Why should you learn how to connect two tents together? There are a good number of reasons for that.
Just imagine you’re on a camping trip with lots of family and friends, and you’d all like to stay in one tent. If you cannot get a singular tent large enough to fit everybody, what do you do? This is where connecting two tents together comes in.
If you’ve never connected two tents before, you’re probably wondering how it can possibly be done. Singular tents aren’t made to be connected to other tents.
However, with the power of imagination and resourcefulness, joining tents is totally possible. There are steps to follow when you want to connect a pair of tents. Keep reading to know more.
Connecting Two Camping Tents Together
Some tents are actually made to connect with each other. However, other tents are not. This is why you need the information provided in this writing.
Here are the steps you need to follow:
1. Get Tents That Connect to Each Other
Before thinking of any other methods first consider this option. Things would be quicker and easier if you can get your hands on tents made to connect.
These tents that connect together have some mechanism for connection. Most times the connecting mechanism is a zipper. With the zipper, you can quickly join a pair of 10 people tents, usually of the same brand, together.
The fact that these tents must be of the same exact type might pose a problem. If you and the people you want to join with have different brands, you won’t be able to match them successfully.
Another thing to note is that these tents are pricier than regular tents. Because they have the connection feature, you’ll have to pay some extra to purchase them.
2. Use a Tarp
You might not have tents that are of the exact same brand or designed with similar doors, but that shouldn’t stop you.
A tarp would be really helpful in this case. With a large tarp, you can successfully connect two tents together. In addition to a large tarp, get a strong cord too.
Position the tents at about 1½ m from each other – allow the doors to stand parallel across from each other. Using some tent stakes for support, stretch the cord over your tents. Make sure that the cord is taut. The cord should run in a straight line through the middle of both tents.
Once the cord has been set up, hang the large tarp over it and allow the tarp to fall evenly on both sides. This would cover the space between both tent doors and form a sort of tarp hallway.
To make this hallway wider and easier to walk through, hang the tarp over two stretched cords. This time around stretch the cords at both corners of your tents.
One downside with this method is that the tarp’s weight pushes down the middle of both cords. To remedy that effect, you’ll need to get some objects that can hold up the tarp’s weight and keep it from sagging.
3. Clip the Doors of the Tents with Each Other
Clipping or zipping doors is another method. Try getting two tents with similar door specifications. A lot of people use this method. However, for it to work, both tents cannot be single-door tents.
At least one of them, or even both, should have a pair of doors. With the similar doors against each other, you can easily zip them together – especially when they’re of the same brand. Clipping is also used to achieve a clean joining.
The tents you have may not have the exact same door specifications. Regardless of that, you can still be creative with your binder clips and get them joined together.
When using a clip you should note that the joint wouldn’t be as perfect as a zipped pair. Leaking may be experienced and insects can breach the tent. This problem can be achieved by covering the joined area with a tarp.
The quality of the joint made also depends on which binder clips you use. Try to purchase a couple of strong and durable binder clips to hold your tent doors together.
4. Try Covering Over a Smaller Tent Door
Covering over a smaller tent door is another reliable method. With this method, you can even join more than two tents together.
That means you’ll have enough space for everyone. The arrangement usually features a really big tent in the center. If you can get your hands on the largest tent size, it would really help.
Now, place the smaller tent right next to the big center tent and allow the small tent’s door to push into the larger tent’s door. Once you’ve done that, close the walls with your tarp and binder clips. You can expand this setup into a network of smaller tents connected together.
The number of tents connected is determined by how much drape is available to use. The tarps seal the connections and also block rainwater from breaching the tents.
Final Thoughts
Skills like knowing how to connect two tents together can be useful at any time. Camping brings people together and that could mean a larger sleeping space is needed. You wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun experienced through tent-sharing with friends and family.
However, you may not always plan for a large tent space at camp, but still end up needing one. With your binder clips, tarp, and cord, joining two tents becomes possible. Just make sure you have the necessary know-how to make your implementation successful.
Things would be a lot easier if you had tents that connect together naturally – brands that were manufactured to do so. They just require their zipper to be closed. If you don’t mind their expensive prices, purchase these tents for your next camping trip.