Spread the tent fabric out flat on the ground. If you are erecting your tent in windy conditions, place rocks or other heavy objects on the corners of the tent fabric to keep it from blowing away.
Stake the corners of the tent in the ground. For freestanding tents, you can perform this step after the tent has been erected. If you are working in windy conditions, however, you will need to stake the tent immediately.
Assemble the tent poles. These will vary depending on the specific type of tent you are working with. Most poles are constructed simply by fitting a series of smaller pole sections together end to end.
Insert the tent poles into the allocated space on the tent fabric. Depending on the type of tent you are erecting, you may be inserting the poles into long sleeves, loops or grommets. Secure the ends of the tent poles into the pockets or grommets provided at the end of each sleeve or series of loops or grommets. These are typically located in each of the four corners, but may also be placed along the sides of the walls in a very large tent. If your tent has a clip system, you will erect the poles first, secure them in the corners and then clip the fabric on to the poles.
Check the corners of the tent to ensure that they are staked firmly into the ground. Check the fabric of the tent on all sides and make sure that it is taut.
