I was taught by a master bushcrafter many years ago that tenting on a slight incline is always preferable to flat ground in that you place your head and equipment on the uphill side and if any rainwater does get in it'll drain out towards the bottom. He also recommended we dig a little trench along the upper side allowing for any rain water to flow around the sides and away from our sleeping area. best advice I've ever gotten and I still do it this way 35 years later

A) I've never slept on flat ground in a tent unless it was a designated "tent" spot. There was always an incline. B) You forgot to mention looking for "widow makers" which new backpackers need to know about. Rain may or may not happen. Wind is almost a guarantee. Both can make for a very very bad night if you set up in the wrong spot. Great job as always.

I like setting up on a slight incline with head higher than feet. Also if tent leaks due to bad storms the water goes towards the door with all clothing etc stored towards highest area inside tent to stay dry.

I like to lay out my footprint/ groundsheet, then lay down on it. That way I only have to adjust the footprint and not the entire tent. Also gives you an opportunity to check the things above your tent

The most common mistake I see new campers make when setting up a tent with a footprint is they let the footprint extend past the edges of the tent so if any water runs off the tent it will catch that water and direct it under their tent. I teach them to make sure their footprint is smaller than the floor and if it’s not, To fold the edges to the ground, not up forming a bathtub, and make sure it remains completely under the tent without peeking past any edges.

Adding. Look for ground wasp holes. Use a ground cover tarp. Use sealant and moisture repellent. Take extra tarps and duct tape for wet weather, spent many weeks camping in rain,stayed dry and it was great, no other campers during the floods, so we fished, played card and dice games, read books, and had the nearby caves to ourselves.

An easy mistake to make is leaving your ground tarp exposed passed the rain fly. Any rain will collect under your tent and soak through getting your gear wet.

I went camping a few times with my father when I was little, and apparently my father was a great teacher because I knew all of this and more by heart. To the point where I once setup camp along 70 other people and during the night we had HEAVY waterfall, and when I woke up the water was to the line of the bottom of the tent and the inside was still completely dry. Everyone else had their tents flooded.

You forgot some points to consider: 1) check and clear the camping ground of sharp sticks and stones that might puncture or wear down the bottom of your tent 2)watch out for red ants and other nuisances that might invade and bug you at night. 3) depending on the climate, try to catch the morning sun to warm up your tent for you.

Another staking tip. When you take down your tent, release the tensioners on the guy-lines so they have slack in them again. Then when you set up the next time, you have room left to tension back up to remove the slack from your lines and tension the tent/flys properly. I have seen many rookies that do not know how to properly use a guy line and have them cinched up near the top so that there is no slack to properly make the tent materials taut and functional.

Another point I would add is to ensure your fly/vestibule is COMPLETELY covering the entire tent/footprint. Having a corner of the tent or footprint sticking out past the fly by not tightening the fly all the way can act as a wick and start to fill your tent with water when it rains.

Adding. Your tent stake lines should be an extension of the seam line. You get a better taut pitch if you don't angle the tent stake line away from the seam line.

If you want to sleep in the morning, look for a shade spot during the sunrise. I do beach camping and when that sun comes up at 6:30 the tent is like a sauna(especially if the boys were drinking the night before)

Helped one of my soldiers set up his tent on his first field exercise with us. It was on an incline but because of the location of our designated sleeping area it was about the best we could do while staying with the group. He was on an incline and I recommended we either scout out a better spot or we rotate his tent. He said he'll be fine so I shrugged it off and said ok. After the field exercise a different NCO who technically out ranks me was asking everybody what they learned. This same soldier that I helped with his tent responded, "If I have to sleep on an incline again, sleep feet down and not sideways." Everybody started laughing cause they all heard me tell him this.

My first night backpacking was horrible. The weather was crappy, and it took me way to long to get to camp, I ended up setting my tent up in the first clear spot I found, and did not realize it was on a huge root. I was just too tired and hungry to care. Thank you for this video. I'm going go use these tips on my next trip!

