ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS:
BITTERN 3 & 4
Please read the General Information before starting and famil-
iarise yourself with each of the component parts. Please refer to
the diagrams as you proceed.
Your tent comprises the following parts: (As you unpack
the component parts make a mental note of how the tent was
packed in the carry bag as this will help you when you come to
repack it.)
TAKE EXTRA CARE AND PRECAUTIONS ON WINDY
DAYS SO THAT THE TENT DOES NOT BECOME DAM-
AGED.
COMPONENT PARTS
1. The ysheet, which is the PU coated shell of the tent that
features the attached guy ropes etc.
2. The inner tent or sleeping compartment, which has an inte-
gral groundsheet & a “D”, shaped door with secondary mesh in-
sect proof ventilation panel. Attached to the inner is an “apron”
style ground sheet for the entrance to the tent.
3. A pole bag that contains 3 breglass poles that are strung in
sections on elasticated shock cord; the mid section of each pole
is colour coded to match with coloured taping on its correct pole
sleeve. The poles are of equal length.
4. A peg bag that contains sufcient pegs to erect the tent.
5. An emergency Repair Kit that contains fabric cuttings, seam
sealant, spare pegs & guy rope, peg point elastic and an emer-
gency pole repair sleeve.
AS THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS REQUIRES THE POLES
AND OTHER COMPONENT PARTS TO BE PUT UNDER
TENSION, CARE MUST BE TAKEN AT ALL TIMES TO
PREVENT PERSONAL INJURY OR HARM TO OTHERS.
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Having selected your site, unfold the ysheet ensuring the
doors are zipped closed and orientate it so that where possible
they face away from the prevailing wind.
2. Unfold the breglass pole sections and gently slot them to-
gether to form 3 complete poles.
3. Taking the assembled poles in turn, gently PUSH them
through the correct pole sleeves in the ysheet. Do not continue
until all the poles have been pushed through the sleeves in the
ysheet.
Always push the poles, never pull them otherwise the sections
will come apart and the elastic shock cord will break.
4. Insert one end into the
eyelet in the webbing
tab at the base of and
nearest to the ysheet
(the other is for the peg)
and repeat with the other
end, by grasping the
webbing tab rmly (see
gure 1) pushing the
pole through the pole
sleeve. To achieve this the pole sleeves must be eased over the
poles, especially over the metal joints or ferrules. Repeat with
the remaining poles.
5. Before starting to put in the pegs, check that the tent’s posi-
tion is acceptable, adjusting if necessary. Initially only a few
pegs should be put in, enough to give the tent its rough shape
and none under any great tension. This will signicantly ease
the installation of the inner sleeping compartment.
6. Gather up the inner tent, ensuring that its door is closed, and
take it inside the ysheet. Start at the rear edge of the inner and
clip the hooks that are on the corners of the groundsheet to the
“D” rings located on the edge of the ysheet (see gure 1).
7. Then, working system-
atically, using the hooks
attach the inner to the eye-
lets located on a fabric tabs
sewn to the inside of the
ysheet (see gure 2).
8. The inner tent has an
apron style groundsheet that is sewn to its front edge; this should
be pegged to the ground through the eyelets in its corners.
9. Once the inner has been suspended, re-adjust the tension on
the pegs already in position followed by the remaining pegs.
Remember to angle the pegs away from the tent. This must be
done systematically so that the tent ends up being symmetri-
cally pitched, taking care to balance the tension at each point so
that the tents fabric is stretched evenly.
10. Unravel the guy ropes and loosely peg out each one ensur-
ing that they are all pegged directly in line with the seam or
pole to which they will apply tension and support. Once this is
achieved tighten the adjusters so that equal tension is applied to
each guy point (see gure 3).
11. The doors may be rolled back and secured using the con-
veniently located ties.
HOW TO TAKE DOWN YOUR TENT
1. For your convenience if you are simply moving site the in-
ner sleeping compartment can remain in place and the tent re-
pitched “as one” to save time.
2. Please note that the pegs should be extracted by either using a
tent peg extractor or more simply by using another peg. Do not
pull them out by using the guy rope or the elastic.
AGAIN TAKING EXTRA CARE AND PRECAUTIONS ON
WINDY DAYS SO THAT THE TENT DOES NOT BECOME
DAMAGED.
