It is best to familiarize yourself with your tent before you have to use it. put it up in the backyard at home for a trial run to see if any problems come up. You do not want to be on your camping trip and find that there is a problem that causes you to have a bad experience. You may be missing pieces you need or find that you cannot put it up by yourself. These things cannot be resolved on the day you need the tent for protection, and you are away from home.