#4 is not just good advice for a comfortable camp, it can save your life. Lot of people around here like to put their tents on the river bank and the river can come up even if it isnt raining. (it can be raining up river) and literally wash your tent down river with you in it. There isn't any escaping that. Many people in my area drown every year in a tent that got setup on a gravel bank

Glad you touched on cold pools. I can't stress this enough with newbies. I have seen 20 degree differences within a quarter mile because of cold air poring off of high elevation mountains.

Thinking back over the past 35 or 40 years of regularly going camping - I've definitely made every single one of those mistakes at some point or another, and a few trips were multiple mistakes on this list all in the same trip.

As an eagle scout myself, I'm not as picky with my tent location as I could be. I have my preferences, flat open land with tall grass that creates its own cushion is awesome, but a lot of times at scout camps I don't really have much choice, so we mostly just deal with it. The incline issue isn't so big, just put your head uphill. You're absolutely right about the water issue, but I've had a few bad storms where my tent has been in a few inches of standing water afterwards, and my MSR has been bone dry inside. Above all else, if I'm tire enough, I'll sleep just fine! Great video, lots of good info for beginners (Especially the stake bit)

One thing I've noticed helps a lot, at least with tents that hook to the poles rather than sleeved poles, is if you stake the tent out flat before putting the poles in. It helps to get the bottom layed out flat and taught and just makes for a generally better pitch in my experience.

I'm not sure I caught mistake 3 about how to orient to the wind. You had the narrow end facing the camera but you were facing the side. All sides from my inexperienced viewpoint seemed to be supported by poles. I would think that having a small area facing the wind makes sense. I missed practically what to do.

Great video. I'd love to see one for setting up trekking pole tents. Despite using trekking pole tents for the past 3 years, and watching a couple of different videos, including Darwin's, I can never get the ridge of my Two as nice & tight as I'd like. Thanks for the tip about sticks at the head and foot of the tent. I'll definitely start using that one.

helpful video! i have camped with folks who are completely unexperienced and 100% these are the most common mistakes. I would add this mistake: they also have no real idea how to set up their own tent. Once i ended up setting up 4 tents on a trip lol. bunch of newbies but thats just fine! i like setting up tents...main mistake there is just not knowing your tent well enough to get the best set up. sounds corny, but being famaliar with your gear and its optimal use makes a huge difference.

There are times when the only available spots to pitch a tent are sloped. As you stated, if you need to do this, set it up so it aligns with the slope, one end up and the other down and make sure your head will be on the upper side of the slope. Water drainage is also very important as you stated. My only issue I ever had was when I was on the receiving end of a 75 mile + straight line wind and my tent became partially airborne. When I hiked out the next day, the wind event was in the news with flipped semi-tractor trailers and some buildings knocked down and others damaged.

I have been using a cheap Remington (I believe it was sold as a 4 man tent) tent for 24 years now. It sets up easily with 1 man, even on windy days. I have had it up for 4-7 days in rain and heavy snow. This year I had my first problem. I have an 8 month old puppy and by the third day of watching me, he figured out how to unzip the door. I now have a hole (Stake) in the floor so I can tie him in at night with me. He won't run away, but I don't want him getting into it with a skunk, or worse, a bear. I see you mostly use back pack style tents. Stay away from the ones that have elastic rope in the poles to "Quickly" pop them together if you winter camp. The elastic freezes and you can't get the poles together.

I've got a tip for you...bend your knees when you're tending to your tent. You don't want a sore back when you're trying to sleep in your tent 😜

Although we didn’t have free standing tents when I was a Boy Scout, (we had Army surplus pup tents with no floors), I learned these same general skills. Thanks for covering each step of the process.