3. Unpeg the communal apron ground sheet and then unclip and
remove the inner sleeping compartment.
4. Unpeg the guy ropes, slide the adjuster up to the ysheet and
neatly tie them up to prevent them becoming tangled.
5. Unpeg the ysheet and remove the pole ends from the eyelets
taking great care, as these will be under tension. Keep them
away from your face and children at a safe distance.
6. Gently PUSH the poles through the sleeves in the ysheet.
7. Remove the ends of the other poles from the eyelets again
taking great care, as these will be under tension. Keep them
away from your face and children at a safe distance.
8. Gently PUSH the poles through the pole sleeves in both the
ysheet & inner tent.
9. To pack the poles away, simply pull each of their sections
apart and fold up and store them in their carry bag. Collect the
pegs together, cleaning them as you go, and put them in their
storage bag.
10. Ensuring that the tent is thoroughly dry if it is to be stored
for some time, pack the tent away into its carry bag. The easiest
way to achieve this is to individually fold the inner tent and the
ysheet to the rough width of the carry bag and lay them on
top of each other. Then slowly roll them up around the poles,
ensuring that as much of the trapped air as possible is squeezed
out. The more slowly & tightly this is done the easier it will be
to get it back into the carry bag.
11.If the tent is wet or dirty when you temporarily pack it away
remember to fold “wet to wet” and “dry to dry”, as this will help
reduce the soiling of the inner tent etc.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The following tips and information may help make your trip
more enjoyable.
BEFORE USING YOUR TENT.
1. Get to know your tent before your trip by practising pitch-
ing and familiarising yourself with its component parts and
features. This will also double check that it is complete and
undamaged and will not spoil your holiday.
2. Whilst there is a small repair kit included with the tent, it con-
tains only basic items so it may be worth considering taking a
more comprehensive kit; such spares are available through your
local Wynnster stockist. It is also advisable to assemble a spares
and tool kit so that should any accidental breakage occur then
this will enable the repair to be effected without delay. Items
that should be considered are: additional pegs (to cover varying
soil types such as very hard ground or even loose sandy soils);
extra/spare guy ropes (to cover losses or to be used in adverse
weather conditions to strengthen the structure); extra seam
sealer (as whilst every effort has been taken to ensure that they
are adequately taped, leakage may develop during heavy or pro-
longed rainfall); spare pole sections; shock cord elastic etc.
3. A multi tool of some description (or pliers, a pen knife and
a junior hack saw), plus a roll of water proof tape and some
quick drying, multi-purpose glue will get you out of most dif-
culties.
4. A rubber mallet will help you cope with very hard ground
plus a tent peg extractor for the end of your holiday.
5. We suggest that you have some form of insurance cover
against theft, accidental or storm damage.
Should you have any queries then in all instances these must be
directed to the retailer from whom the tent was purchased.
CHOOSING A SITE.
1. Ideally this should be as at as possible for both your comfort
and the stability of the tent.
2. Avoid low lying ground or other such areas that may ood
in heavy rain, the presence of long green grass will help you
spot these places.
3. It should also be clear of any object that may puncture the
ground sheet or give you discomfort in the night.
4. Avoid pitching under trees as they may drip sap or water
(long after the rain has stopped falling) and aim for sites that
are in shadow at the height of the day as you may wish for some
shade during the hotter months. For extended use it is advisable
to seek a shady site, as most tent materials will be weakened
by prolonged exposure to strong sunlight; this is manifested in
a fading of colour and a weakening of the fabric. The amount
of fading in not an indicator of the degree of weakening. The
polyester fabric used in the manufacture of this tent as opposed
to nylon will deteriorate is signicantly more resistant to the
affects of ultraviolet light.
5. Make use of natural windbreaks such as walls and hedges etc,
avoiding exposed and or high level site that may cause prob-
lems in the event of high winds, as a tent of this size offers a
very large prole to the wind.
6. For Fire Safety it is advisable to site your tent at least 6 me-
tres from adjacent tents.
ERECTING YOUR TENT.
1. Whenever possible try to pitch the tail or the lowest part of
the tent into the wind as this will help the wind blow over the
structure more easily, and with the door facing away from the
wind so that rain cannot be blown inside.
