you break a tent pole, you can temporarily repair the break
by splinting the pole with a short aluminum repair sleeve. e
aluminum repair sleeve is fitted over the broken pole section (Fig.
6) and taped (or wedged) into place. Ski pole repair sleeves, tent
stakes and even branches can be used to splint broken tent tubes.
Zippers
One of the keys to zipper longevity is to keep them away from
sand and grit. When pitching your tent, be careful to keep the
door and window zippers out of the dirt. Never step on the zipper.
Keep zippers clean by washing them (at home) with a garden hose
and pressure nozzle.
Most zipper failures result from wear to the coating on the inside
of the zipper slider (the metal toggle). Once that coating wears
off, the metal abrades rapidly, and the zipper slider no longer joins
the continuous plastic coils securely. e plastic coils then tend
to separate behind the zipper slider. You can replace a worn out
zipper slider with our patented Zipper Repair Clamp. e Zipper Repair Clamp (Fig. 7) is available from your local Mountain
Hardwear dealer.
7
Tears and Other Damage
Small holes and tears can be repaired in the field using a needle
and thread, adhesive repair tape, or liquid urethane (Mcnett™
Seam Grip). Field repairs do not void the tent’s warranty.
CarInG FOr Y O u r T e n T aT hOMe
Never pack or store your tent if it is dirty and/or damp. If you
do so, mildew can form and ruin the waterproof coating on your
tent. Mildew will cause your tent to smell and can eventually
delaminate and damage the polyurethane coating. is will cause
your tent to leak. ere is no cure for mildew damage. Prolonged
moisture on the polyurethane coating (storing the tent wet for
more than a few days) can cause hydrolysis. e coating becomes
soft and sticks to itself, peeling from the fabric which will lead to
leakage. Mildew damage and hydrolysis are not covered under our
Lifetime Warranty.
Seam Sealing The Tent Body
If your tent will be subject to prolonged rainfall or a persistantly
wet environment, the bias bound floor perimeter seam (where
the sidewall meets the floor) on the tent body must be sealed. Do
not seam seal the tent canopy or zippers. Pitch the tent in a well
ventilated area (preferably out of doors and in the shade). Make
sure the tent is clean, dry, and taut. Stake out the tent floor. Never
seam seal in cold, damp (humid) environments. Seal the inner,
coated (shiny) side of the fabric only. Seam sealer does not adhere
as well to the uncoated side because the water repellent finish is
applied to that side. Apply several thin coats instead of one thick
coat. Work the seam sealer thoroughly into the floor perimeter
seam by applying pressure and brushing the liquid back and forth.
Follow the drying instructions on the seam sealant tube carefully
to prevent damaging your tent.
8
Seam Sealing the Tent Fly
e flysheet is factory seam sealed with hot tape. For most
weather conditions, no further seam sealing is necessary. However, if it will be subject to prolonged rainfall or a persistantly wet
environment, we recommend that you seam seal certain points
on the inside of the fly. Lay the flysheet inside out on the pitched
tent. e coated (shiny) side of the fabric should be facing out.
Seam seal all points where webbing or Velcro are sewn into or on
a seam. Work the sealer into and around these attachment points
using the techniques described in the paragraph above. Follow the
drying instructions on the seam sealant tube carefully.
Cleaning Your Tent
Never machine wash or machine dry your tent. For localized
cleaning, use a sponge with warm water. When cleaning the
entire tent, wash in a tub (bathtub) of cold water. Never use hot
water, bleach, dish-washing liquid, pre-soaking solutions, or spot
removers. If you use soap, always use a non-detergent soap. Dry
your tent by pitching it in the shade or by line drying only. Never
machine dry your tent.
Storing Your Tent
Store your tent in a cool, dry environment. Pack the tent loosely,
and, if possible, leave the shock-corded poles completely or partially assembled.
What Does Your Tent Weigh?
e weight of a tent is one of the most important factors used by
consumers when making purchasing decisions. In the past, tent
manufacturers have independently determined which components
they included in their publicized weights. is makes comparing tent weights between companies difficult. Mountain Hardwear provides the minimum tent weights and the packaged tent
weights.
