It is summer and you, together with the whole family, have planned on spending days and maybe nights on the beach with a tent, and now you’re right there, asking yourself how you can possibly set your tent up. When camping, one will need to know all about tents and ways to keep it warm, especially on the beach where the brutal summer heat and warm beach wind transform to a really cool breeze at night. Tent camps on the beach sound exciting, but it can be kind of distressing, too. Still, they can be a great experience of a lifetime.
Tents can easily be set up anywhere, but not too easy on the beach. You see, the beach is a sea of sand and as many of you may know, tents stand with the help of solid, hard ground. Sand, on the other hand, is fine and smooth, making it hard to be used as the foundation of tents. Fortunately, that problem can be the solution. You can use the sand to your advantage.
Use sandbags
First off, you need to decide which spot of the beach you want your tent to be situated. Now, get your shovel and dig a hole about two to three feet away from each post of your tent. In this method, the space between the tent posts and the dug holes are important, so make sure to make your measurements accurate.
Put the dug sand inside small plastic trash bags or any kind of bags available. You may also need to put more sand inside the bags as you fill them up. Also, make as much sandbags as you can as you might need more of them later. Then, tie each sandbag to each Guy Line Attachment, the rope attachments on the sides of the tent.
Use rocks
Some use rocks instead of sandbags. They wrap and tie each guy line attachment around big, heavy rocks found on the beach. They are a lot heavier than sandbags and can hold tents down pretty well, too. The sandbag method, however, is more commonly used as it is a lot easier and doesn’t require too much strength, especially when it comes to putting down the tent. But either way, sandbags, and rocks can both effectively hold down your tent. Just make sure you set them up well.
Bury the sandbags
After tying the bags to the guy lines of your tent, bury them to the hole that you dug earlier. Put some sand to fill the rest of the space in the hole. Push the sandbag and more sand if you have to. You can also add heavy rocks on top of the holes. Make sure the sandbags are tightly buried on the ground. It will help hold your tent down even with the strong wind on the beach. If you’ve got a Rain Fly, tie it down, as well.
Adjust the tightness
You can also adjust the tightness of your tent set up in this method. Simply put more sand to the sandbags to do so. The wind on the beach can be kind of strong. For more security and stability, put those sandbags you’ve made a while ago on the outlines of your tent. The bags will help weigh the tent down. The more bags you add, the stronger the hold of your tent will get.
Add water
What you need on a beach camp are all on the beach! Beach winds are supposed to be relaxing, not devastating. In times when strong winds get a little bit tougher though, you’ll need more than just sand. You’ll need water, too. Grab a bucket, fill it with water, and put just a little amount of water to the sand inside the bags. Also, put water in the holes where the sandbags are buried. The water will make the sandbags heavier and will, therefore, hold your tent better.
