assateague 2019 - 11

Did I miss it or did you explain the mode of failure of the operating shelter?

Tom W3TDH

Not sure if I explained it elsewhere, but I'll gladly repeat myself. The wind was fierce. At one point, my guess is 70 mph gusts. Initially the tent was holding well. The frame was bending, but nicely. This is, after all, the same design used for ice fishing shelters. The ropes pulling on the pop-out sections were also holding well. What gave out were the ropes tied at the top of each angle. The eyelets there were simply a sewn loop of tent material. What they should have done is put a strong anchor at each top corner! Anyway, as soon as the first windward one tore off, that was it, the tent started bending past the point of no return and we had to very quickly tear down. It was either that, or have the tent fly away to Florida and have to pay my buddy the $500 or so that the tent cost. For my next trip to the Arctic, I'd like to take a shelter similar to this one, but with far better anchoring.