Mec Funhouse 4 User manual



This booklet tells you how to prepare, assemble, and maintain your new
tent; please keep it for future reference. Set up your tent at home before
your rst trip; this will allow you to inspect it for any manufacturing defects,
check that all parts are present, and learn the assembly procedure with
minimal stress on the tent and on you.
FUNHOUSE 4 Height inside 1.85m


Tent body
Tent y
Four poles
Tent pegs, hammer, and nylon guy lines
Pole repair sleeve
Tent sack and pole sack



The seams of your tent have been waterproof taped on all exposed seams.
However, it is impossible to factory-seal stitch lines around windows and
doors. For maximum weatherproof performance, we suggest you treat
these seams with a quality after-market polyurethane sealer such as
McNett Seam Grip®. It is not necessary to apply the sealer to the factory-
sealed seams.
Work in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling sealant vapours. For
complete sealing, evenly apply only the minimum required amount of
sealant into needle holes, thread, and fabric joints. Allow to dry and cure
overnight. Before packing the tent for the rst time, dust newly sealed
areas with talcum powder or spray them with 303TM Protectant; freshly
cured sealer can bond to itself even when dry. You may need to reapply
seam sealer to high-wear areas if you use your tent frequently.

Remove sharp objects that might puncture the tent oor.
A ground sheet beneath the tent is not necessary for waterproofness, but
it will reduce long-term wear on the tent oor. A ground sheet should be
cut or folded smaller than the tent oor to prevent water pooling between
the oor and the ground sheet.


Shockcord (bungee cord) is meant to keep pole sections in the proper
order—not as an automatic assembly mechanism for poles. Do not hold
one section while whipping the rest of the pole back and forth, or toss the
poles into the air; either procedure excessively stresses the pole joints and
shockcord. Fit poles together section by section, making sure that each
piece slides completely into the next. Forcing an improperly assembled
pole into place can damage the pole and/or the tent body and y.

 Assemble all poles carefully, as described in the previous paragraph. You
will have four poles: two equal-length angled ones, one shorter angled
one, and one straight one.


 Drape the y over the top of the tent with the pole on the underside.
The pole should be across the tent peak, pointing from window side to
window side. The mesh vestibule should be at the end of the tent body
where the mesh pole sleeves are.
 There are hook-and-loop touch tape attachments on the underside
of the y at each corner. Where the poles are clipped to the tent, wrap
these attachments directly around the pole. Where the poles run through
mesh sleeves, fasten the attachments to the hook-and-loop panels on the
sleeves. Note that at the bottom of the sleeved poles are bug protector
panels. Fasten these panels into place.
Attach the hooks at the corners of the tent y to the rings on the tent body.
 Lay the inner tent out at, with the mesh panels on top. In windy
conditions, you may wish to peg out the corners before proceeding.
 Push (do not pull) the two longest angled poles through the mesh pole sleeves
on the tent body. The poles should cross in an X at the middle of the tent.
 Raise the tent by inserting the wire pins at each tent corner into the
bottoms of the poles. Start with the uppermost pole.
 Attach the clips to the poles.

 Underneath each of the long sides of the y there are black webbing
pockets. Fit the ends of the straight pole into these pockets, and fasten
the hook-and-loop touch tape at the centre of the y around the middle
of the pole.



 Run the remaining angled pole through the pole sleeve across the top of
the mesh vestibule. Insert the second wire pins at the front tent corners
into the ends of this pole. Attach the pole clips.
Peg out the ground loops at the front corners of the vestibule to pull
it into shape.
Lay the skirting along the bottom edges towards the inside of the mesh
vestibule. Laying the skirting out at and wide will block insects most
effectively. The skirting can be anchored in place by rocks, stuff sacks,
etc.
Peg out the back (non-mesh) vestibule and tie it back if desired. Note
that the vestibule has peg loops on either side of the door zippers. By
staking out one loop or the other, you can make the door side-opening
or centre-opening to adapt it to the prevailing wind or local landscape
features.
The centre panel of the back vestibule can also be rigged as a porch roof.
Most users prefer to save weight and cost by improvising porch poles out
of dead wood, paddles, lines running to trees, etc. For this reason, the tent
does not come with porch poles; if you prefer maximum convenience, one
or two optional MEC Adjustable Tarp Poles will work well.
If rigging this panel as a rain roof, do not leave at or baggy surfaces
where water can pool. Rig the panel so it slopes away from the tent, like
a cap brim. You can also rig it to slope towards the tent so water drains
off to the sides.

