Sierra Designs Alpha User manual

S I E R R A D E S I G N S
SIERRA DESIGNS 2011 Cherry Street, Unit 202 Louisville, CO 80027 Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone] Toll Free: 800-635-0461
First Pitch
In order to familiarize yourself with your new tent, we
suggest that you “test pitch” it before embarking on a
wilderness trip.
Select a Site
Look for a level spot that is protected from the wind in
order to ensure sleeping comfort. Clear the area of debris
such as sharp stones and sticks which might abrade or
puncture the tent floor. Choose an area that will drain
well when it rains.
Unfurl the Tent and Assemble the Poles
Unfurl the tent and lay the tent floor flat on the ground
with the door unzipped. Carefully unfold the shock corded
pole sections and allow them to slide together. Do not al-
low the poles to snap together: This can lead to serious
pole damage. Make certain that the insert of each pole sec-
tion is fully inserted into the next pole section (Figure 1).
You will have two straight poles of equal length and one
pre-bent pole.
Stake out the Tent Floor
The Alpha is a completely freestanding tent. It is not nec-
essary to stake down the tent floor in order to pitch it.
However, we recommend that the tent be staked down at
points A, B, C and D for stability, especially in high
winds (Figure 2).
Erect the Tent
Insert the metal tips of one of the two long poles into the
grommets at points A and C (Figure 2). Insert the metal
tips of the other long pole into the grommets at points B
and D. Next hook the Clip-Loc™at point E (do not attach
the cord yet). Following the tent seams between points A
and C, and B and D attach all of the Swift Clips™to their
corresponding tent poles. Passing the arched pole over the
two long poles, place its ends into the grommets at
points F and G. Once the arched pole is in place, hook
the Clip-Locs at points H and I, with the open gate of
the clip pointing towards the rear of the tent. Now attach
the cord at points H, I & E, by wrapping the cord in the
direction crossing the open gate of the clip. Wrap the
cord around the pole intersection two to four times, de-
pending on desired firmness, then slide the cord into the
groove on the backside of the clip to hold it taut (Figure 3).
Fly Sheet
Drape the fly over the tent making sure the zippered, ves-
tibule end is over the front door (Figure 4). At points H,
I, J, K, L and M on the inside of the tent fly you will
find small side release buckles. Attach these points to
their mates on the tent body. At point N on the fly you
will find a Velcro®attachment. Attach this to the apex of
the arched pole. Now at points A, B, C, D, G and F you
will find ¾"LadderLocs with adjustable grommeted web-
bing straps. Slip the grommets over the pole ends at these
points (Figure 5). Now working your way around the tent
a few times, slowly tighten these adjustable straps until
you have achieved the desired tautness. Point O may be
staked out to increase ventilation. Lastly stake out points
Q and R to form your vestibule.
Alpha
Your Sierra Designs
ALPHA tent is very easy to
pitch and maintain. Follow
these instructions to pitch your
tent quickly, safely and easily.
Figure 2: Tent Body (top view)
Figure 3: Clip-Loc
Figure 1: Correct Pole Assembly
Figure 5: LadderLoc
ALPHA TENT CONTENTS
Tent Body & Rainfly: 1 Line Tighteners: 6
Tent Poles: 3 Pitching Instructions: 1
Tent Stakes: 9* Stake Sack: 1
Guy Cord: 6 Pole Sack: 1
* Sierra Designs tent s include stakes for pitching the body and fly under normal conditions.
Additional stakes may be required in severe conditons.
Figure 4: Tent Fly (top view)

S I E R R A D E S I G N S
SIERRA DESIGNS 2011 Cherry Street, Unit 202 Louisville, CO 80027 Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone] Toll Free: 800-635-0461
The 2 Modes of the Alpha
Figure 6: Internal Guy System
Figure 7: Line Tightener
3-Season Mode
4-Season Mode
In full 4-Season mode the Alpha is capable of
withstanding some of nature’s toughest onslaughts.
At 8 lbs. 1 oz. the Alpha is one of the lightest
4-Season tents on the market.
Internal Guy System
Years ago, Sierra Designs was the first to introduce the
revolutionary Internal Guy System. This system remains a
very important feature in both our Convertible and 4-Sea-
son tents. When installed this simple system will greatly
increase the strength of your tent with the weight of a
few guy cords. This system is very useful in extreme
weather conditions, but is not necessary under normal
conditions.
Installation: All attachments are made inside the tent.
All that is needed are 4 pieces of guy cord of 72" lengths
or longer (line tighteners may be used but are optional).
Some of these items have been provided complimentary
with your tent. The internal loops that will be used in
this system are the four loops in the corners of the tent at
points A, B, C and D as well as four of the seven loops in
the ceiling at points S, T, H and I (Figure 6).
Start by tying one end of a cord through the webbing
loop in the floor at point C. Secure the other end at point
I with a double-half-hitch or a line tightener (Figure 7).
Repeat this procedure for lines between points B and H,
A and S (or H in extreme conditions) and D and T (or I
in extreme conditions). The Internal Guy System will
partially obstruct the doorway. If you want to stow the
cord out of the way when entering or exiting the tent,
simply loosen the cord and pull it through the loop in
the ceiling.
3-Season Mode
In 3-Season mode you are able to leave two pole sections
at home for a weight savings of 6 oz. In addition to a
weight savings, there is a large ceiling panel which folds
back to give you a tremendous amount of ventilation. The
front and back rip-stop doors can also be folded away to
reveal a large no-see-um panel for venting.
Please note that 9 tent stakes and 6 guy cords were pro-
vided with this tent as a courtesy. If you choose to use
more than this when pitching your tent, additional stakes
and cord may be purchased at the store where you origi-
nally purchased your tent.
Converting the Alpha into a 3-Season Shelter
The Alpha can easily be transformed into a lighter,
well vented 3-Season tent. To begin, simply remove the
black-color pole segments on the sides of the tent by pull-
ing the Shok-cert out of the silver pole section. To do
this, first remove the black pole sections from the grom-
mets and undo the Clip-Locs along the silver-black pole.
Next, pull the black sections downward until the shock
cord appears. Grasp the shock cord and pull gently to
completly remove the Shok-cert (Figure 8). Repeat for the
other silver-black pole sections and place the silver pole
ends into the pole buckets at points I and H (Figure 2).
Finally to maximize ventilation in warmer weather condi-
tions, the Alpha comes equipped with a large ceiling
panel. Unzip the panel and undo the hooks connecting it
to the mesh. Then roll the panel toward the back of the
tent, secure by fastening clips. Double doors of mesh and
nylon panels allow for variable ventilating as well.
4-Season Mode
Figure 8: Shock-cert