How To Set Up Big Agnes Fly Creek Ul2

J-Fifty

BPL Member

@johnnyh88

I recently purchased a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2. And so far, it's proving to be a great tent for my dog and I. The high fabric sides are probably my favorite function of it – they are corking at blocking drafts and keeping warmth in. One of the things that bothers me about the tent, however, is that the inner must be set up before the wing. This is not an event for me most of the fourth dimension, simply would apparently be a big problem if information technology was pouring rain. Afterward seeing that Big Agnes advertises that yous tin fix the wing with just the footprint, I came upwardly with a unproblematic solution that allows me to pitch the fly first and then the inner. On each part of the wing where the tent poles end, I fastened a ane/4'' washer with a modest loop of guyline:

Doing this adds a few grams at most (I did not weigh the washers) and allows yous to erect the fly using just the poles:

Once this is washed, yous've created a very large backcountry kite, so it must patently exist staked downwards. Itch inside, y'all accept a decent amount of room to hang out in:

Note that the shape the fly assumes with but the poles is not the same shape it assumes with the inner attached. And then when y'all want to prepare the inner, y'all must first temporarily un-stake the fly, and then you tin set the inner while remaining nether the fly the whole time. This actually has not proven likewise difficult to do when practicing in my house and in my backyard, but might be more challenging during a windy storm.

So is this a perfect solution? Not at all. But I think it would be workable and applicable to many other tents out there.

I did the aforementioned with my old BA Seedhouse two UL. The practiced thing with the Seedhouse model is that the fly assumes the shape with or without the inner. But of course, you lot get to relish the lighter weight of the Fly Creek. :)

Mike W

BPL Member

@skopeo

Locale: British Columbia

Practice you use a ground sheet with your Fly Creek?

If you do, why don't yous just attach the washers to the ground sail with short tethers?

I have the Wing Creek footprint and I tin can ready up nether the fly very easily. The footprint weighs four oz and so non light, however, if you total the weight of your ground sheet (if you use one), the washers and cord, you probably will exist half way to the weight of the footprint anyway. Your method is definitely more economical though and I similar your resourcefulness (I hate paying the ridiculously high price they make y'all pay for the footprints!).

J-Fifty

BPL Member

@johnnyh88

No, I don't utilize a footprint. I almost bought ane to attempt an thought similar to what you suggested, Mike, simply I couldn't justify the price and extra weight for where I go. If anything, maybe I'll try making one out of Tyvek that could hold the shape of the inner for me equally well equally provide more floor protection.

John:

I tin can solve the extra weight problem (merely not price). Buy a dedicated footprint — maybe go a used 1 here or on Ebay. Cut out all fabric except what connects one grommet to another — resulting footprint should resemble something like a skeletal British flag.

Now, y'all too can enjoy "fast setup" without the full weight of a dedicated footprint.

Feb 18, 2022 at 10:14 am #1841207

J-L

BPL Fellow member

@johnnyh88

Haha, Ben, cheers for the interesting idea! Now that I remember about it, y'all could probably accomplish the same thing with some properly sized lengths of cord and a couple of washers. That would be great! Having the fly assume the proper shape without the inner would mean: more room, easier set up, no re-staking.

February 18, 2022 at 10:21 am #1841210

Astonishing what a couple of homo minds can do! The matter about cords is how to avoid getting them tangled upwards. Silnylon strips should work better. But I am sure you lot tin can work all that out without going through the expense. :)

Feb 18, 2022 at 11:02 am #1841239

I really just did something very similar with my Quarter Dome. The one reward of a dome is that I was able to just run a two lines in a cross from either corner to maintain the shape of the tent, just you lot might be able to do some triangle thing with the Fly Creek. A few anxiety of Dyneema shouldn't weigh much, and you can ditch the washers for appropriately sized bowlines.

Thanks for the thought John! That looks similar a elementary solution. I really bought the defended footprint, and then I could adhere them to that instead. I really like the size, weight and amount of infinite for these Wing creek UL2'south. I bought mine for the same purpose, me and my domestic dog. I haven't had a take a chance to go backpacking yet, but it works peachy in the living room of my flat. Hahaha (staking is manifestly an issue…I found weights exercise the play tricks).

J-L

BPL Member

@johnnyh88

While I take sold my tent, I did cease upward making progress on my idea. Hither is what resulted:

I made a lilliputian "y-connector" out of some guyline and washers which enable the fly to be gear up up first by itself. This is very useful for when information technology is raining or when pitching it in high winds. I have weathered a monsoon like shooting fish in a barrel in this setup. This addition weighs 0.4 oz and folds up small. Here's how it works:

Take the y-connector:

Unfold it and put the tips of the poles into the washers:

Stake downwards the 3 ends like this:

Now your pole structure is set and staked! And now secure the fly over the poles and to the stakes so it tin can't blow away:

And then stake out the remaining fly pullout points:

This leaves y'all with a good amount of floor infinite to take refuge under:

And so y'all only clip in and secure your inner like normal, but while keeping it dry under the fly:

And you're left with a fully-pitched taut tent:

It took me a scrap of fiddling to get the tension in the poles just right with the "y-connector", but it wasn't anything too bad. I imagine this idea could exist applied to almost any tent really.

This is an awesome thread for Fly Creek owners. Thanks for the ideas!

I've been playing around with this kind of setup for a while, and would appreciate input on how you clip in the inner once the fly is in identify. Do yous attach the hooks by grabbing them through the inner textile, or do yous take a way to accomplish around, while under the fly and attach them? Also, how do yous adhere the 4 corners of the inner to the stakes? Do you brand an try to adhere the inner to the fly at the two midpoints where there are two hooks on each side to aid pull out the inner by hooking information technology to the wing? Do y'all adhere the guy line from the mid point of the inner to the stake which is property out the mid signal of the wing? Thanks for all the help; I really similar using this tent, and remember that this setup method will make it fifty-fifty more versatile.
Jim

J-Fifty

BPL Member

@johnnyh88

I pretty much just started at the foot end of the inner and worked my way forward. There's no perfect mode to exercise it and at some point yous'll take to crawl inside the inner. You lot tin attach the inner directly to the stakes by lilliputian guyline loops, or by the buckles equally usual.

Source: https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/59825/

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