by South_Aussie_Hiker » Fri 30 Sep, 2011 12:51 pm
Best advice I can give you is to make sure you pitch it rigid, and that takes practice.
It took me about 5 practice attempts to be able to pitch my Mutha Hubba HP nice and tight (not too tight). If it was very windy, you might want to consider adding a few extra guy ropes. Most tent rips in wind/snow or both are because the tent is poorly pitched, the fabric can wobble and flap and eventually rips.
Have a few goes at pitching it in the backyard and try to get a really tight pitch with good technique rather than over-tightening guy lines.
Definitely pitch it with the fly lowest on the into-wind side, but don't go having the fly lopsided over the poles to achieve this - otherwise it won't sit right and will eventually flap.
If snow wall not available, pitch in the downwind side of a hill/big tree/shrub.
If it starts flapping during the night, don't try and ignore - get up and brave the cold to get it right again.
Placing something on the downwind side between the larger gap you described between the fly and the ground (like small rocks) will help block the gap and reduce airflow underneath the fly in strong winds. Make sure they aren't touching the tent or the fly though, as they will cause abrasion and ruin your tent. Sorta like this
____________________________ Bottom of fly
0000000000000000000000000000 Rocks on ground but below fly to help block wind
