Mec Wanderer 2 Installation and operation manual

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èMEC Wanderer 2
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
first 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.
Your tent package includes:
• Tent body
• Tent fly
• Aluminum frame (poleset)
• Aluminum stakes and nylon guylines
• Aluminum pole repair sleeve
• Tent sack and pole sack

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èSeam Sealing
The seams of your tent have been waterproof taped wherever possible. All tents have
areas that cannot be properly sealed with a taping machine, so we include a small tube
of “touch-up” sealer. Try your tent in the rain or under a garden sprinkler to determine
if you want to seal it further; for most users it will not be necessary. Likely areas: “out”
side of door seams where zippers are sewn to fabric; spots where thread or webbing
passes through or around the seam tape, such as the “out” side of the stitching and
seams at the door tiebacks, and the “out” side of the fly where Velcro®loops are sewn
to the inside; selected parts of the inner tent where condensation or windblown rain
could wick through, such as lantern loops or pole clip suspension points; and the
“in” side of any untaped floor seams exposed to ground moisture or rainfall.
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 first
time, dust newly sealed areas with talcum powder or spray them with 303™Protectant;
freshly cured sealer can bond to itself even when dry. If the tent is used hard and often
you may need to reapply seam sealer in high-wear areas.
èSite Preparation
Remove sharp objects that might puncture the tent floor.
A ground sheet beneath the tent is not necessary for waterproofness, but it will reduce
long-term wear on the tent floor. A ground sheet should be cut or folded smaller than
the tent floor to prevent water pooling between the floor and the ground sheet.
Another light and convenient option is MEC’s custom-made, coated nylon Footprint.
In winter conditions, we recommend digging out a platform with surrounding walls.
To avoid melting depressions in the snow under the tent, pack the snow down solidly
by ski or foot.
èSet-up
A NOTE ABOUT SHOCK-CORDED POLES
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. Instead, 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 fly.

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ASSEMBLING THE TENT
1. Assemble each pole section-by-section as described above, then
insert it into its hole in the hub. The finished pole assembly will look like an
“X” with two short crossbar poles.
2. Lay the tent body out flat. In windy conditions, peg all the floor corners before
proceeding.
3. Lay the frame down on the tent body so that the legs of the “X” are lined up
with the four corners of the floor. Carefully insert the pole-ends of the “X”
into the corner grommets; this will cause the pole assembly to arch up into
a dome shape.
4. Connect all the clips to the poles. Following the seams will help with this,
since each pole follows a single seam line.
5. Near each door peak on the canopy there is a metal S-hook. Hook each of these
S-hooks into the small eyehole located halfway along its corresponding
crossbar pole.
ATTACHING THE FLY
1. The grommetted webbing at the corners of the fly is colour-coded to match the
webbing at the corners of the tent body. Spread the fly out over the tent so that
the webbing colours on the fly corners match the webbing on the tent body.
2. On the underside of each corner of the fly, about halfway up the seam, is a Velcro®
tie-wrap that goes around the corresponding pole. Attach these tie-wraps to
the poles.
3. On the underside of the fly, just above each door peak, is a small webbing pocket.
Insert the pole ends into these pockets; lift UP on the end of the cross pole
to make each insertion easier.
4. Fit all of the grommetted webbing tabs on the fly corners over the appropriate
pole ends, folding the grommet tabs under the tent body as shown in figures
A and B.
figure A figure B

