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#123454 - 11/06/09 06:39 PM Tents on platforms
Rdljr Offline
newbie

Registered: 11/06/09
Posts: 14
Loc: NH
Most of the time when I am camping I can pitch my tent on the ground, put the stakes in good old fashon dirt and everything is great. It looks like next summer I will be doing some camping where I will need to camp at/on platforms and I have a simple question. How do I stake out my tent and rain fly? Do I have to just get creative with cord and rocks? Or will there be some preplaced holes on the platform that I will need to adjust my tent to? Or do I just say forget the tent and hope for no rain?
thanks

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#123473 - 11/07/09 05:30 AM Re: Tents on platforms [Re: Rdljr]
frenchie Offline
member

Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 461
Loc: Lyon, France
Back luck! Especially if the platforms are brand new...

There are cracks and slits between planks you can put your pegs in. the best idea is to add longer guylines to your tarp/tent, so you can try various combinations and even even anchor it outside the platform.
And bring a good pad as those planks are not the most comfortable, soft surface smirk...

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#123511 - 11/08/09 12:31 PM Re: Tents on platforms [Re: frenchie]
kbennett Offline
member

Registered: 10/27/03
Posts: 820
Loc: north carolina
Carry a handful of tiny eye lags (screws), and carefully place them in the edges of the platform, then tie out your guylines to them. You might need to bring some extra lines to tie out the main body of your tent in lieu of staking it. Don't forget to pack up the eye lags when you leave in the morning.

http://www.stanleyhardware.com/default.asp?TYPE=CATEGORY&CATEGORY=HDW+LAG+EYE+BOLT
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#123522 - 11/08/09 01:15 PM Re: Tents on platforms [Re: kbennett]
phat Offline
Moderator

Registered: 06/24/07
Posts: 4107
Loc: Alberta, Canada

Second on the eye lag idea - I had to do this once - and also a second on the "bring a good pad" - the two nights I slept on a tent pad were pretty chilly, and you get pretty much next to no insulative effect (at least on the one I was on which was up in the air) from the ground.

It's kind of like sleeping in a hammock, only much more uncomfortable - today there's no way you'd get me on one if there were trees anywhere in the area to hang from! smile

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#123714 - 11/12/09 12:35 PM Re: Tents on platforms [Re: phat]
sabre11004 Offline
member

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 513
Loc: Tennessee
I have seen "pads" made of both concrete and wood and granted, the concrete ones offer no insulation value what so ever. You can freeze your _ _ _ off on one of the concrete pads. The wood ones are a little better if they are close to the ground but I would still rather be in a tent right down on the ground or swinging the night away in my hammock....sabre11004 goodjob
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#123727 - 11/12/09 05:23 PM Re: Tents on platforms [Re: sabre11004]
Rdljr Offline
newbie

Registered: 11/06/09
Posts: 14
Loc: NH
Thanks for the information, I think I will just bring some extra cord for tieing things out and hope I can work around sleeping at the platform sites.

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