9
Minimum Weight: Minimum Weight is the total weight of the
tent body, flysheet, and poles only; it is the weight of the bare
essentials. is is the figure most often used for comparative purposes when purchasing a tent.
Packaged Weight (Also known as Trail Weight): Packaged Weight
includes everything that comes with the tent when the tent is
purchased (less any shipping container): tent body, flysheet, poles,
tent stuff sack, pole sack, peg sack, pegs, cord, line tighteners, user
manual, repair items and any other items included by the manufacturer other than shipping materials.
Low Impact Camping
Camp away from streams, lakes and trails. Use biodegradable
soaps sparingly, 200 feet or more from water. Pack out what
you bring in. Please call 800.332.4100 for more information on
LEAVE NO TRACE camping.
Tent Accessories
Mountain Hardwear offers the following accessories
for your tent:
Aluminum Y-Pegs: rigid, durable, made from 7075 T6 Easton
•
aluminum, the strongest pegs available.
Snow and Sand Anchors: a bombproof way to guy-out your
•
tent in snow or sand.
Tent Footprint: a custom ground tarp that fit precisely beneath
•
your tent’s floor.
Gear Loft: a mesh shelf that provide extra storage in the upper
•
region of your tent.
ese accessories are available at your Mountain Hardwear dealer.
10
Mountain Hardwear Lifetime Warranty
Mountain Hardwear guarantees that the materials and workmanship in every product we make will stand up to the use for which
it was designed. is warranty does not cover damages caused by
improper care, accidents or natural breakdown of materials over
extended time and use. All products should be returned to us
for evaluation and will be repaired or replaced at our discretion.
Damages due to accident or improper care will be repaired at a
reasonable rate.
Repairs
All items covered under our warranty will be repaired or replaced
(at our discretion) at no charge. We can provide cost estimates for
repairing damaged items not covered by our warranty. California
State Law requires that all items which are to be repaired must
be clean. We do not have the facilities to wash tents. Soiled tents
will be returned to the owner for cleaning before the item can be
repaired.
e Mountain Hardwear Warranty Department can be reached
at:
Mountain Hardwear
1414 Harbour Way South
Suite 1005
Richmond CA 94804
510-558-3000 • 800-953-8398
warranty@mountainhardwear.com
www.mountainhardwear.com
11
warnInG!!! please read!
FIRE: All Mountain Hardwear tents are made of flame-retardant materials, but most nylon and polyester fabric will melt or burn when exposed
to high heat or an open flame. Never place your stove, hibachi, campfire,
or other heat source in or near your tent. We recommend that you always
position your tent upwind of a camp fire. is will reduce the chances
of having a flying ember land on your tent. Never use a candle as a light
source inside your tent.
Do not cook with, light, or refuel a stove (or any other heat source) inside
your tent or in your vestibule! Asphyxiation and serous injury are possible!
Stoves, hibachis, lanterns and heaters can malfunction (operator error is
also possible) and can start a fire that will spread too rapidly for occupants
to escape a tent. Using combustible materials and/or petroleum-based
fuels can increase the carbon dioxide levels within a tent enough to cause
asphyxiation to the occupants.
Maintain adequate ventilation inside your tent at all times.
Never seal your tent up completely. Always leave a small part of a window
open. Never allow your tent to become buried in snow past the bottom of
the flysheet since this may allow the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide
levels inside the tent to become dangerously high.
Campsite selection: Consider the possibility of falling rocks or tree limbs,
lightning strikes, flash floods, avalanches, strong winds, and other objective hazards when choosing a campsite.
Properly stake and guy out your tent at all times. Lightweight tents are
very strong for their weight and can withstand severe weather when
properly staked out and guyed out. Always use the proper tent stakes to
anchor your tent and guy-lines to the ground. Use the internal guy system
(included with all four-season tents) during severe weather. You may wish
to purchase more and/or different tent stakes and nylon cord, depending on when and where you intend to use your tent. It is impossible for
Mountain Hardwear to include anchors for every possible environmental
condition.
IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND ANY PART OF THIS
WARNING CALL MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR AT 800-953-8375
BEFORE USING THE TENT.
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