Tent Shrinkage...?

[EscalarK2]

So this one has me confused.

 

Has anyone else had their tent shrink on them? I used this tent on Aconcagua, everything was fine, when I got back and set it up to clean it out, I noticed that all the poles seem to be about 5" or so too long. And now the tent is pretty much impossible to set up. Its an older North Face tent from the late 90's. I even had a few friends come over and look at it, to make sure I wasn't confused and setting it up wrong. I kept my gear to myself, so I know that I didn't get the poles mixed up with anyone elses gear. We tried setting it different ways. No luck. Any ideas out there?

[TrogdortheBurninator]

I dont know about tents actually shrinking, although metal poles have way higher thermal expansion coefficients than tent fabrics, so if it were colder, the poles would be less snug.

 

If it really shrank, I suppose you could just take a hack saw and shorten the pole sections.

[catbirdseat]

That's strange. I have never had a tent shrink on me, but I have had certain anatomical components shrink drastically while looking up various steep rock pitches.

[jmace]

so I know that I didn't get the poles mixed up with anyone elses gear.

 

I would double check that..maybe some one liked your poles a bit better..may need to inspect closely

[fenderfour]

Get the tent good and wet before set up. You should be able to stretch the fabric. let it all dry set up and you should be good.

[EscalarK2]

I will give it a shot sometime this week. Let ya know how it goes from there.

 

Thanks!

[Kat_Roslyn]

AHAHh hahahahaha Who can't set up a tent now! Man, I am gonna make fun of you for this forever!!! I wish I was there to see your face and you say "What the . . ". This is making me laugh so hard right now, I wish that I would've thought to play this joke on you!

[EscalarK2]

Yea, thanks, I kinda figured that.. I even had Spitz come over and attempt to help.. neither one of us can pitch a tent anymore these days... must be old age..

[Kat_Roslyn]

So at your old age yer tent won't pitch as high as it used to eh? I heard Spitz could pitch a tent pretty well though.

Well, don't worry, it happens to the best of em.

It's probably because you were pitching your tent so often in Aconcagua. You were probably so used to pitching you tent in dangerous foriegn lands, that the United States just doen't have anything extreme enough.