Dismantle and fold the tent: Step-by-step instructions

At the end of every camping holiday, it's time to take down the tent. But how exactly do you get everything packed up tidily and stowed away properly? We have created a step-by-step guide to help you fold and take down your tent. After all, you want to return from your holiday feeling relaxed and not stressed at the end of taking down your tent.

Before taking down your tent, first take a look at the outside and remove any dirt or grass that can sometimes be found on the tent floor and at the end of the tent walls. You can find out how to clean your tent properly and maintain it after taking it down in our tent care guide. If you are unlucky enough to have to take down your tent in the rain**, you should definitely unpack your tent as soon as you arrive home or at the next campsite. You can also find some tips on this in the blog post on tent care. Take a look at this guide before you start taking down your tent.

If you have a tent with inner cabins that can be hooked in individually, remove these first. Spread them out on the ground, open the doors and other openings and fold them together as wide as the tent packaging is long. Proceed in the same way with each individual tent cabin. Then put them to one side. However, do not roll them up yet; you will do this with the rest of the tent at the end. Make sure that there is as little air as possible in the folded sleeping cabins** so that everything fits well in the tent bag at the end.

Once all the sleeping cabins are unhooked, you should remove the pegs from the ground and place them in their extra packaging. You can then remove the tent poles and fold them again. It is better to push them out instead of pulling them out. This will prevent the individual elements in the tent pole tube from coming loose and you won't be able to get them out easily. Also stow the tent poles in the appropriate packaging. This will minimise damage to the tent during storage.

Now lay the outside tent out flat. Open all doors and windows of the tent so that any remaining air can escape. This builds up, especially with sewn-in tent floors. Make sure that the tent walls lie as flat as possible on the tent floor. This makes it easier to fold and roll up the tent afterwards.

Fold the tent along the side with the main entrance so that it corresponds to the width of the pannier. This makes it easier to stow away afterwards. You now have a long strip in front of you. Place the folded inner cabins and the packed pegs and tent poles on this. Place them at the end where you start to roll up the tent. Choose the end where the main entrance of the tent test is not located so that further air escapes from the tent during packing. Now roll up the tent as tightly as possible so that you avoid air between the individual layers and your tent is easier to stow. Ideally, you should then tie the tent roll together with a piece of tape** so that everything remains compactly packed and you can get the tent into the packaging even more easily.

Folding the tent is a matter of practice, just like putting it up at the start of your holiday. After putting it up and taking it down several times, you're sure to get the hang of it. What's more, correct dismantling will also make it easier for you to pitch your tent on your next camping holiday.