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TENSIONING
Peg out the two vestibules. Tie back the vestibules in whatever combination provides
the desired balance of ventilation and weather protection. Note that each door has a
shockcord loop on either side of the door 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.
RIGGING FOR BAD WEATHER
The Wanderer 2 has a number of anchor and guyline attachments so you can rig it
increasingly securely in response to actual or anticipated winds. Listed roughly by their
order of “need,” you can:
1. Anchor the floor corners with pegs (if you have not already done so.)
2. Guy out the four corners of the tent using the attachment points that are about
halfway up each corner of the fly.
3. Guy out the triangular attachment points in the middle of each sidewall.
4. Peg out the bungee loops just below each of these triangular attachments.
5. Guy out the small webbing loops on the vestibule vent hoods. (This keeps the
vents open in wind, and supports the large “sail area” of the vestibule walls.)
ANCHORING THE TENT
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 loose-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, thereby saving weight and space in
your pack.
VENTILATING THE TENT
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 flow through for
best ventilation. On very hot nights, when you are confident there will be no rain or
dewfall, you can leave the flysheet off and use the inner tent alone as a “bug tent.”
The supplied taffeta nylon canopy blocks drafts to keep the tent interior warmer in
cold conditions; it also protects against drips from any condensation on the inside of
the fly. If you camp a lot in very warm and/or buggy conditions, you may wish to purchase
the separate inner tent with an all-mesh canopy that is available from MEC (by Special
Order—please be patient). This all-mesh canopy provides maximum ventilation on hot,
still nights; it can also be used without the tent fly as a “bug tent.”

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If you are using the tent without the fly, you may find that the two short crossbar poles
get in the way because they protrude beyond the sides of the canopy. Simply pull out
the outermost section of each crossbar pole, and fold it back towards the pole hub. Hold
the folded section in place by using the plastic pole clip on the seam between the metal
S-hook and the pole hub.
DISASSEMBLING THE TENT
The most important consideration in taking down a tent is not to stress the poles and
fabrics. First, disconnect guylines 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 first, and then fold down towards the outsides,
two sections at a time.
PACKING THE TENT
If possible, fold and roll the tent rather than stuffing 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. There are two
drawcords on the tent sack. Use the lower one when carrying the tent separately from
the poles; this makes a shorter package that fits sideways into a pack. If carrying the
pole sack on the outside of a pack, securely attach the drawcord to the pack to
avoid loss.
A pole tip: The angled middle section of the front arch pole has one longer and one
shorter adjoining section. If you leave the angled section plugged into the shorter section
rather than into the longer one, the final pole package will be shorter. Experiment to
see which side is the correct one to unplug. You may wish to mark the shorter section
with a piece of tape as a reminder.

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èCare and Maintenance
PROTECTING THE TENT
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 fly. If
extended exposure is unavoidable, cover the tent with a tarp or a sheet of nylon.
LIGHTING YOUR TENT
Using a candle lantern in a tent carries definite risks. Never leave a candle lantern burning
unattended; always watch for fire 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 flame or heat source in a tent. Cooking in a tent is strongly discouraged
because of fire hazards and carbon monoxide inhalation risks. Unlike campfire smoke
and other fumes, which cause you to gasp for air, carbon monoxide can render you
unconscious without any warning.
FOOD IN TENTS
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.
CLEANING
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 flysheet 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.)
LUBRICATING THE POLES
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.
STORING YOUR TENT
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.

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èRepairing your Tent
FABRIC TEARS
Watertight repairs to rips can be made with seam sealant such as McNett Freesole™,
Aquaseal™, or Seam Grip®. For tears shorter than about 1.5cm (1/2in.), apply duct tape
to one side and sealant to the other. On 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
(1/4-1/2in.) 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 fly via seams
or webbing.
FIXING A POLE IN THE FIELD
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 not to
damage the tent fabrics when removing the damaged pole.
REPLACING A BROKEN POLE SECTION
The MEC Grip-Tip™pole tips are press-fitted into place. Carefully tug out the pole end tip
nearest to the broken section. Being mindful of how to retie it later, untie the end tip.
Slide pole sections off the cord until you reach the damaged section. Remove the broken
piece, being careful not to damage the shockcord. Thread on a new section of appropriate
length and diameter, followed by the other sections, then re-tie the end tip knot.
ZIPPERS
A worn slider is the cause of most zipper problems. An occasional application of 303™
Protectant or a silicone-based lubricant will help reduce wear. Grit accelerates slider
wear. Keep zippers clean by rinsing them under water after use in windy/sandy
environments. Sometimes, carefully squeezing the top ends of the slider with a pair of
pliers will restore some life. If an inner door slider fails, run it as far as possible toward
one end of the zipper, and use only the other slider for the duration of the trip. A sewing
repair shop can replace inoperable sliders.