My GPS has a barometer, which is incredibly useful when tent-bound in a storm as you know when the weather is getting better.

Icefest

Facing your headlight to the fly makes for a nice diffuse light in the tent.

Icefest

I have a small battery lantern clipped to the apex of the tent inner. The light is not that bright but it’s a fixed point in the detritus that constitutes the inside of my tent, useful when I lose my head torch. I read about one walker that has small Christmas lights, on a long power cable.

Stephen

Remove the generic zip-pulls from everything and replace them with reflective line. It will make the hours of night and even low-light so much easier, and it will be lighter too. Make the pull rings suitably sized for gloved hands.

Owen

The start of the pole sleeves on my tent have reflective tape, and the guys are reflective as well, which I did not realise until I looked at the tent at night. This makes it much easier to find the tent at night and avoid tripping over guys. I still trip over guys.

Stephen

Most of the peg and pole bags that came with my tents are green and are quite easy to lose. To avoid this I’ve tied a short length of light white cord to each bag.

Stephen

For many years I have not tied a knot in tent guys. Instead I wrap the guy around the peg a few times and then do a figure eight about four times. Not only does the figure eight not move, it’s easy to undo. Just pull the peg out and slide the figure eight off the end.

Stephen

My inner and fly are pitched together, with one peg being used for adjacent inner and fly shock cord guys. To save scrabbling for the inner guys I have loops of very light cord holding the inner and fly shock cords. Just pull on the fly shock cords and you have the inner one.

Stephen

I use Teatree Oil on my socks and shoes to keep the leeches away. Much better than salt. I carry it with me in a eye dropper bottle which allows me to dispense it easily and if I get a leech, I put a couple of drops on the leech and the skin area, which makes it let go and kills it. The teatree oil has healing properties which is helpful on the affected area.

Kathy

Wear “knee high” stockings over your socks and tuck your trouser leg into the stockings to prevent leeches getting to your skin. They can’t get through the stockings. I leave a pair in my backpack, that way I always have them with me. It may not look the most glamorous but it’s very effective.

Kathy

I use a mouse pad to sit on in the bush.

Janice