2. As the assembly process requires the poles and other com-
ponent parts to be put under tension, care must be taken at all
times.
3. If pitching the tent in windy conditions then extra care and
precautions must be taken to guard against personal injury and
to ensure the tent does not become damaged. Whilst the poles
are being installed the ysheet may need to be pegged down
so that it is not blown away. The most critical point when most
damage occurs is when the poles have been fully installed but
before the pegs have been fully put in; emergency but tempo-
rary guying and pegging may be required at this stage. Try and
enlist the help of fellow campers if you are having difculties.
4. Pitch with all zips closed and drive all pegs in at an angle
(ideally of 45° or less to the horizontal) and in line with the
seams. Do not overstretch the elasticated peg loops but apply
sufcient pressure to tension the fabric; spend a little time to
make sure all are correctly positioned. Do not peg the ground
sheet down too tightly and if possible lay a polythene sheet (or
similar such as Damp Proof Membrane material available from
builders merchants) underneath, as this will extend the life of
the tent’s groundsheet and help keep it clean. Furthermore this
will help alleviate the build up of condensation by blocking the
evaporation of moisture from the ground.
IN USE.
1. Keep the exit(s) clear and free from obstruction to prevent
accidental damage to you and the tent, especially in an emer-
gency.
2. To help keep the doors closed, cross over the peg points at the
base of zips on the ysheet. Avoid treading on the zips and keep
them free from dirt, as this will maintain their smooth opera-
tion. Should the zips become difcult to operate: do not force
them but adjust the pegging/guying of the tent to ease the pres-
sure on them and lubricate with a silicon or similar lubricant to
maintain their smooth operation. Specialist products are avail-
able from your Camping retailer.
3. Even though the tent’s outer fabric has been coated to provide
protection from the weather it will stop moisture vapour that is
inside from escaping. This may result in water droplets appear-
ing on its inner surface as condensation.
Condensation may come from moisture contained in the ground
or expired from the occupants of the tent and held in the air as
humidity, and it is most likely to appear upon the onset of rain,
as this will rapidly chill the ysheet fabric. This may also hap-
pen at night time when the outside air temperature drops. These
droplets may fall from the ysheet and this cannot altogether be
avoided but it can certainly be alleviated.
To help prevent this, increase ventilation as much as possible
by opening vents and zips and promoting a ow of air under
the ysheet. Cooking and lighting are also sources of conden-
sation particularly if using fossil fuels such as gas, petrol or
parafn; therefore it is obviously best to cook outside when the
weather allows or in an alternative structure (and also from a
safety point of view). Condensation should not be confused
with leakage.
4. Periodically check each peg point and re adjust as necessary,
especially during/after stormy weather. In adverse weather con-
ditions extra precautions will need to be taken; more guy lines
may be needed to strengthen the structure; more or alternative
types or sizes of pegs may be required especially if the ground
is soft or becomes saturated, double pegging some points as
necessary; the communal area groundsheet may need to be un-
clipped in the doorways and folded back to prevent rainwater
running back into the tent.
5. FIRE WARNING: The Fire Retardant fabrics that are used
for the groundsheet, inner, mesh ventilation panels and ysheet
of this tent will signicantly reduce the rate of ame propaga-
tion, but the tent is still ammable.
• Keep naked ames and other heat sources well away from all
the tent’s fabrics.
• Do not rell stoves or change fuel cartridges inside or near
to the tent.
• Never leave heating, lighting or cooking appliances unat-
tended in the vicinity of the tent.
- Think safety rst –
STORAGE & MAINTENANCE.
1. NEVER store the tent unless it is completely dry. Storing
when damp allows the formation of mildew which will damage
the tent. Clean all components and store seperately.
2. Light soiling may be removed either by the gentle use of a
soft brush or a soft, dampened cloth. Never use detergents or
wash in a washing machine, as this will damage the waterproof
coatings.
3. Should the tent show signs of leakage along any of the y-
sheet seams, the inner tent suspension points, lantern loops etc,
seam sealant should be applied. A tube may be found in the
repair kit with replacements readily available from your Out-
door Leisure retailer.
4.Tears and holes from accidental damage or otherwise may be
repaired. Please contact your local Camping retailer from your
nearest specialist repairer.
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