Precaution upon disassembly of tents

Retrieving the strings

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After all the equipment is put away, restore the gutter and stones, if necessary.  Restore the campfire area, and sort the trash according to its recyclability. If no trash dump is provided, bring the trash out of the premises.

Used cooking oil must be put into a container and removed from the premises. Used gas canisters must be punctured and disposed of to be recycled. Ashes from cooking and campfire must be disposed of in appropriate places. If there are no places for ashes to be disposed in, place it in designated bags to be buried. That is to avoid the fat from meats in polluting the soil.

Drive the vehicle away from the campsite for a few meters, and return to check for any items left behind. Clotheline, materials hung to be dried, and ground pegs are easily forgotten.

In case of rain

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In case tarp was used

①   Clean out all the items from under the tarp by pulling the vehicle close to the tarp.
②   Dome-styled tents are easily moved, so disassemble it under the tarp. This can prevent the inner tent from getting wet.
③   Disassemble the tarp after all tents and equipment are on the vehicle. Do not pull the pegs, but loosen the strings to put the tarp sway, without having the tarp surface contacting the ground.

In case of small and medium tents

The following can prevent the inner tent from getting wet, to an extent. The equipment from the tent must be put away without regard for the tent getting wet.  However, the tent must be dried upon return home.
①   Wrap up all equipment inside the tent, and pull up the trunk of the vehicle to the tent to put them inside the trunk.
②   Pull out the tent pegs, and loosen the link between fly sheet and inner tent. Leave the fly sheets covered under the inner tent. Remove all the poles connected to endpins of inner tent. Poles should fall in parallel arrangement, and the inner tent should drop with fly sheet on top of it. On the models with inner tent hooking onto poles, the hooks must be undone first.
③   Undo the poles first and put them away. Get in underneath the fly sheet to roll up the inner tent. Then put it in the vehicle. It is easier with two persons. This will prevent the inner tent from getting wet, to an extent.
④   Put away the ground sheet after rolling away the fly sheet.

In case of Two-room tent

①   Put all equipment away from the inside. Disassemble the inner tent to put it inside of the bag.
②   Pull the vehicle over to the tent to clear the equipment from the inside. In case of bigger tents, the vehicle can actually fit under the tent for this task.  If a SUV or RV is available, the back gate can be left open to avoid the rain. Take precaution in driving in this kind of weather.
③   When two-room tent is being disassembled, make sure it is done on the ground sheet to prevent soiling.

How to put away the wet tarp and tent

Prepare big plastic bags ahead of time to carry wet items in. If the ice box or cooler is vacant of food, the wet equipment can be carried inside for convenience.

Equipment disposal and maintenance

Once home, the wet sleeping bags and tent can be dried in well-ventilated shades. Wet sleeping bags should not be kept inside of vehicles for a prolonged time, for they are prone to absorb moisture. They must be kept unrolled, however,  it is not easy.  Keep the sleeping bag in inflated status, in a meshed bag. If it must be kept in moist places, keep the meshed bag in a large plastic bag.

If equipments were not properly put away, they should be rearranged once home. If left in random places, they can be difficult to locate on future occasions. It is advisable to put together a list on the outside of the containers for ease of packing on future trips.

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