How to Rig a Tent Awning
Adding an awning or vestibule to the front or rear door of your tent can add extra storage space to your tent. It can also help keep out the rain when you enter or leave your tent, or just provide a great place to relax. Rigging an awning to your tent is fairly straightforward no matter what type of tent you have, as long as the tent has a tent fly.
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Instructions
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1
Set up your tent without adding the fly. Position the tent so that the side of the tent is facing the prevailing wind.
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2
Unfold the tarp on the ground and find the grommet at the midpoint of the longest side. Position or tie this grommet to the upper portion of the tent frame (or an exposed D-ring) somewhere between the top-center of the doorway and the peak, or center of the tent. Be sure there is at least a foot (if not more) of tarp extending up and over the doorway.
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3
Place one or two tent poles into the grommets in the side of the tarp opposite the doorway. For a single pole awning, this pole should be on a line from the center of the tent through the center point of the doorway. For a dual-pole awning, the poles should be spread equally from the center, but not to exceed the width of the tent.
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4
Stake down the one or two poles with rope or parachute cord. Use two guy lines for each pole, staked out from under the tarp.
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5
Tie down the two corners of the tarp (that are adjacent to the point where the tarp is anchored above the tent door) to the ground. Keep these two corners as close to the tent as possible, as the fly will be installed over this edge of the tarp.
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Stake down the two corners of the awning furthest from the tent (adjacent to the awning stakes). Make any adjustments to any of the corner tiedowns to smooth out the tarp and keep it flat to the outside of the tent.
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Install the tent fly over the tent as normal. You should be covering the part of the tarp connected to the tent as well.
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Tips & Warnings
For larger tents, these steps may be easier for two people.
Do not rely on your awning in extremely windy conditions until you've had a chance to test how well it works with your tent in less difficult circumstances.
