Guide to tent maintenance
Y'all've reached your pitch and yous're about to put up your tent, already dreaming about relaxing and enjoying the great outdoors. Notwithstanding, when information technology comes to actually putting your tent up, yous notice information technology's damaged.

Terminate of your camping trip, right? Not necessarily.

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If your tent is literally falling to pieces, and so you may accept a big trouble, but for near smaller damages, you may well exist able to fix them yourself and carry on with your trip with the minimum of fuss.

We've put together a guide to tent repair and maintenance so you lot don't get defenseless out in the wilderness with a leaky tent or cleaved poles.

How to set a tear in a tent

Small rips

This is probably your biggest problem. If y'all have a rip or tear in your tent then information technology'due south not really fit for purpose. Wind and rain (and maybe even wild animals!) volition get in and brand the whole experience utterly miserable.

If you only take a minor rip or hole, and so tent repair tape will probably do the play tricks, at least as a quick set. Apply it to both the inside and the outside of the tent earlier covering with seam sealer .

However, exist sure to choose the right kit. If you have a nylon tent, and so you'll need record and sealer made specifically for nylon tents. Similarly, canvas tents will need taffeta repair record and seam sealer for canvass. Using nylon seam sealer on a canvass tent could harm it.

Tent maintenance equipment checklist

Large rips

If you have a large rip, then things go a bit more than complicated and you may have to do a bit of crocheting.

In areas where the material is relaxed and tin handle a little extra pressure, then you can pull the two sides of the material together, folding ane side under the other, and stitch tightly. Yous should use a sewing awl and waxed thread, ensuring the stitches are close together, before applying seam sealer.

If y'all aren't able to pull the material together, yous'll need to use repair tape. Cover the damaged area with the tape, ensuring it about 1.5 inches longer and wider than the tear. Liberally apply seam sealer around the edges.

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If yous happen to have spare patches of tent fabric, then y'all can apply these to fix the holes. This can be a little trickier than using repair tape, and this guide provides you with detailed info on how to gear up a tent with a patch.

At the end of the day, if yous're really stuck then duct record may do the trick!

How to gear up leaks in a tent

Leaks may exist caused past tears in the fabric of the tent. In which case, use the steps to a higher place to gear up information technology.

However, the most commonplace to get a leak in a tent is on the seams where two pieces of the fabric encounter. If you detect water coming in through the seams, give them a wipe with alcohol or tent cleaner to make clean them then use seam sealer.

About modern tents are coated in a waterproof membrane, and after a while, you may discover this starts to let water in. Liquids such as detergents tin can erode the membrane, so be careful if washing wearing apparel near your tent. If necessary, you tin re-apply the coating using a water baby-sit .

Leaking tent

Fixing broken tent poles

A mutual trouble when camping is cleaved or bent tent poles. This could happen for myriad reasons - potent winds, overzealous when putting the tent upward, someone standing on your tent, wear and tear, etc.

The nearly sensible thing you can do is simply pack a couple of spare tent poles and then you can quickly replace any breakages.

HOW TO FIX Broken FIBREGLASS TENT POLES - DOWNLOAD OUR HANDY GUIDE

Still, if you don't accept whatsoever spares, and then our old friend duct tape is a practiced way of strengthening the poles. This can piece of work peculiarly well if you don't demand to bend the pole. Y'all can fix the poles properly when yous get home, but you might merely be better off ownership some new ones.

If you're actually stuck, and so you may have to go full-on Behave Grylls and use tree branches and twigs as makeshift poles, although this really is a worst-case scenario!

Fixing a broken tent attachment

Which part of the cipher is cleaved will dictate how you lot go nearly fixing information technology. If the teeth are broken in whatever way, then you're better of just replacing the whole zip, which is not something we'd recommend doing mid camping trip.

If the teeth are just misaligned, nevertheless, then running the slider up and down a few times volition ready this most of the fourth dimension.

If it'southward the slider that'd broken, and so you may be able to repair that. This guide will bear witness you one style of doing it, using a pair of pliers. If the slider is jammed, and so you may be able to loosen it using some WD-40, although be very conscientious not to get any on your tent's flysheet.

How to fix bent tent pegs

Bent tent pegs are a pretty common occurrence, especially if they're cheap and have been subjected to a fair bit of hammering. If your tent pegs become bent, and so yous tin try angle them back or knocking them back into shape with a mallet (taking care, of grade). If that'south not working, then you could oestrus them up over a camping stove, making them much more malleable. Take extra care when doing this.

Information technology'south always handy to take a few spare tent pegs anyway, just in case.

Bent tent pegs

Prevention is better than cure

As with well-nigh things in life, prevention is much meliorate than cure, so if you can try and guard against dissentious your tent in the first place, you can save yourself a great deal of hassle later on.

How to store a tent properly

If you lot store your tent away properly then you're giving yourself a fighting chance the next fourth dimension y'all come to become it out once more.

You should ever try and pack away your tent when it's equally dry as possible. This isn't always possible (especially in the UK), but if you exit your tent moisture and so mildew volition more likely start to course, which is incommunicable to remove. If you do have to pack your tent away wet, then information technology's incredibly important to unpack and dry information technology out every bit soon equally you become dwelling house.

Ensure that all of the tent is dry. Areas such as pegging points and guy lines can be deceptive, so e'er double-check.

If yous notice any breakages or damage to your tent, so fix or replace before storing away. The final thing you want is to forget virtually that tear until you're near to go camping again.

Check your tent before you go abroad

Fifty-fifty if everything was fine and cracking when you lot final put your tent away, it'due south essential to get it out again before you go abroad. And don't just get it out of the bag - actually pitch information technology.

This way y'all'll see if there are any damages yous didn't notice terminal time or if any mildew has started to build upwardly. It'southward also adept to refresh your memory about how to put it up, then y'all're not struggling when you lot reach the military camp.

Campers fixing a tent

Tent pitching tips

How and where you really pitch your tent can take a big touch on its immovability and lifespan. Always endeavour and pitch your tent on level ground, immigration abroad any rocks or other items that may lead to tears.

Exerting too much pressure level on the tent is one of the biggest causes of damage, then try not to stretch or strength it likewise far. Always brand sure it has a bit of room to give, especially if it'south windy.

Finding somewhere slightly secluded or sheltered is a good idea when pitching a tent. This should ensure protection from the air current, and staying abroad from thoroughfares should reduce the take a chance of something standing on your tent.

Always be prepared

You never know when disaster could strike and you may need to repair your tent. E'er carry the necessary equipment with you, so you can fix damages and stay warm and dry out. Run into our equipment checklist above and bank check out our total range of tent repair products.

However, if your tent actually is across repair and you need a new one, and so our fantastic range of tents volition most definitely have something for you.

Practice you have whatsoever tips on tent repair and maintenance? Let u.s.a. know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter .

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