By Barb Ernster

Using the installation instructions provided by each manufacturer is one of the best ways to add quality to the tent. Deviating from this can create all types of problems and put the customer at risk.

A properly installed tent is square, neatly staked with properly positioned poles that are well aligned. Fabric is tight, ratchets and webbing are neatly tied, and electrical cords are covered for safety. Fabric, poles, straps and ropes should be clean and in good condition.

To achieve a straight line of tent poles, tent installers can use a tape measure to mark the locations of the poles or run a string line around the corner poles to indicate where the base of intermediate poles should be placed. Tent installers might also follow the Pythagorean theorum to square a tent properly, strategically marking the corners, stake positions and pole placements before the fabric is laid out.

The Pythagorean theorem: The sum of the areas of the two squares on the legs (a and b) equals the area of the square on the hypotenuse (c).

Barb Ernster is a freelance writer based in Fridley, Minn.