Spent 2 hours trying to set up a tent in the dark last weekend

I got to the campsite near Flagstaff way later than planned and fumbled with my old dome tent for what felt like forever before realizing I had the poles backwards. Turns out it was a 15 minute setup in daylight, but the dark and my impatience made it take over 2 hours. Anyone else have a piece of gear that becomes impossible to use when conditions aren't perfect?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason.margaret17d ago

realized I had the poles backwards" - oh man, that hits close to home. My college roommate once drove three hours to meet us at a campsite and forgot his tent poles entirely. He showed up around midnight, had to sleep in his car with the seats folded down, and the next morning found his poles sitting on his front porch where he'd left them. He swears he spent half the trip home mentally kicking himself. But the best part was watching him try to set up that tent with a bunch of sticks he found on the ground... it was honestly pretty funny but also kind of sad. He ended up just using a tarp and rope for the rest of the trip.

harris.emma17d agoMost Upvoted

@mason.margaret that story about your roommate is CLASSIC. I can just picture him out there with sticks like some kind of survivalist who forgot his whole kit. Man, these things always happen at the WORST possible time, don't they? Mine was just a tent pole fumble but yours is a whole new level of rough.