Camping on the plains where everything looked the same, I pitched with one of my main poles aligned with North/South. Just helped myself orient easier. (at my age)

Great video and advice. There was one point where I don't agree, if I HAVE to sleep on an incline I would gladly sleep with my head on the low side of the incline. Especially if I had a long hiking day. It is very nice and soothing for the legs, sleeping with the legs low might make them swollen and badly rested the next morning. Of course, I'm talking about small differences here, I certainly wouldnt want my feet sticking up a foot or two above my head, but an inch or a few, that's ok.

You should do a part 2 - Setting up on exposed or partially exposed rock. I've had to set up in spots that are just barren rock, or partially covered with a couple inches of moss. It's pretty common in some areas depending on the geology, etc. It's not as easy to get a nice taut tent when there isn't enough soil to peg properly.

For those without a freestanding tent, get a small (4-6”) plastic level. Tape or tie it to a tent pole or straight walking stick and lay that pole where you are looking at setting up. Turn the tent pole 2-3 times to see what it looks like from more than one direction. It will give you the quickest and most accurate view of the terrain with the least work.

I’ve been motorcycle camping for years, after watching this video you highlighted a few mistakes I make when setting up my tent. Great video! Thanks 🙏

I'll never forget my most miserable night ever camping when i was a boy scout. We set up our camp in a low spot. I woke up to a couple inches of water flowing through our tent😂 I'll never forget that lesson. Was in the north Georgia mountains near Dockery lake.

I set up my Zpacks Duplex recently on a tent platform. Didn't realize the platform was rotted in one spot and the end of my tent pole sank into the wood a little so it was too low. The bathtub floor, as a result, was not high enough on one end, and it poured that night. All my stuff on that end of the tent got damp (not sopping wet fortunately.) So with a trekking pole tent, be careful of height! And yes, I learned about being sure the doors were zipped closed before staking things. Not doing that can really mess up your pitch.

Thanks! Gonna share this with my 18 year old grandson who will be doing his first backpacking trip next week on the AT.

Anyone else out there thinking to themselves: “you know, I wonder what my tent looks like when it’s fully staked.” Raise your glass to the 4 corner club! 🍺

I was thinking to myself, who doesn't know this. Then I realised my parents took me tent camping since I was 3 years old and setting up a tent is like walking to me. Thinking back to tent camping with people who didn't do it before, great advice!

After living in a tent for the past two months, I’ve learn a lot from my mistakes, I now have a 4 person tent with lots of tarps on top and two tarps under, with a Trench dug around my tent for any drain water to flow away from my tent instead of underneath. Also getting an air mattress helped exponentially especially with it getting cold now. Two 20 degree rated sleeping bags one on bottom and one on top help out significantly as well! Also dehumidifier bags are a must! Finally feels like I have my own home, just hope I don’t get ran off again on the new land I found, it sucks getting evicted

Thanks, Dan. I’m leaving on moto camping trip in a couple of days. Since I haven’t camped in about two decades your video was quite the refresher. Again, many thanks!

Love the idea of staking opposite corners rather than clockwise

Those are good tips that I figured out over the years. One that I learned the hard way on one of my 1st BP trips is not to brush away all of the ground cover, pine needles, etc that will be under your tent. I camped over a pre-swept spot from another BPer. That night it rained pretty good, & all the water pooled underneath me. It was like I was on a waterbed. So leave the ground cover, just remove sharp objects like pine cones, etc.

Thanks for the video! Just a minor note: you might know your soil, but you shouldn’t push the ground peg down with your foot, in case you hit a rock. As your body weight will bend the peg against the rock before you notice the resistance, as it’s relative to the bending/material of your peg.

First Dan Becker video I ever watched! Spent the last 45 minutes scrolling down my UKposts history to figure out what got me started on this whole backpacking thing over a year ago. First two backpacking videos I ever watched was from Mylife Outdoors, and this was the third one. Saturday 16th of July 2022. Then, UKposts's algorithm did its thing and since then I've watched hundreds if not a thousand backpacking videos. I've also logged more than 200km of trips on my All Trails with 55 more coming next week when I'm hitting the Laugavegur trail in Iceland. Thanks for everything Dan! Hope you are doing OK all things considered

Nothing like a big storm to “test” your site selection and tent prep and setup skills! Storms always come....usually in the dead of night. Due to practice, I sleep like a baby. Be well.

