UKH

How much of an effect would 20mph winds have (on a 3 season non dome tent)? An uncomfortable sleep or tent collapse?

Tent : vaude Taurus (old model)

In reply to Flinticus:

If pitched correctly, very little effect other than a bit of flapping. I wouldn't be worrying about a well pitched, decent brand 3-season tent until gusts were much higher than that.

In reply to Flinticus:

I've used a well pitched Taurus UL in winds of probably 50mph and not had too bad a night. The tent was a bit flappy and there was a fair bit of flexing of the poles going on, but I slept through most of it. I suspect the standard Taurus will have thicker and less flexible poles.

In reply to Guy Hurst:

Great. It's a UL I have too. Without the additional end supports that the later models have.

In reply to Flinticus:

Pitch it properly, add whiskey and earplugs and you will be fine.
I slept in a TN solar for a week on Mingulay, the tent inner was "cuddling" me on some nights but did not go anywhere.
If weather is really bad I might pack my stuff a bit so it does not all blow away in a full tent self-destruct. Sleeping in clothes good incase of this too.
Anyway, as I was saying, you will be fine.

Andy

In reply to Flinticus:
Like Guy I have used my Taurus UL in winds in excess of 50mph including one really bad night with gusts about 80. That night with the tail into the wind, the gusts blew it flat several times. The only uncomfortable night I have had in that tent and wouldn't recommend it. Only damage was a slight bend in the ridge pole. Still using the tent and still confident in it's performance.
20mph shouldn't be a drama.
From memory there is a video clip on You Tube showing a wind tunnel test of this tent.
Kev

In reply to KevinJ:

I remember pitching my Taurus UL at Sligachan campsite when there was very high winds. I ended up sleeping in my friend's car which was rocking in the wind. The next morning my tent was still standing (though its tail end had been blowing flat throughout the night) while my friends tent had collapsed (and had a broken pole) and many other tents around the site were total write offs (and many ended up stuffed in bins)

In reply to Flinticus:

yeah fine. I've camped in far higher winds in the past in a crappy £25 from Halfords which I used for 2 years every weekend 52 weeks a year next to Morcambe Bay with no problems.An even half decent tent, if pitched well, will take far more than 20mph

In reply to Scarab9:

How well the tent is pitched in going to have a big bearing on how well it stands up to the wind.

Try to choose a location sheltered from the prevailing wind.
Pitch so that the strongest part of the tent is facing into the wind.
Actually use all the pegging points and guyropes provided.

Regularly check the condition of the pegs and adjust if necessary.

In reply to Jenny C:






Very good advice.

Maybe add for no 2 - be very wary of pitching anywhere near trees. I've seen a tent crushed by a falling branch, fortunately the occupants were in the pub!

In reply to Flinticus:

I camped on an airfield in a £100 tent from Blacks - Dalesman, I think - in considerably more than 20mph winds. My tent barely moved at all - many others were flapping and bending.

It was a brilliant tent that eventually died when a mouse ate the fly sheet!

I'm sure your Taurus will be fine - pitch it tail into wind, use any shelter you can and appropriate type/size of pegs for the ground. I won't be the only one on here that's slept in a tent tied to rocks and whatever else is available if you can't get pegs in

In reply to LastBoyScout:

Some of the guys on tents these days are too short to wrap around rocks, I always carry some para cord to extend or replace. Another tip is to use your walking poles (if you have them) and shove them through the guy ends or loops if in hard/sandy ground, then load as many rocks on them as you like!

In reply to Flinticus:

20 mph is nothing, a breeze literally. It shouldn't be a problem for any tent, something like a vaude should easily cope.

We use a cheapo Walmart tent and that stands up to much stronger without guy ropes or pegs. It may flap but I'd also not worry about where I camped in such winds.

I've camped in winds of 70-80 mph in the old WC Voyager, it was flattened but bounced back ok.

In reply to Flinticus:

if your tent is pitched correctly and the guys are well pegged in the right alighnment it will stand very high winds ,it might be uncomfortable and very noisey as I experienced last week at wasdale head, the only other tent on the site was a large dome that folds up like a hoop and at 3 am it did just that as well as ripped apart. my tent was smaller (vango ) , it was quite scarey unsure what the wind speed was but it was more than 20 mph for sure

In reply to Flinticus:

I slept at Wasdale Head in my Taurus a couple of years back and the extremely windy night had pretty much everyone but me up trying to fix their tents. If only people could do this quietly - some of us are trying to sleep.

In reply to Flinticus:

As long as it hasn't been packed up wet and left under the stairs for several years, you should be alright.
I lent mine, subjected to the above, once to my mate. It disintegrated in a 2 or 3 mile wind in Chamonix in early April (f*cking freezing at night!). He spent the rest of the week trying to sleep in the campsite drying room and avoiding the campsite woman slinging him out everytime.

In reply to Flinticus:

I've had 20mph winds inside my laser comp, not a pleasant night but a change of diet sorted it.
Sorry

In reply to Flinticus:
I camped in 65mph winds last night near grisedale tarn in the lakes and our little 3 season banshee stood up to that. So you shouldn't have a problem as long as you make sure everything is tight and angle your pegs away from the fly.

In reply to Flinticus:

20mph is not really wind, hehe.

Make sure you have proper pegs. My TN Laser Comp came with thin toothpicks I never use. If it's really breezy and you're in the right area, put some rocks on top of your pegs to prevent the wind from pulling them out.