Just tried pitching for the first time.

A little tricky – will try again later,
but a question.

1) How do I use the black heavyish ‘Pole cover’ thing ?
2) Should I get a groundsheet protector – i guess the answer is down to weight, but the material is just SO thin.

Got the tent for bikepacking

1) You just tie it onto the loops on the tent and then tension it with the guide lines. Pretty straightforward and adds a fair bit of extra rigidity.

2) I bought the TerraNova groundsheet. It’s not exactly heavy. I toured with mine, but whether I took it bikepacking would depend on space in my bag (but again, not big).

The pole cover is adjustable for tension, set and then flip in place over seam. The seam will leak in heavy rain,promise not the best way to be woken at 4am.
I have not used a protector but I have been amazed that mine has not been holed, espcially on forest ground. I would be tempted to use one on the associated reason of thermal conduction. I have used a foil blanket under my mat on occasion,would a groundsheet protector do this as well as protecting the tent?

I’d go with some sort of footprint. Either polythene or an old bit of shower curtain.

As for pitching I’ve only pitched mine in the back garden so far. I got it in an unmissable sale for £125 but I prefer using another tent when bike touring and use bothies where available in preference to a tent when backpacking.

There’s a good blog here about tweaking the Laser

Laser Comp. mods

I’m being baffled by a Hogan II at the moment. It slipped into the DofE store a few years ago and it’s a right bastard to put up. Given it’s sunny, I might have another go this afternoon

I couldn’t work out the pole cover thing first time so i just didn’t bother.. haven’t noticed any issues in rain

Has been fine on pretty sharp rocky ground (not so much for comfort) with no additional groundsheet, though that’s something i would risk for reduced bulk/weight anyway.

Try Tyvek for protecting the groundsheet. Very light, very strong. I found polythene a bit bulky and comparatively heavy.

If someone’s throwing up a timber frame house nearby, you could get an off cut foc. If not, try here

I use the pole cover all the time and tied it on semi permanently with truckers hitch’s so it’s adjustable.

cheers guys.

sussed the pole cover now after another attempt at pitching – much easier the second time as well.

feeling quite excited about the first journey (which will be something quite tame I reckon)

Re: the pole cover, I had been guying it with the guys pegged quite close to the tent, i.e. quite a narrow ‘stance’. I saw someone else pitching with the guys pegged further out (more parallel to the ground) which made sense to me as it braced the pole better against sideways wind.

Also, be careful with the little tensioner straps inside the tent (at either end, between the inner and outer). I was always tempted to tighten these (for no other reason than ‘they looked loose’) but this had the effect of pulling AGAINST the guys on the outside of the tent, effectively loosening the fly and leaving it saggy. now I just tighten the outer guys and leave the inner tensioners loose.

Something I like to do if I remember is to lift the little triangular end panels by looping the elastic chord around the inner tensioner strap, I like to think this helps ventilate the tent a little better.

It’s definitely a tent which benefits from a little practice in pitching. That being said it’s never let me down, even on some horrible windy nights when it’s been battered from side to side all night.

Good site I used for when I had mine:

Laser Comp mods

For a groundsheet, try the sheet plastic you get in those window insulating kits, very light and cheap, though not that durable. You could also try spinnaker, but it’s not cheap. If you’re taking a waterproof explorer map you could use that.