Great video 👍 I organise hiking and camping trips so I’ll be passing this on to newbies. Only criticism is your points on setup in windy conditions. I know the right way, but I had to replay it several times and it’s not that clear.

The first thing I do when I get to a spot is set up my camp and bed. 1. I check a flat spot, not in the way of water/depression, not under a tree, not where someone will drive. 2. rake the spot, and then literally lie down and see which way your head will be. 3. peg out floor THEN add poles! and then guy ropes. 4. make bed. 5. campfire n crack a beer

The first thing I always do with a new tent is replace all static guylines with elasticized shock cord to give the tent fabric and attachment points some flex in high winds and help prevent tent blowdown or tears. It has been a game-changer in 40 to 70 mph gusts and 30+ mph sustained winds.

Thank you for this!! I’m going on my first overnighter in a few weeks. Going to practice setting up my tent a few times before I get out there! Wish me luck! 🙂

I read an experiment showing that 90 degree angle (perpendicular to ground) is actually the strongest angle when staking a tent. That's how I've been doing after reading it, and I've never had an issue even in sandy ground.

I add a second stake next to the vestibule stake you showed. The loose side of the vestibule zipper can be hooked over the second stake in order to make it easier to zip and unzip it without pressure on the zipper. Also allows me to partially close the rain fly instead of zipping it shut, for quick trips out of the tent.

I remember using tents ⛺️ all those years ago, I'm so glad I made the switch to hammocks and tarps. But it is nice to still watch your steam/video on UKposts thanks very helpful, so that I could help others

I know this was a quick and simply video. Clearing the ground is a must, WIDOW MAKERS a must and for me in Australia check for ANT NESTS and any other creepy crawly house….Love your stuff Dan. Keeping me sane ( as sane as can be expected) during our lockdown 6.0….thanks

A few other mistakes, with the campspot used in the video 1. open area (clearing) which is very condensation prone (dew) and 2, choise of ground cover - grass - often wet, and contains a lot of water/moist, makes for a colder, wetter, more condensation prone campspot - much better to camp among the trees with drier ground cover :)

Never set up your tent in the dark beside a river. My mom took me and my sister camping when we were really young. We got to the camp site late and had to use our car headlight to see. The next morning we were able to see we had set up our tent beside a 4-6 foot drop-off into a swift moving river only inches from our tent. We still don't know how one of us didn't fall into the river.

I don't go camping , I don't do outdoor stuffs like that at all. I have no idea why I subscribed but i just want to watch more of this

Very useful video, especially tip #3 for me. Also made me realize I do stake out my Big Agnes incorrectly as I definitely had folding in my tent floor the first two times I’ve used it 😅 Excited to try it out for a third time now 😁

1st time I went backpacking, I completely set up my tent in spot where water settles and woke up feeling like I was on a water bed! Luckily the ground sheet and bathtub floor kept me dry inside (shout out to the Naturehike cloud up 2) kept me dry thru atleast 10 to 20 nasty nasty storms! Plus I didn't look for widow makers and a decent size limb did fall about 20 feet from me. wouldn't have killed me, but definitely mess up my tent!

I friend once set up a tent in winter on a super flat low part of field in Scotland. Ground was kind of hard. In the night he realised we was on a frozen lake when his body heat meant he started sinking! And yeah this REALLY WAS a friend

I never thought simple details are very important in setting up a tent.. Thank you for sharing this!

