s to touch the two small pins that you drove at the beginning. You
can now catch and tighten the corner guy-lines on the four pins
previously driven. In driving the other pins, it looks well to have them
on a line, if possible; also try to have the wall of the tent set
square: to do this you must tie the door just right before you tighten a
guy-line.

You will find this way of pitching a tent convenient when a wind is
blowing, or when your assistant is not a strong person. If the wind is
very high, spread your tent to windward, and catch the windward
guy-lines before raising the tent. You will thus avoid having it blown
over.

TENT-POLES.

As tent-poles are not expensive, you may find it convenient to have two
sets for each tent; one stout set for common use, and a lighter set to
take when transportation is limited. Sound spruce, free from large knots
and tolerably straight-grained, makes good poles; pine answers as well,
but is more expensive.

The upright poles of a stout set for a wall-tent of the United States
Army pattern should be round or eight-sided, and about two inches in
diameter.[21] If you prefer to have them square, round off the edges, or
they will be badly bruised upon handling. Drive a stout iron pin[22]
seven or eight inches long into the centre of the top until it projects
only about three and a half or four inches, or enough to go through the
ridgepole and an inch beyond. It will be necessary to bore a hole in the
pole before driving in the pin, to prevent splitting. A ferrule is also
serviceable on this end of the pole.

The ridgepole should be well rounded on the edges, and be about two and
a half inches wide and two inches thick. If made of stuff thinner than
an inch and a half, it should be wider in the middle than above stated,
or the pole will sag. Bore the holes to receive the pins of the uprights
with an auger a size larger than the pins, so that they may go in and
out easily: these holes should be an inch and a half from the ends.
Ferrules or broad bands are desirable on the ends of the ridgepole; but
if you cannot afford these you may perhaps be able to put a rivet or two
through the pole between the ends and the holes, or, if not rivets, then
screws, which are better than nothing to prevent the pin of the upright
from splitting the ridgepole.

TENT-PINS.

Tent-pins should be made of sound hard wood; old wheel-spokes are
excellent. Make them pointed at the bottom, so that they