Pitching a Tent Well on Exposed Dales Ground

Read the ground before you unroll anything

Exposed Dales ground has a habit of looking flatter and calmer than it really is. A patch of short sheep-cropped turf above a wall can feel sheltered at four in the afternoon and turn into a wind tunnel by ten. Before you take the tent out of its bag, stand still for a minute and look at what the land is telling you. Where has the grass been flattened by prevailing weather? Which way are the longer stems leaning? On a col or a shoulder, the wind can funnel through faster than it does on the summit, so treat gaps and saddles with suspicion.

Check the forecast, but also check what is actually happening above you. Cloud moving fast in one direction while lower air feels still is a sign that a front is on the way. If rain is forecast overnight, the pitch you choose matters as much as the tent you brought.

Choose level, well-drained ground

Level matters less than drainage, and drainage matters more than a view. A perfectly flat hollow will collect water in a downpour and leave you lying in a puddle by two in the morning. Look for ground that is flat enough to sleep on but sits slightly proud of its surroundings, so surface water runs away rather than through.

• Avoid hollows, dips and the bottoms of shallow gullies.
• Steer clear of tussocky ground; those lumps are agony under a sleeping mat.
• Short, tight turf on limestone is usually the firmest and best-draining surface.
• Keep well back from streams, even small ones, as they rise fast after rain.
• Check for sheep droppings, ant mounds and old fire scars before committing.

If the only flat ground slopes, sleep with your head uphill and accept it. A gentle slope will drain far better than a level pocket that turns boggy.

Face the door away from the wind

Get the door and porch pointing downwind, then pitch the tent so its lowest, strongest end takes the weather broadside or head-on. If you can identify the prevailing wind, back the tent into it. On exposed ground, a tent facing the wrong way will flap all night even when the wind is modest.

Use natural shelter where it is safe to do so: behind a drystone wall, in the lee of a boulder, or tucked into a fold in the hillside. Do not pitch under lone trees or beneath dead branches, and never under a tree on a summit ridge. Walls and boulders break the wind effectively without bringing falling timber into the equation.

Once the outer is up, walk around it and check the shape. A tent that looks taut and even will shed wind; one with sagging panels will slap and stretch all night.

Peg every point, and peg it properly

The guy lines are not decoration. On exposed ground, use every peg point the tent offers, and add extras if the design allows. Push pegs in at roughly forty-five degrees, angled away from the tent and in line with the pull of the line. If you drive them straight down, a gust will lift them out.

• Tension guy lines so the outer sits smooth, not drum-tight.
• Keep the inner clear of the flysheet to prevent condensation wicking through.
• Use rocks to back up pegs on thin or sandy ground; loop the line over a heavy stone, then place a second on top.
• Buried pegs, laid flat and covered with turf and stones, hold well in soft peat.

Do this while it is dry. Re-pegging in the dark, in wind and rain, with cold hands, is the hardest way to learn the lesson.

Batten down before the weather turns

An hour before dusk, walk the perimeter of the tent and check every line again. Fabric relaxes as it gets damp and tension changes overnight, so what felt right at teatime may be slack by midnight. If strong wind is forecast, double up the windward pegs and make sure the porch is zipped shut.

Ventilation keeps condensation manageable. Leave a small gap at the top of the door or a vent open on the sheltered side, unless midges are out in force, in which case close up and accept a damp inner in the morning. Keep boots and wet kit in the porch, not against the inner wall.

The last look before you sleep

Before you zip yourself in, take one more lap of the tent. Check the lines are still taut, that nothing sharp is pressing against the fabric, and that the flysheet is not touching the inner. Listen to the wind for a moment and note which direction it is coming from; if it shifts, you will know in the night whether your pitch is still working.

In the morning, empty the tent of condensation, shake off the worst of the water, and leave the ground as you found it. Move any stones you shifted back, and let the grass spring up again. Exposed Dales ground recovers slowly, and the next walker deserves the same quiet pitch you enjoyed. Pack the pegs, count them, and set off with the tent dry enough to pitch again the following evening.