Find a level piece of ground. Inspect for rocks and holes that could retain rainwater. Lay the tent out on the ground. Make sure the door is pointed in the desired direction. Check that you have enough pegs and poles to erect the tent.
Hammer the pegs into the ground through the holes around the perimeter of the tent. Make sure the pegs are at an angle to the ground so the lines do not slip off.
Match the poles to the appropriate sections of the tent. Snap the interlocking poles together. Usually, there are two sets of poles connected by a rubber cord to keep them together. Run the poles through the seams of the inner tent. Insert the ends of the poles into the eyelets at the bottom corners of the tent. The "igloo" should be taking shape now.
Stretch the rain fly, or outer tent, over the main tent. Clip, or tie, the rain fly to the tent poles. Pull the lines attached to the rain fly out as far as they will extend and peg them into the ground.
Once your tent is set up, make sure all the zippers work and close them to keep out flies and insects.
