Mec Mercury Installation and operation 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.
Mercury Height inside 1.01m


Tent body
Tent y
Aluminum frame (pole set)
Tent pegs and guy lines
Aluminum pole repair sleeve
Tent sack and pole sack



The seams of your tent have been waterproof taped on all exposed
seams. However, for extremely wet and windy conditions, you may want
to re-seal selected parts of your tent. These include parts of the inner tent
where condensation or windblown rain could potentially wick through.

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. Another light and convenient
option is MEC’s custom-made coated nylon Footprint.


Shockcord (bungee cord) is meant to keep pole sections in the proper
order—not to function as an automatic assembly mechanism for poles.
Do not hold one section while whipping the rest of the pole back and
forth, and do not toss the poles into the air. These procedures excessively
stress the pole joints and shockcord. Instead, t 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 each pole section by section as described above, then insert
it into its hole in the revolving hub. Ensure that each pole section slides
completely over its connecting ferrule. (Pay particular attention to where
the poles pass through the revolving hub.)
 Lay the tent body out at. In windy conditions, peg the oor corners
before proceeding.


 Lay the frame down on the tent body with the revolving hub in the
centre and the shortest pole section on the top. Point the longer poles
diagonally to the four corners of the oor. Carefully insert these pole-
ends into the corner grommets; this will cause the pole assembly to arch
up into a dome shape.
 Connect all the clips to the long poles. Following the seams will help
with this, since each pole follows a single seam line. There are two clips
on the topmost ribbon; attach them to one pole on either side of the
revolving hub.
 Turn the short pole assembly to point towards the doors. Insert the pole
ends into the grommets above the doors.
 Spread the y over the tent, with its doors lined up with the tent body
doors.
 On the underside of the y are several hook-and-loop wrap attachments.
Fasten these attachments to the long poles.
 Fit all of the grommetted webbing tabs on the y over the appropriate
pole ends, folding the grommet tabs under the tent body.
 Peg out the vestibule corners. Note that each door has a peg loop
on either side of the zipper where it reaches the ground. By staking out
one loop or the other, you can make each door side-opening or centre-
opening to adapt it to the prevailing wind or local landscape features.
The y straps at the tent corners and sides adjust so you can take up slack
as the y fabric stretches in rain or damp air, and loosen it as the fabric
contracts in warm, dry weather. If you’re leaving the tent for the day, it’s a
good idea to loosen the straps a bit. This will prevent excessive strain on
the fabric and stitching if the weather turns hotter and drier.

At the top of each door is a peaked vent that can be held open by locking
the prop rod in place with its hook-and-loop patches. There are also guy
line attachments at the bottom of each side wall that can be used to pull
the y away from the tent body for increased air circulation.
• The Mercury maximizes air circulation and minimizes interior
condensation by using the chimney effect: warm, moist, exhaled breath
escapes through the high peaked vents while fresh air ows in under
the bottom of the y. If it’s really windy, there may more be airow
than you want; you can reduce it by partially or completely closing the
peaked vents.



The Mercury has four corner guy line attachment points so you can rig it
increasingly securely in response to actual or anticipated winds.
• Guy lines should counter-balance one another for maximum stability
and minimum stress on the tent.
• As with any tent, a little shelter provided by trees, rock, or snow walls
will make for a quieter night’s sleep in windy conditions.

The 7001-T6 aluminum stakes included with the tent are suitable for
general use on relatively soft ground. However, in very hard-packed
ground you will need stronger (and heavier) stakes that can withstand
the force needed to drive them in. On snow, sand, or other loosely packed
surfaces, wider T-Stakes or aluminum snow stakes will hold better; these
stakes hold best buried horizontally. You can also improvise with other
“stakes” (hiking staffs, ice axes, branches, rocks, trees), using the tent’s
stake loops or cord as required.
When packing for your trip, consider the conditions you’ll likely encounter
and what sort of anchors you’ll require. You can often leave several of the
supplied pegs at home and replace them with improvised anchors, which
will save weight and space in your pack.

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 for it, have
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.”

The most important consideration in taking down a tent is to avoid
stressing the poles and fabrics. First, disconnect 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, 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. If carrying the pole sack on the outside of a pack, securely
attach the drawcord to the pack to avoid loss.


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, 


Promptly mop up spills 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 303™
Protectant to the tent pole connections. If the poles are used extensively
in marine environments, treat them more frequently.

Dry the tent and poles completely before storage to avoid mildew or
hidden pole corrosion. Store in a cool, dry place out of direct light.
Mildewed tents can be cleaned as described above, but there is no way to
remove the dark stains without damaging the fabric. Mildew will probably
take some time to affect the waterproof coatings, so the tent should still
be usable.


Watertight repairs to rips can be made with a seam sealant such as
McNett FreesoleTM, AquasealTM, or Seam Grip®. For tears shorter than 1.5cm
(½ in.), apply duct tape to one side and sealant to the other. For longer
tears, apply duct tape to one side of the tear and, on the other side, a
patch of no-see-um netting that extends about 6-12mm (¼ - ½ in.) beyond
each edge of the tear. Use oval or circular patches (rounded edges are
less likely to peel away than sharp corners). Cover the patch thoroughly in
sealant. Once the sealant is completely dry, the duct tape can be removed
from small and large repairs alike.
For longer trips, we recommend taking an expedition sewing kit and extra
nylon, webbing, a spare pole section, and narrow-diameter (2.5mm) tent
pole shockcord. Coghlan’s® Seam Saturant or the like will prevent wicking
through a tent y via seams or webbing.

Slip the pole repair sleeve over one pole end. Slide the sleeve along until
it is centred over the break in the pole, then wrap it into place with duct
tape. Be careful to avoid damaging the tent fabrics when removing the
damaged pole.