Knots & practical skills

Tidy guylines, fewer trips

Keep your tent supported while making the space around it easier to walk through.

Camping equipment arranged on an outdoor table.

Follow the intended setup

A coil of cord, tent stakes and mallet.
Cord & camp fixings

Guylines support particular parts of a tent, so use the maker’s instructions for which lines to attach and where to peg them. A neat appearance is less important than correct tension and attachment. Do not attach a line to a feature that was not designed to take it.

Make the lines easy to notice

A coil of cord, tent stakes and mallet.
Cord & camp fixings

Choose a sensible route into and around the tent. Keep lines away from this route where the pitch allows, and use reflective cord or appropriate markers. Show children and newcomers where the lines are before dusk. Avoid loose tails trailing across the path.

Camping equipment on an outdoor table.
Worth remembering

Use the linked knot demonstrations for the tying sequence.

Check without over-tightening

A coil of cord, tent stakes and mallet.
Cord & camp fixings

Recheck the setup after wind or rain, following your equipment’s guidance. Adjusters should grip the actual cord you are using. Keep a little practice cord in your repair kit so you can learn useful knots at home without experimenting on the tent during poor weather.

Guide overview