Pitch your tent somewhere other than the platform
I'm not sure why people aren't jiving with your response when the only practical alternative to your solution is to buy a smaller tent.
We are heading camping in a couple of days, and have a new tent for the first time in 12 years. At our usual park, we got one of out favorite sites. It used to have a yurt that you could book, but the yurt has been decommissioned, and now its used as a frontcounty campsite, and you pitch your tent on the 17 foot round wooden platform left behind from the yurt.
Slight problem, the tent is approximately 14 feet by 10 feet, and after come quick calculations, will overhang approximately one inch at each corner.
How big of an issue is this? I feel like it will be fine, and my partner thinks it is not fine. I've included pics of the site and the tent. Any advice is appreciated!
Pitch your tent somewhere other than the platform
I'm not sure why people aren't jiving with your response when the only practical alternative to your solution is to buy a smaller tent.
Just the two of you? Get a smaller tent.
Unfortunately, the corners are where the poles are and they need to be resting on something. Bring a few boards and screw them to the platform if you need to.
OP, you'll want a stack of shorty 2x4s, a few 1x2s, and a couple handfuls of pine or spruce wedgie shims, as well as a hank of paracord to extend the tent's typical stake loops all the way out to the ground. Also, the timber hitch and the sheepshank knot aren't going to be necessary, but you should at least learn how to tie a square knot and|or a bowline knot before you go, because you're going to be makin' loops.
Tents get their stability from the poles standing firm on the ground. If the corners are one inch over the edge of the disk your tent wil probably be unstable, impossible to set up or worst case rip at the corners because there is no support from the ground on the most important part of the tent. Might be that you can set it up, but i dont think it will last long, definitly not in windy/rainy weather.
Following this cause we’ve had our eyes on these keji sites as well
Your partner is correct - set it up on the ground instead.
I think the answer of a smaller tent is better, but some places require you use the tent pad, so maybe that’s the case here.
That's a huge tent. I'd suggest setting it up on the dirt and making that platform your hangout area.
I have never pitched a tent on a platform like that - I think this all depends on how you plan to secure the corner pegs of the tent. If your tent is the kind where the poles push in to a grommet in the corner to hold tension, I think it would be problem if there was not any ground beneath them. Do you have to pitch the tent on the platform? Can you pitch it on the ground instead?
Do you NEED a 10 person tent? It's very large and it's going to be larger than most designated tent pads
What kind of tent platform doesn't have a spot for steaks? I'd set it up on the ground just from principal of that poopie butt tent pad.
This is quite fascinating. I have never even heard of tent platforms before today. Are they common?
I know right? A platform without a grill? Lame.
I like m I ne med- well
It will not be fine. Having the corner poles hanging off the platform would make the whole tent sag.
I never use the designated “tent” area because they are generally too small or not flat. I always pitch my tent somewhere else. I’ve even set it up where you’re supposed to park your car.
If there’s a loop for pegs at every corner, just run a length of parachute cord from each loop to the closest area where you can peg into the ground and tie the cords to the pegs.
Tent poles are a little flexible especially at their ends. You could try figuring out how to keep the poles on the platform with large rocks, or maybe a temporary fastener to the wood to keep the pole from moving over the edge of the platform (if you want to risk getting yelled at potentially or told to remove them). You could also use rope as limiting straps to keep the legs from opening fully, etc. Onviously this shrinks the surface area of the tent floor, but not by much. I know I could personally figure out how to keep the poles on the platform as I've rigged up things my entire life and am an engineer. But I agree that the poles shouldn't hang over the edge and if you're not comfortable making it work on the fly then pitching on the ground and using the platform in other ways is best.
Just set it on the ground like we do in camping 😜
I dunno that i would but an outbound from CT tbh. But i’ve always just pitched the tent on the ground. Never had a fancy platform.
Thanks everyone! I don't think we realized just how big the tent was when we bought it. We've had a 6 person tent for the last 12 years, and it felt small.for a six person tent. I think we overcompensated with the 10 person tent. Going to go and exchange for a smaller tent. Thanks again!
I've got to ask, how many people are in your group? The dimensions of the tent are bigger than my bedroom.
Stack something under the poles rocks, wood, heck cut some 4x4 post ahead of time and bring them with you.
Let it hang over
Must you use the platform? I have camped at a park and they had a box-shaped platform. It was FULL of spiders, so I set up a good distance away from it. Rangers never said anything. I saw other sites use theirs for a kitchen set-up.