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Pitching a privacy tent, and folding it back

Pitch our pop up privacy tent on level ground, stake the base corners against the wind, and fold the spring frame flat for the carry bag.

Let the spring frame open

Step back into a clear patch of ground before you slip the strap off. The spring wire opens on its own with genuine force. Hold the rim away from your face and let the shelter pop up into its tall shape. Shake the walls out so the base sits square on the grass. You now have a tall shelter ready for a bucket toilet or a camp shower, with the main zipper door facing toward your path.

Pick flat ground and check wind

Set the shelter downwind from where people sit around the fire or prepare food. Look for flat ground without sharp stones that could snag the floor mesh or catch your boots. Wind hits tall walls hard. Face the narrow back of the shelter toward the breeze so the door zipper is sheltered. When the wind picks up, a broad fabric wall acts like a sail and pulls hard on every corner.

Stake the corners and guy lines

Drive pegs through the corner loops first. Keep the bottom perimeter tight and square. If the ground is loose sand or soft pine needles, angle the pegs deeply into the dirt. Tie out the guy lines to nearby trees or firm ground stakes to keep the top frame from leaning under strong gusts. A tent that walks across camp usually does so because somebody skipped the back corner pegs on hard ground.

Rig the inside gear and liners

Step inside to arrange your camp gear. Hang a camp shower from the top loop or set your collapsible bucket toilet in the center. Fit a compostable liner over the rim and press the lid down tight over the bag edge. You can drop a gelling pouch with charcoal into the liner before use to bind liquids. The top mesh lets light in while keeping the inside private when the main zipper is pulled shut.

Taco fold and coil the wire

Take down starts by pulling the stakes and zipping the door. Flatten the shelter into one flat panel. Stand the panel on its edge, grab the top rim, and fold it down toward your feet like a taco. Step on that bend. Reach for the two outer loops that form on the sides, curl them inward, and let the wire hoops slip over each other. The whole shelter turns into three flat rings for the carry bag.

Wipe dirt off the bottom mesh before you slide the coiled frame into the carry bag. Store the bag flat under a seat or behind the trunk panel. If the fabric got wet during a storm, pop the shelter open in the yard at home to dry before packing it away.

From the shelf

Shelters on the shelf

The pop up tents that get pitched most.