On other thing worth mentioning is that it's more ideal to set a tent up on grass than dirt/earth for two reasons: 1. Grass will be slightly softer and more comfortable 2. If it rains, the dirt will splatter all over the sides and potentially get through mesh and into the inside in some areas of the tent Another thing about not setting up in low spots is that water tends to collect there and a flooded tent is not a great way to spend the night. Look for small dips in the ground where puddles may form as well.

All squares are rhombuses but not all rhombuses are squares. Seriously, these are some quality instructional quick tips and a fun video! Thanks Dan!

Thanks, always enjoy these, they are good for any level of experience. If you can't learn something new from these, you're not paying attention and missing out (even if you don't agree 100%). Thanks DB. Dave J

What your doing with the pegs corner to corner is exactly the same as in construction and engineering when you have what’s called ‘sequential tightening’ where you evenly tighten or load the bolts or anchor points to even out the stress load . Incredibly simple and obvious thing too do but like so many ‘lightbulb’ moments only once someone has actually told you about it ! 😉 keep up the good work bud 👍

Setup my Snugpak Ionosphere in a peat bog, seemed fine when it was dry. Very glad of the deep bathtub and high hydrostatic rating after it poured with rain over night. Joy of the Scottish Highlands....

I always remember the advice to pitch on a slight incline, if you can cope with it, because some kinds of ground won't soak away rain, so you can end up flooded on the flat ground, but a slight incline will help it run off. An alternative is flat ground but with an incline very near, so standing water can't build up much height without running down the slope.

Hi Dan loooove your vids. I was born in 1966, aaaand still love to camp in a tent. I live in Alberta, Canada so there is aaaall kinds of places to go. I have had a few different types of tents over the years, by far my fave is the memory wire style. Looooove. Easy set up, less pieces to lose. Stay safe and dry. 🔴⚪️🔴⚪️🔴⚪️

Setting up tents was always fun. digging the drainage ditches. setting up the frames, then the outer body, and stitching the inner liner to it after. laying out the flooring, moving in the cots, lockers, tables, and equipment. bringing in the stove. sometimes even having to lay the power lines.

I've done many of these mistakes, but you have to make some of them in order to learn. You'll only make the mistake once :) I want to commend you on the amount of work this video looks like it took. SO many different clips to keep folks engaged. Awesome job Dan!!!

Mt Hood at 1:23? Solid tips, I'll be sending a few noobie campers to watch this video. An additional tip: Watch out for setting up in a bowl, rain will collect underneath and often permeate the tent floor.

Most people think of widow makers as leaning or dead full trees, but they're also dead branches on top you'd never think about as dangerous. Even if only two inches thick, they fall like a spear. Sometimes you can see them now and then stuck vertically in the ground. You don't want to be under those widow makers, either.

Nice. The way I describe staking a tent is it's like tuning a drum (exactly how you did it), it maintains an even amount of tension and doesn't move the tent, potentially distorting the shape and creating hotspots where damage can build up.

This guy is extreme. Everything is either a "nightmare" or "absolutely awesome."

My camping now comes with heated pool, mini bar and room service! My family camped so much that at 56 now, I just can’t. Fractured my spine after 27 years as a Paramedic/Firefighter. Did enjoy it as a kid though. 🙂

Great video for a (sort of) newbie. Vestibules-Closed was the most relevant one for me but great to note the other 'common mistakes' and hopefully avoid 👍

I love when he said veterans setting up tents as a vet myself I've never set up a tent once in the military I always slept on their Stars underneath a busy

You should work with Big Agnes in designing the Rhombus line. You didn't mention it in this video, but I did learn from you about putting a stick under the line on my head and foot to make more room.. That was definitely a pro tip. You can add that to the Rhombus line.

I camped on gravel bar last weekend and it was in a low area. It was finer rocks then other places. It was between bigger rocks and a hard place.

Loved that you go right to the point of each item.

