Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Username: Password:

Follow NI-Wild

Author Topic: The importance of pegging down guy lines.  (Read 4882 times)

seanbranagh

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 25
  • Posts: 190
    • branagh.ie

As part of my long term plan to camp on, or as close as I can to all of the Mourne 500's (https://branagh.ie/2018/03/14/mourne-500s-camps/) I camped on the summit of Carn Mountain on Friday night.
I hiked up after dark in thick cloud but otherwise it wasn't a bad evening. It was mild but I knew the temperature was going to plummet overnight to well below freezing though.
Thank's to the number of rocks the only spot I could get close to the summit on the sheltered west side of the wall was right beside the wooden steps.
I was concerned about the potential for someone to trip on my tent overnight or if anyone came up really early in the morning so I didn't bother pegging down the front guy line that holds the little flap over the vent (circled in red). I figured it wouldn't be an issue.
Through sheer bad luck and whatever way the wind was gusting it definitely became an issue through the night. In the early parts of the night before the temperature dropped (but after I was sleeping) the flap must have been blown back and rain managed to blow into the vent. Enough to create a pool of water in the bottom of the tent. Around 5am I stretched out in my sleeping bag and was very rudely awakened by putting my feet into a block of solid ice. It was not at all pleasant. Down sleeping bags and water or ice do not work well together lol.
I used my woolly hat to try and remove as much of the water as possible from the tent that had not completely frozen and I pegged the guy lines down that attach to the flap but the damage was already done so I just curled up and slept in a little ball at the top of the sleeping bag until daylight when I packed up.
The next morning it was easy to see the ice on the sleeping bag and in the tent even after I had removed as much water as I could.
Definitely a lesson learned; I will never again not peg down the front guy lines!





RedLeader

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 175
  • Posts: 1977
Re: The importance of pegging down guy lines.
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2018 »

That's a bit of bad luck. Suppose the same could have happened if your guy had come loose, odd that so much water got in. Still like you say, lesson learned.
Logged

torp

  • Guest
Re: The importance of pegging down guy lines.
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2018 »

Hate them types of lessons Sean (when you only learn after its too late) I suppose you where lucky it froze or you might have been swimming home. :o :o
Logged

seanbranagh

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 25
  • Posts: 190
    • branagh.ie
Re: The importance of pegging down guy lines.
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2018 »

That's a bit of bad luck. Suppose the same could have happened if your guy had come loose, odd that so much water got in. Still like you say, lesson learned.
I was very surprised by how much water got in. I checked my Camelbak and Nalgene bottle thinking that there had to be a leak in one of those but it was definitely from outside.
Just really bad luck with the direction of the heavy rain.

Rugged Track

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 14
  • Posts: 118
Re: The importance of pegging down guy lines.
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2018 »

Wow...love your website link to your site.  Thanks for sharing. Definetly good to know.
Logged
 

Bottom Sponsor

Recent Topics


Lough Shannagh by Scribble [March 22, 2023]

Where has everyone gone? by Glenn B [March 02, 2023]




Hello 👋🏻 by RedLeader [March 13, 2022]

Overnighter on 21st August by Wolf_Larson [November 02, 2021]

crabbing by Glenn B [July 19, 2021]


Slieive Binnian Hike by Rugged Track [November 06, 2020]

Silent Valley by Binnianboy [June 28, 2020]

Is it safe... by Rugged Track [June 02, 2020]




You've got a mention... by NorthernSky [December 12, 2019]


Hen Mountain Wild Camp by Rugged Track [November 28, 2019]

Happy Valley by Binnianboy [September 30, 2019]





Seven Sevens 10th August by RedLeader [August 20, 2019]