A few weeks ago, I complete my
rain fly support system. The support system consists of two 4x4 posts, one in front and the other in back of the tent, with a 25-foot board running parallel to the roof ridge from the top of one post to the top of the other.
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| Completed support system |
With the support system in place, the final step was to drape the tarp over the cross piece, spread it out flat, and stake it down. I fastened metal conduit to the eaves of the rain fly using nylon zip ties. That kept the lines straight so that water would shed properly, and spread the tension across the full set of grommets instead of just a few.
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| Tarp in place |
I designed the support system such that the rain fly would be 2 to 3 feet above the peak of the tent roof. That would keep the hot summer air away from the tent. The rain fly would act as a big shade tree in the summer. And it worked better than expected. The shading effect has reduced my interior temperature by more than 15 degrees. Now, when it's 95 degrees outside and the summer sun is directly overhead, it only reaches perhaps 97 or 98 degrees inside the tent.
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| Two-foot gap between tent and rain fly allows air to circulate |
Hi! My name is Shannon & I just happened to come across your blog while looking for any & all info on living in a tent, and other people who lived this way. My husband & I have two little girls and have been thinking as of late, of living the tent life for a few months. We've already been praying about living in an RV & traveling but my husband came up with the tent idea recently and we just love the idea of living against the grain to our culture. I look forward to reading more on your blog and may have a ton of questions for you as we continue to seek out tent living. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Shannon, and welcome to my blog. I hope you find the information helpful. And please keep us all posted on your own journey into tent living. That's very exciting, especially since you have two daughters who will be sharing your experiences. Good luck! And of course feel free to ask questions. I look forward to hearing from you.
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