Pop up tents · How-to guide

How to Fold Up a Pop Up Tent: 9 Steps With Real Pictures

Folding one back down is the part people struggle with, and it isn’t obvious. It took me about 5 goes to get it, and here’s exactly what I do now.

  • 9 steps
  • 2 min once you know it
  • $0 sponsored
  • ~4 min read

This page contains affiliate links, and that means that I may earn a commission if you buy something, at no extra cost to you. You can find my full disclosure policy here.

Jump to a section
1Remove stakes and guylines 2Unzip the window and door 3Clean it first 4Fold the poles together 5Stand it on one end 6Fold it towards the ground 7Slide it together 8Replace the strap ✓Back in the bag

Before you start

What you need

Nothing but your hands and a knee

One knee pins the folded end down so the poles can’t spring back.

The knee trick ↓
The one thing people skip

Open the door first

It lets the air out as you fold, and leaving it zipped makes the job much harder.

Why it matters ↓
When it goes wrong

You lose grip and it pops back

Take your time steadying the taco before you fold it, and the rest follows.

Standing it up ↓

I’ve been using pop up tents for years, and the Coleman 4-Person is one of my favorites. It also uses the most common pop up mechanism, so these steps carry over to most tents you’ll buy.

The author folding up the Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent.
Picking up my Coleman 4-Person to start folding the poles together.

Part 1 of 9

Step 1: Remove stakes and guylines

The Coleman 4-Person has 6 stake loops and 2 guy-out points, three loops and one guyline on each side. Pull all of them out first. If you never staked it down, skip straight to step 2.

A stake loop and guyline on the side of the Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent.
Each side has 3 stake loops and 1 guyline.

Part 2 of 9

Step 2: Unzip the window and door

Go to the front and unzip both the inner window and the outer door. If your tent doesn’t have an inner window, just the door is fine.

The author unzipping the outer door of the Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent.
Unzipping the outer door of the Coleman 4-Person.
  • Easier to cleanWhich is the next step.
  • Air can escapeAs you fold, the air pushes out through the door. Leaving it zipped makes the fold much harder.

Part 3 of 9

Step 3: Clean it first

Pop up tents are freestanding, so you can just pick the whole thing up. Turn the door opening towards the ground and shake gently so dirt and debris fall out. Get someone to help if it’s a big one.

The author picking up the Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent to clean it.
Picking the Coleman 4-Person up to shake it out.

Don’t skip thisFolding with debris inside is how fabric gets pierced. Even a small sharp rock can do it, and grit trapped in the folds makes the whole job harder.

I also wipe the outer base with a wet wipe, because that’s where mud cakes on. I do it straight away, since old dirt is much harder to shift than fresh. You can hose the whole tent instead, just remember it’ll take longer to dry, and let it dry fully before storing it.

Part 4 of 9

Step 4: Fold the poles together

Go round the back and pick the tent up from one side, starting with the pole at the far left or right. The poles sit inside long sleeves, but you’ll feel them through the fabric.

The author gripping a pole sleeve on the Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent.
Gripping one of the poles through its gray sleeve.

Fold the poles in towards each other until the tent looks like a taco.

The author folding in a pole on the left of the Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent.
Folding in one of the poles on the left side.

Part 5 of 9

Step 5: Stand it on one end

Stand the taco up on one end. If there’s a lot of tension in the folded poles, grab the middle with both hands and take your time steadying it before you go further.

The author standing the Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent on one end.
Standing the Coleman 4-Person on one end, both hands on the middle.

Part 6 of 9

Step 6: Fold it towards the ground

Let go with one hand, so a single hand is holding all the poles. Again, take your time to get a good grip on it. Then reach out with the other hand as far along the taco as you can.

On the 2-person version I can reach the opposite tip. On the 4-person I’m nowhere near it, and it still folds down fine, so don’t worry if you can’t reach.

The author reaching along the Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent to fold it down.
Reaching out along the 4-Person. Not even close to the far tip.

Pull that end towards you, and at the same time drop to a knee and press down on the end you just folded in. That’s what stops the poles springing back.

The author kneeling on the Coleman Pop Up Tent to hold it down while folding.
Using my knee to hold the tent down while folding it away.

Part 7 of 9

Step 7: Slide it together

The remaining poles will now form several smaller circles. Push them down and together with both hands. You’ve done it right when they collapse into one single circle.

The Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent folded down to a single circle.
Pushed together into one circle, which is the goal.

Part 8 of 9

Step 8: Replace the strap

I hold the folded tent between my legs at this point, which frees both hands for the strap.

The author holding the folded Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent between her legs.
Holding the folded tent between my legs to get the strap back on.

Keep hold of itFolded into that small circle, the poles are under a lot of tension. That tension is what gives the tent its pop, and it’ll use it the second you let go.

Part 9 of 9

Step 9: Back in the bag

Put it back in the carry bag. It should slide in without a fight.

The author putting the Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent back into its carry bag.
It goes back in perfectly.

Before you zip up, clean the stakes and drop them in the pocket inside the bag.

The stake pocket inside the carry bag of the Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent.
The stake pocket inside the carry bag.

If this one is a struggle

A more guided option

If you find the Coleman tents too awkward to fold and would rather have a guided pack up, the Quechua 2 Seconds tents walk you through it with color-coded buckles. I got the hang of that one after a single practice run, against about 5 for the Coleman.

The bottom line

The knee is what makes this work. You fold one end in, pin it down before the poles can spring back, then collapse the rest into a single circle. Everything else is just tidying up.

Common questions

Folding a pop up tent: FAQs

Why is my pop up tent so hard to fold?

Almost always because you’re fighting the pole tension without pinning it. Kneel on the folded end as you bring it in. It took me about 5 attempts before that became automatic.

Do I need to open the door before folding?

Yes. The air has to go somewhere, and the door is the only exit, so leaving it zipped makes the whole job harder than it needs to be.

How long should folding a pop up tent take?

Once you know it, around 1 to 3 minutes. My Coleman tents pack fully away, stakes and all, in 1.75 to 2 minutes.

Keep reading

The basics

What Is a Pop Up Tent?

How the mechanism works, and what comes pre-attached.

Buying one

Best Pop Up Tents

All seven, including the ones with a more guided pack up.

Every step here is how I actually fold my own tents, bought with my own money. Nothing on this page is sponsored.

Similar Posts