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I bought a Vaude Hogan in 2010, cos my previous two-man tent was on it's last legs and the Vaude was a bargain in Blacks (£100 if I remember rightly), and it's sat in the bag ever since, because at about the same time I bought a campervan 🙂
Anyhoo, cut forward nearly nine years and I'm off to lead my first Scout camp in a week's time, so I thought I should have a quick practice putting the tent up so as to give an air of having a vague idea about what I'm doing when I'm there.
For anyone that knows the Hogan, it's got a kind of pole exoskeleton that pins in at four corners, then the fly sheet attaches to hit via hooks, eyelets and bungee cords. Bloody hell the things tight though, I really had to heave on it to get the front and back end 'porch' eyelets over the end of the poles (to the point where I'm thinking 'this can't be right'), one of the two hooks bent under the strain and the tent itself is like a drumskin.
Before anyone asks, I definetly, in a triple-checked way, put it up as per the instructions.
Is it because it's new and the seams etc all need to stretch and bed in a bit?
Not familiar with the tent in question, but I wouldn't say it's unusual for the poles to be a tight fit. Sometimes it's a case of making sure they're threaded through and positioned correctly - small adjustments can make a big difference when you're fighting with a few millimetres to get the pole in.
Right pole in the right hole?? Had a similar issue couple of years back with a new tent. 1st time putting it up and one pole was stupidly tight. Cue some swearing at the Mrs and nearly breaking the pole, we then realised that one pole is slightly longer and has coloured tabs on it. Entry point on the tent for the pole had different coloured tab, but one of the others matched. Do the poles have any colour coordinated bits on that match bits on the tent?
What @butcher said.
My Big Tent is a bastard to put up. I actually snapped a pole on my first erection (fnarr). How far you've got the pole pushed through can make a big difference, if it's asymmetrical (and shouldn't be) then you're going to struggle.
Instructions aside, have a look on YouTube?
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vaude+hogan
Tent fabric shrinks slightly over time. The fly mountings should have some adjustment in though - for this reason, and the reason that it gives a bit when it's wet too.
I've definitely got the right poles in the right holes (it's impossible not to given the design of the tent).
Cheers for the YouTube idea, but I'd already looked there and it's all for the newer models, nothing, unsurprisingly, for the 10+ year old model I have.
I'm convinced I've put it up right, I'll have another look and see if there's adjusters anywhere I've missed.
I’ll have another look and see if there’s adjusters anywhere I’ve missed.
Oh yeah, that's a point. I've seen tents where the peg for the poles is on an adjustable strap - but only on one side of the the tent. I initially missed it because I looked for adjusters and didn't see any, I didn't think to check the other side too.
Cheers for the YouTube idea, but I’d already looked there and it’s all for the newer models, nothing, unsurprisingly, for the 10+ year old model I have.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vaude+hogan+2010
First five hits there are 8/9 year old setup videos.
First five hits there are 8/9 year old setup videos.
Not for my tent though.
Great tent. Try pitching without the outer first. So spine and inner. See if that goes up ok. Then swap inner for outer. Had a Space 2 that was also a nice tent. Till it was destroyed by the kids.
Don't bend the poles!
Not for my tent though.
How is yours different?
I've just watched one at random which shows them setting up three Hogan models. One thing I noticed, you said "I really had to heave on it to get the front and back end ‘porch’ eyelets over the end of the poles" - on the video it doesn't look like they do that, they bungee to the ground?
I've got a Vango tent that is an absolute pig to put up. It's good once it's there, but one pole in particular; the brow pole across the front of the tent requires two people to do it. My Wife doesn't have the strength to get it correctly in place & I can only just manage it.
It's also really hard to get the groundsheet sitting flat inside. We have tried all sorts of things over the years; sometimes it 'just works' and other times no end of faffing around sorts it out.
It probably only takes a small variation in part tolerances to end up with this situation. Pretty sure in the case of our tent, it was updated the following year with some minor design changes and from what I read it was mainly to make it easier to put up.
The other issue is that alloy poles expand a fair amount when warm - again this is why many tents have adjustors. I find it astonishing how much growth there can be in a pole over a fairly small temp range -
How is yours different?
I’ve just watched one at random which shows them setting up three Hogan models. One thing I noticed, you said “I really had to heave on it to get the front and back end ‘porch’ eyelets over the end of the poles” – on the video it doesn’t look like they do that, they bungee to the ground?
There's a few different Hogan models, and the ones shown are mostly ones where the flysheet goes over the pole 'frame'. Mine hangs from the frame.
The nearest is this, which is essentially a double-ended (phnaar) version of mine (mine only has an entrance at one end).
From 30secs in you can see him putting the pole frame over the pegged-out tent. At about 57secs you can see him do the initial hooking of the fly to the frame - this was nearly impossible on mine, and one of the hooks bent under the strain. Then he hooks the bungees on, these are really tight on mine. Then about 1:11 you can see the porch eyelet thing I mean; again, I had to really heave to get it on.
Gotcha. Dunno then! Does yours have the pole joints like that one? I'm just thinking, if not then maybe you've got one "over" that should be "under" somewhere?
Can the bungees lose elasticity over time perhaps? I'd have thought they'd get slacker rather than tighter maybe, but I'm clutching at straws now.
Is it worth an email to Vaude CS maybe? They might have suggestions, or maybe some sort of option kit to fix it if it was a known flaw back then (shorter / bendier poles perhaps)?
Is it possible to adapt it. I have a tent where the inner clips to the poles. It was impossibly tight. Adapted by tying short loops of core to the hooks. Then looped core round pole and back on to hook. Lasted for years and stood up to some bad weather.
Other option, is it possible to shorten the pole a cm or two.
On a related matter do the bags shrink? Can never get the thing in first time, roll and squeeze = middle aged sweat and swear
The bags automatically shrink the first time you unzip them, it's a known fact.
If you are certain it is correct, would shortening the poles a little help? That is easy to do and could be reversed with a spare / repair pole section from a camping shop if you cock up (pull out an end plug, untie elastic, cut down and rebuild).