Tips 4: Pitching your Tent (Guy Lines)

The tent comes with tied-on guy lines which should always be applied, even when the weather is fine.

When the ground pegs at the corners are in place one should pull out the guy lines and peg these to the ground. An angle of approximately 45° to the ends of the tent is appropriate.

The guy lines have two line runners each and are therefore easy to adjust even when they are immobilized at the pegs or other fasteners. It is imperative to pull the lines as far as possible from the tent for best results in strong wind. They should however not be pulled so tight that they they distort the natural shape of the tent.

In strong and gusty wind one can use another set of guy lines and angle them differently from the tent for more stability in shifting wind directions!

[source: Hilleberg Akto pitching instructions - 2.42mb file >> download pdf version]

When using the guylines, remember to untangle them from the tent first. It's stating the bleeding obvious, but, unlike many other tents, the guylines are fixed to the fabric in two places, so it's easy for one length to end up caught under the tent.

The guylines are great, and the 'line runners' [see picture below] are a nifty idea, allowing the guys to be located and tightened where the pegs can be secured. Useful in circumstances where the options for pegging are limited.


There are guy lines on the pole sleeve, which I always peg out. Some people don't. I do.

I just don't trust the weather, and the pegging only takes a few extra seconds. Ask yourself, "do you feel lucky?"