I tented for 20 years. Never knew why I was taking time evaluating everything before setting up. I do all the steps you mention when I setup, plus a few other tips. Like having bush or trees as a wind break or setting up additional tarps with adjustable biscuit pucks and telescopic poles in a classic A-frame above my tent. I also use heavy spiral 9" wood nails which are 1/4" diameter and place an extra tarp under my tent if I am on moist or rocky ground. Those nails easily crush stones or push stones aside with a heavy hammer and the tarp helps from tears and moisture wicking onto your bedding or luggage. Those other spikes are light, fancy and pricey, and can't handle the stresses of a rocky and solid surface. My second camping trip had my tent blow away at night because I bent all my fancy steaks in half, so using supplied steaks is a definite NO while setting up a tent. Also, having a place to dry off your tent is not always possible, and if your tent is moist while stored, you may end up with a fungal mess of a tent next camping season. My wife always argues with me and calls me a dick tator for not explaining things, and when I cave in and set it up the way she wants, it always ends up in complications. Like that low area that made my tent nearly float away during a heavy rain at night. Lucky I had a fat air mattress, but everything on the ground was totally saturated. Not to brag, but I did have my tent and tarps destroyed by high winds once while being setup on a flat area beside a lake. The wind tore everything up over 3 days of high winds. No matter how you set up a tent, mother nature can and will eventually tell you when it is time to high tail it back home. And if you decide to stay when all the motorhomes and trailers high tailed it out, just remember what it is like waking up with ice inside your sleeping bag and having no dry place to warm up. At least now I can explain things but after 27 years of marriage, I summarize it: "You knew me long enough to have faith in my judgement. This is my job, let me do it and unless it leads to a bad camping experience, just watch and learn". Have fun with your tents. I retired mine and now use a 27' fifth wheel trailer and I won't ever look back, unless someone asks for my help setting one up for themselves. But I keep one on hand in case the world gets any more stupid than it has over the last 22 years. I could explain why, but my name explains everything for those who pay attention to detail. And if you decide to reply, please share with us your bad experiences camping.

I love the idea that you get a choice of camp site. Most places I go backpacking you spend an hour or two looking for a place, any place at all, that you can put a tent up. Thick brush, solid rock, deep bogs, etc etc. At least widow makers are rarely an issue, finding any tree is a rarity.

I like you and your series of videos. I believe you could have demonstrated exactly how to orient the tent into a strong wind. For example, if there are strong winds from the west I would put the foot side (the opposite end from the single front door) of my "Sierra Designs clip flashlight ®" facing due west to offer the smallest profile to the wind. You said something about "not making the tent aerodynamic" and using the strongest pole section. I wish you would clarify this point in a future video with a couple tents and indicating exactly how to orient it to the wind (even a hypothetical wind that you indicate with a red banner. I just didn't think that the point you were trying to make was clear regarding the orientation of a tent in strong winds.

Thanks. I'm starting with a tent. I don't need to push my self to tarp etc. Now I know basics, even though I spent 7 weeks in tent 20 years ago during summer when I was a teen. Thanks again.

Great video with lots of good tips. I do question the angle of tent pegs. You say to put them at a 45 degree angle. It looks like you are putting them in at a steeper angle of about 60 degrees which is what I always try to use. I think a 45 degree angle leaves the point of the peg too close to the surface and increases the likelihood of the peg ripping through the topsoil. I would enjoy any comments you have.

I actually really like sleeping on somewhat of an incline when my head is uphill

Don’t forget to look up! Are there any dead tree branches that can fall on you? If so, move your tent! “Widow makers” are no joke.

Wow I never knew that putting stakes in the ground could be such an art. You really know how to put stakes in the ground thank you so much.

Camping in North East Texas right now during the heat wave, July 15th. Tip #1: be IN the wind and preferably near trees but not in them, as they block the wind. Tip #2, DON'T use a tent. Use a tarp/stake down cause of wind. Use blow up mat on tarp w/maybe a sheet on it and blow up pillow w/case. Start sleeping at 11PM. Maybe use mosquito spray or net. My dog sleeps next to me. Cooking camp fire further from where I sleep, and hopefully close to snuffed out.

