OH SH*****T! May lose tent in the wind!

[TiggyD]

The title says it all. Really windy. Wind blasting up the loch but I had to go for the good view this morning when I pitched. Too windy to move it now. Won't be able to hold on to the canvas if I take it down. Have parked in front of the tent, and rigged up a tarp to give a partial low level windbreak. I do have a proper windbreak but it would never hold. Tent beside me flat.

Any tips?

[Theas18]

You are doing well and you aren't flat yet!

I guess it depends on your tent type but if it's well pegged down - go double peg the guys with the pegs well angled away from the pull they are experiencing and cross your fingers.

We were in out folding camper 5 mins drive away when the tail end of the hurricane hit Boscastle the beds seem to be bounding up and down but it held fine - toilet tent died though!

[TiggyD]

The loch I'm next to is east-west, so as soon as the wind changes to southerly, I'll be OK. It's going to be a rough few hours.

[TiggyD]

No midges though!

[Theas18]

I bet the midges are rushing past at 60mph!

[VivaLeBeaver]

Parking in front of the tent is the best thing to do and makes a massive difference. I've been in tents in some awful winds and they've all stayed put even when ive been awake all night convinced we were about to blow away any second. Good luck.

[TiggyD]

The squashed tent couple came back. We managed to get it upright and they have a big 4x4 to park in front of it. They're doing OK, but might not last the night.
My army tarp windbreak seems to be working, although a couple of the brass eyelets have popped off so I tied it back up using the webbing on it.
Think the weather says better by 8.

[TiggyD]

Still a bit scared though.

[expatinscotland]

Depending on where you are, it is not going to improve until the early hours of tomorrow morning, particularly in the west. I would wait for a break between gusts, throw the tent in your car, and leave.

All ferries in the Western Isles are either disrupted or cancelled.

[SonceyD0g]

Keep checking your pegs
Good luck

[expatinscotland]

Am watching the news right now. Ayrshire is not expected to improve, either. It is country wide and the weather reporter has just said, 'These winds are expected to carry on well into tomorrow.'

[Pipistrella]

Tiggy

If in doubt then source some weights, big stones whatever, come out of your tent with essentials and place weights on flattened tent.

Sleep in car.

[TiggyD]

Just need the winds to start coming from the south. They seem to be dropping. Still big gusts but also getting sudden still patches now.

[expatinscotland]

They will not. More are expected from the West, very strong. I would get out. It will not drop for long. I'm watching Scottish news right now, the front is very, very large and will continue all night and into tomorrow.

[TiggyD]

I'm using heavy duty rock pegs so it's not going to blow off. Blow down maybe, but not into the loch. Will tunnel through car to get some dry things from the boot. Dry equals warm!

[Blistory]

Biggest stones you can find on top of the pegs. All pegs firmly into ground so that the guys can't ride up at all and increase the pull. Heavy items around the inside edges of the tent to decrease windflow underneath and stop it billowing.

And remember, it's only a tent so no heroics if it does decide to go.

[Blistory]

Biggest stones you can find on top of the pegs. All pegs firmly into ground so that the guys can't ride up at all and increase the pull. Heavy items around the inside edges of the tent to decrease windflow underneath and stop it billowing.

And remember, it's only a tent so no heroics if it does decide to go.

[JasonsBum]

Sympathies Tiggy! I hate the wind blowing the tent. If your pegs are good then it's more likely to be broken poles. We had 3 last year during the tail end of hurricane Bertha. Look after yourself and hope the weather clears soon.

[Pipistrella]

Is it just me wondering WTF you have DONE to be out on the mountain again?

[VanitasVanitatum]

Ooh this sounds fabulously exciting.. But I would probably be observing it from inside my car!!

[ClashCityRocker]

After our one camping mission was aborted following a 'shower' monsoon I am full of admiration. Stay safe though.

[TiggyD]

It's stopped!

No wind. Rain barely there. A patch of blue sky. The 'eye' of the storm?

Will check all pegs and guys. Good idea about stopping wind underneath Blisty . Thanks.

Hopefully It won't be too bad later when the other side of the storm hits.

[TiggyD]

Not sure whether to sleep in the car tonight.

[expatinscotland]

Yep, it's a lull. If you had seen the size of it on the telly, you'd know, it ain't gonna hold. I'd take the tent down now and sleep in the car. It stopped here, for a while. It is not picking back up.

[DustBunnyFarmer]

Sorry to hear it's blowing a gale on your camping trip, but this is one of those classic 'live action' MN threads which really give the crap weather context and drama for us sofa-dwellers. I'll keep my fingers crossed that your tent doesn't achieve lift off and - as others have said - stay safe!

[Piffpaffpoff]

Tiggy I was camping above a beach on the west coast in a big tunnel tent for the last two nights and bailed out this morning due to the forecast for this afternoon/tonight!

Last night I double pegged all the guys and pole points that I could, moved the guy ropes round a big to try and brace the tent more effectively, put on extra guy ropes from my spares kit to give more support to the front of the tent which was facing into the wind (except the wind direction shifted during the night -bastard!) and I weighed down the front edge of the tent with my massive coolbox and suitcase to try and keep the wind facing edge of the tent from lifting. It wasn't possible to park the car in front or else I would have done that too. We got off with virtually no sleep and one split pole section. Not bad under the circumstances.

Best of luck!!