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There's pop-up tents with a even more interesting topology. It's always fun to watch (semi-drunk) people try to fold up theirs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

There's pop-up tents with a even more interesting topology. It's always fun to watch (semi-drunk) people try to fold up theirs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gp5C1dYtuA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gp5C1dYtuA

wccrawford 6y ago
My wife bought one of those, or something like it. Even while reading the instructions the whole time, I had about the same amount of trouble that that guy did. I guess it's surprisingly hard to write out text instructions for them. They probably should have included a lot of graphics a la IKEA instead. We did eventually get it, but it was a team effort and I'm pretty sure we've never opened it again. Edit: Oh, and I'm really good at the car-shade version of them, so I didn't think it was going to be hard at all going into it.
- Akronymus 6y ago
  IKEA instructions are great indeed. Sadly that type isn't appropriate in many cases.
sfvisser 6y ago
After a bit of practice it’s relatively easy to fold those tents back up, but explaining someone else to do it is a different story. I know how to fold them on feel, but I’m clueless about what I’m actually doing.
mauvehaus 6y ago
Considering only the loops, I think it's actually the same topology, just with two loops instead of one. Assuming I understood the end of the video correctly :-) I think it's also required that the two loops be the same circumference, unless something really tricky is happening with the fabric to allow them to be coiled concentrically but with different centers.
GuB-42 6y ago
What is interesting is to see the evolution of the system used to fold pop-up tents. The most successful tent in France is, by far the Quechua 2 second, by Decathlon. Go to any festival in a country where Decathlon is present and they will make up the majority of the camping ground (make sure to remember which tent is yours!). The tricky thing, of course is to fold them back. Over the years, instructions have changed, the design also changed slightly to make it easier. In the latest version, you just have to pull a cord and you are more than halfway there. All these improvements are not just for helping the customer. Decathlon has a very liberal return policy, and they had to deal with a huge number of broken tents because people didn't fold them correctly.
- sudosysgen 6y ago
  Decathlon is one of my favorite stores. I used to go there quite often when I lived in Europe/North Africa, and now that they came to Canada its quite handy.
LeifCarrotson 6y ago
We have a beach sun shade with the same sort of folding mechanism. Anyone can unfold it - you basically just unzip it and it explodes into the final product, but I'm always the assigned "Sun shade folder". Maybe I don't understand it well enough myself, because I've only successfully taught one person. The key insight is definitely that you're going for three loops, not two or four.

wccrawford 6y ago

My wife bought one of those, or something like it. Even while reading the instructions the whole time, I had about the same amount of trouble that that guy did. I guess it's surprisingly hard to write out text instructions for them. They probably should have included a lot of graphics a la IKEA instead. We did eventually get it, but it was a team effort and I'm pretty sure we've never opened it again. Edit: Oh, and I'm really good at the car-shade version of them, so I didn't think it was going to be hard at all going into it.

Akronymus 6y ago
IKEA instructions are great indeed. Sadly that type isn't appropriate in many cases.

sfvisser 6y ago

After a bit of practice it’s relatively easy to fold those tents back up, but explaining someone else to do it is a different story. I know how to fold them on feel, but I’m clueless about what I’m actually doing.

mauvehaus 6y ago

Considering only the loops, I think it's actually the same topology, just with two loops instead of one. Assuming I understood the end of the video correctly :-) I think it's also required that the two loops be the same circumference, unless something really tricky is happening with the fabric to allow them to be coiled concentrically but with different centers.

GuB-42 6y ago

What is interesting is to see the evolution of the system used to fold pop-up tents. The most successful tent in France is, by far the Quechua 2 second, by Decathlon. Go to any festival in a country where Decathlon is present and they will make up the majority of the camping ground (make sure to remember which tent is yours!). The tricky thing, of course is to fold them back. Over the years, instructions have changed, the design also changed slightly to make it easier. In the latest version, you just have to pull a cord and you are more than halfway there. All these improvements are not just for helping the customer. Decathlon has a very liberal return policy, and they had to deal with a huge number of broken tents because people didn't fold them correctly.

sudosysgen 6y ago
Decathlon is one of my favorite stores. I used to go there quite often when I lived in Europe/North Africa, and now that they came to Canada its quite handy.

LeifCarrotson 6y ago

We have a beach sun shade with the same sort of folding mechanism. Anyone can unfold it - you basically just unzip it and it explodes into the final product, but I'm always the assigned "Sun shade folder". Maybe I don't understand it well enough myself, because I've only successfully taught one person. The key insight is definitely that you're going for three loops, not two or four.