Several lifetimes ago, my scout troop did an overnight at a nearby large park. The scoutmaster encouraged us to set up ASAP and go play "Capture the Flag" so he & the chaperones could just sit in peace for a while. The Leadership Patrol backed him up on this, actually shooing some of us from the campsite before all the tents had been fully set up. Well... It rained that night, and at one point I literally had what looked like a small creek running down the middle of my tent (which had a built-in "waterproof" floor, BTW). Long story short, the entire soggy, miserable, chilled-to-the-bone troop had a 4:30am hike in the pre-dawn darkness back to where the cars had been parked, with most of our sopping-wet gear just jammed into whatever could hold it. To add insult to injury, there was another troop that had set up camp right at the edge of the parking lot... and who were busy getting ready to enjoy a full roast pig they'd started preparing the night before *AFTER* getting all their tents properly pitched, gear properly stowed, and overnight watch schedule (for the roasting pig) fully worked out. BEWARE low-lying ground, convenient tent-sized spots with large branches overhead, signs of running water where you want to pitch your tent... and especially beware the impatience that will convince you "It'll all be OK, I don't need to pay much attention to setting up camp, let's go have fun first."

I try to find a slight mound to set up on - rather than a depression - in the event of rain.

Depending on how steep the incline, is you can, sleep with your head upslope and adjust your bedding to raise your feet too. Also sleeping away from people if you snore I've had my buddy's made at me before Great video.

I'm not a tenter, although I do have a tent, I much prefer a hammock and tarp set up. I'm glad I clicked on this as it was a good refresher for those rare times I may have set up my tent. Coincidentally, alot of your tips do apply to hammock camping as well so good job on that! Worthy of a like and subscribe. One thing that got me was your tips about the terrain. Good tips to be sure, but suspended between two trees you generally don't have to worry about that.

You just made a guy very happy! Going for a trip this weekend, and looking at your video i noticed all the mistakes I was doing before. Yup, I slept in an angle or wrong position, all that you mentioned, that's me! Lol Tks a bunch!

Good points. May I add a few more? 1. Practice setting up your tent at home--even indoors if you have to. Watch some videos about your tent to learn the tricks. 2. Use big nails rather than stakes (if weight isn't much of a concern, say, if you are canoeing). They are indestructible and can be pounded into very hard earth. 3. Always use the fly during daytime. The tent does not have any UV protection and leaving it exposed to sun will quickly weaken it.

It's great that John Krasinski has a camping YT channel! ☺ Great video, man. 👍

Hello 👋 Dan, greetings from Northern California. Thank you for sharing the great tips for setting up a ⛺ tent. You always do a great job on your videos. The best to you for your good health and safety. 🤗

As for sleeping on an incline, as long as it isn't steep, probably not too bad, but get flat or slight head elevation if possible. Dan, it's quite possible that the Eagle Scout is just plain used to it. Sometimes, flat isn't an option

Another common mistake is pushing the stakes in to the ground with your feet. It's a good way to end up with bent stakes

I'd add ventilation to the list of things that should check. One of the most common reasons people have wet tents in the morning is simply from condensation from breathing all night. Good tent ventilation can really help with that.

If you're in a windy region, the difference in a few yards can make all the difference in how well you sleep at night. In Sep, 3 of us were on an archery elk hunt in Wyoming, camping at 9,000 ft. (just below a summit). One night a front pushed through, and we had constant 25mph-40mph winds. The one who had put his tent 5 yds deeper in the tree line (hint, not me!) slept well. The other 2 spent the night thinking our tents were gonna smother us! Reminded me of my wife using a pillow when I snore, except it lasted for over 6 hours 😆

We run a 10 man 2 room tent for just my wife and I. It's awesome, room to set up a table and play cards or dice, while not being bothered by the bugs. Definitely for experienced tent campers though.