If you have not already done so, peg out the corners of the tent.
 If desired, peg out the ground loops along the tent sides.
 We strongly recommend you peg out the four guy line anchor points
using the lines supplied. The guy line anchor points are the triangular aps
at the back corners and the mesh vestibule corners. Adjust the guy lines
so that they are taut, but not so tight that the tent fabric puckers. The
guypoints should counter-balance one another for maximum stability and
minimum stress on the tent. The guy lines may need to be tightened or
loosened as the tent fabric stretches or shrinks with dampness or dryness.
 Use only the triangular anchor points for attaching guy
lines. The regular loops on the tent y are intended only for holding the
toggles when rolling up panels for access or ventilation. Attaching guy
lines to these loops can damage the loops and/or the tent y.



Proper ventilation is the key to minimizing condensation in any tent.
Keep fabric doors open as widely as the prevailing weather permits.
If bugs or drafts aren’t a problem, leave mesh doors open too. Crack
each door open from the top down; warm, moist air rises and will escape
through high openings. If the design of your tent allows, keep openings
at both ends or both sides of the tent to allow air to ow through for
best ventilation. On very hot nights, when you are condent there will be
no rain or dewfall, you can leave the ysheet off and use the inner tent
alone as a “bug tent.”

When taking down the tent, do not stress the poles and fabrics. First,
disconnect the guy lines and release the tension from the tent. Next,
release all the poles. If your tent has pole sleeves, push the poles out of
the sleeves instead of pulling them out. To minimize the stress on the
bungee cord in the poles and to speed disassembly, fold each pole in half
rst, and then fold down towards the outsides, two sections at a time.

If possible, fold and roll the tent rather than stufng it into its sack—rolling
makes a smaller package, and causes fewer creases in the polyurethane
coating. The tent and poles may be carried separately for easier packing
or load sharing.




Ultraviolet damage is the single largest hazard your tent faces in its
lifetime. Fabrics should not be exposed to sunlight for extended periods
of time; this will eventually result in colour fading and fabric failure. The
uncoated fabrics of the tent canopy are most susceptible to damage from
UV and should be covered by the more durable y. If extended exposure
is unavoidable, cover the tent with a tarp or a sheet of nylon.

Using a candle lantern in a tent carries denite risks. Never leave a candle
lantern burning unattended; always watch for re hazard from overheating
fabrics or spilling wax. Spilling wax can be dangerous, particularly to eyes
and other sensitive areas. It is your responsibility to use candle lanterns
wisely and with extreme caution: we do not endorse the use of any ame or
heat source in a tent. Cooking in a tent is strongly discouraged because of
re hazards and carbon monoxide inhalation risks. Unlike campre smoke
and other fumes, which cause you to gasp for air, 


Mop up spills promptly with water. Many foods, particularly acidic ones
like fruit or juices, can weaken synthetic fabrics over time. In any case, it is
best to eat and store food away from a tent, to avoid attracting animals.

Clean the tent by hand while it is set up, using a sponge, a mild non-
detergent soap, and warm water. Rinse thoroughly. Do not dry clean,
machine wash, or machine dry. Stubborn stains like tar can be left in place
and dusted with talcum powder to prevent transfer to other areas of the
tent in storage. After cleaning, a spray-on water repellent designed for
synthetic fabrics may be applied to the ysheet if surface water repellency
is weakening. (This is apparent when water droplets no longer bead up
on the fabric.)
If the poles are exposed to salt or salt water, rinse them in fresh water and
allow them to dry before storing. (While aluminum does not rust, it can
become brittle through unseen corrosion over time.)

Occasionally apply a light coating of a silicone-based lubricant like 303TM
Protectant to the tent pole connections. If the poles are used extensively
in marine environments, treat them more frequently.