The best way is to pry on the stake itself. Staking in special conditions: • Sand. Use long, broad stakes with plenty of surface area in loose soil. • Hard, Rocky, or Frozen Soil. Steel stakes work best. Store steel stakes separately. Their sharp edges can cut fabric and leave rust stains, which might damage your tent. • Snow. Use “dead man” anchors. Tie tent to buried objects (branches, tent bags, or stuff sacks filled with snow; or tie tents to snow shoes, skis, or ski poles, which are stuck in the snow. GUY LINES: Do not depend upon staking alone to keep your tent secure during high winds. Most tent models have built-in loops or rings at optimal guy out locations. It’s important to put in the extra time guying out your tent. Correctly done, it can save your tent during exceptional weather. • Make sure that the top fly is securely attached to the tent frame. Ties, hook and loop, or dog-bones and elastic loops are sewn to the underside of the fly for this purpose. • Attach parachute cord to the loops/rings and stake them in the ground three or four feet from the edge of the tent. If staked too close to the tent, wind can cause an upward pull that could dislodge the stakes. • If your tent does not have loops or rings for guy outs, attach guy lines 1/3 to 1/2 of the way up the framework on the main sidewalls. This enables the guy line to support the lower section of the pole, while the upper pole can flex and deflect wind gusts. It is best to run two cords at an angle from the side of the guy out. This prevents all movement, except toward the anchor. The guy lines will work together through opposition. See illustrations below: CONDENSATION & VENTING: Through perspiration and breathing, an adult gives off about a pint of water overnight. If it cannot escape, the water vapor condenses to liquid. Most often, water found in the tent is a result of this condensation rather than from the tent leaking. Condensation often forms where the sleeping bag touches the side of the tent, under the sleeping pad, or on coated surfaces such as the door flaps. A tent’s double wall construction allows the vapor to escape through the roof to the outside, keeping the inside of the tent dry. Leave the windows partially open at night to provide cross ventilation and further reduce condensation. Cross ventilation becomes more important in very humid or extremely cold conditions when the permeable roof is less effective. The features that enhance ventilation are windows, short-sheeted flys (bottom venting), roof vents, and High/Low venting doors. These are specific to each tent model. Given the importance of proper ventilation, We use High/Low venting in most of our tents. This allows cooler air in through the low vents and warmer, moist air up and out through the high vents. High/Low venting is accomplished within the inner tent via roof vents, doors and windows. It is important to vent the vestibule. Unvented, it can inhibit airflow into the tent. Our tent vestibules profit from the ability to “short sheet” by means of zippers & toggles and staked vestibule pull outs create a bellowing effect. Most of our tents are equipped with a High/Low venting door. This design allows increased airflow into the tent from the bottom. Open the low vent/window to admit cool air, allowing the warmer air out through the high roof vents. When rain and wind prevent the low vent from being opened, the high door vent can still be used. Fly overhangs or vestibules protect it. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT: Ultraviolet light damage to tent fabric is caused by excessive exposure to sunlight. While our fabrics are UV resistant, any synthetic fabric is susceptible to UV degradation. UV damage will cause nylon and polyester to become brittle and tear easily. We recommend that you use the rain fly even on clear days. It acts as a sunscreen to the tent. A rain fly is both easier and less expensive to replace if damaged. UV damage can be minimized by erecting tents on shaded sites with low exposure to direct sunlight. GENERAL POLE CARE: • Never let tent poles snap together as this can damage the pole end. • Do not drop tent or pole bags on their ends and do not bounce a tent bag on its end to get the tent out. These actions may cut the shock cord and damage the pole ends. • The aluminum frame may bend slightly and take a “set” through usage; this normally does not affect the performance of the frame. GENERAL TENT CARE: • Sweep the tent floor daily to prevent damage from stones. • Try not to wear shoes inside your tent. • Use a ground cloth whenever possible. • Do not keep food inside a tent. Hungry critters will chew through tent fabric in search of food. STORAGE: • Make sure the tent is completely dry, then store loosely rolled, in a dry, cool place. To prevent dust from collecting on the tent, cover it with a cloth. This allows the nylon/polyester fabric to breathe. • Ideally, the tent poles should be stored in their fully assembled state. This reduces the tension on the s...