Tents stand up to excessive climate and resist pure parts, however they’ll nonetheless be damaged past restore because of unchecked wears and tears.
Simply since you’re roughing it, doesn’t imply you received’t be caring for your tenting gear — together with your tent of alternative. Realizing the way to preserve and restore the tent will assist it last more. We’ve put collectively this newbie’s information to tent upkeep, the place we’ll drop some tips about the way to higher deal with your tenting gear earlier than, throughout, and after use.
Set-up
Organising could make or break the tent upkeep recreation. Know the way and the place you possibly can set as much as keep away from pointless damages.
Campers organising the tent on the forest. Photograph Credit score: Getty Photos, SolisImages
Take a look at gear at dwelling
Make it a behavior to observe pitching your gear at dwelling earlier than you head out into the wild. Examine when you have an entire gear set: the equipment, man traces, and stakes should be accounted for. Rigorously check the tools, and don’t underneath any circumstances whip the poles round, not at dwelling nor on the campsite. We’ll get to that later.
Arrange in a great place
Extending the lifetime of your tent means tenting at established websites most of the time, particularly since folks adjust to the Depart No Hint precept. The important thing to discovering a great place is to test for clean, stage, and clear floor. Clear away pinecones, twigs, or small rocks that may harm the fabric the place you need the gear arrange. Steer clear of locations which might be close to water, and be sure to’re an excellent few hundred toes away from the closest supply.
Be mild with the tools
Arrange rigorously. Unfold and match the sections of the poles collectively one after the other. In any other case, you would possibly weaken the poles and trigger them to crack. Aluminum poles will turn out to be extra brittle and can corrode when uncovered to sea air and saltwater. A great way round that is to rinse the poles and allow them to dry.
Use a footprint
Stop tearing as quickly as organising camp so that you received’t have to scrub it as typically. A footprint is designed to defend your tent from exterior parts. You can too use a groundsheet that’s lower to match its form. That is used as safety on the backside from gravel and puddles.
Use
Upon utilizing, be sure you not pry something to the purpose of wear and tear and tear. Additionally keep away from water and daylight.
Handle the zippers
Once you wish to come out and in, verify that the zippers aren’t compelled to glide if you pull them. Not solely does this weaken the material, it can additionally trigger the zippers to separate. Use your different hand to carry down the observe as you’re pulling it open with the zippers.
Within the occasion that zippers do cut up, you possibly can strive latching it again collectively once more. Pliers may also be used to fix them.
Depart footwear exterior
Bringing dust and soil inside would possibly corrode the fabric and tear holes into the underside. One other factor to recollect is to keep away from consuming inside, because the meals will entice rodents who can chew on the material.
Photograph Credit score: Unsplash, Patrick Hendry
Steer clear of water
Water publicity can regularly break down the tent materials. Keep away from pitching in areas the place water might pool round you as a result of it damages the waterproofing. Make sure that the air is ventilating inside if you’re utilizing the tent to maintain it from condensing.
Keep away from excessive daylight
The ultraviolet rays of the daylight are harsh on the tenting materials. Publicity to an excessive amount of UV mild may cause fading, softening, or impairment.
There may be tenting gear that’s UV resistant, however the identical artificial cloth can degrade with sufficient radiation. As soon as it has sustained sufficient UV harm, the fabric turns into non-repairable. When you do dry your gear, be sure that the solar isn’t too blaring exterior. In any other case, hold your gear within the shade.
Upkeep
Going by the method of caring for your tent earlier than, throughout, and after its use will assist protect its longevity.
Washing
As a lot as potential, handwash the fabric. Fill a bucket with lukewarm water and cleaning soap and immerse it within the tub. Use a clean sponge or a bit of white material to wash the dirty areas. In components the place you waterproofed the ground and the seams, watch out to not rub too exhausting. Wash and rinse the material, then dry utterly.
Use delicate soaps which might be freed from detergents and fragrances. Detergents would possibly include chemical compounds that break down the DWR coating and fragrances will possible entice bugs.
Air-dry your tent
Arrange outside, ideally someplace with shade, to dry your tenting gear after a weekend getaway. The material can develop mildew if saved with any moisture. You’ll have the ability to inform from the odor. Don’t neglect to dry your tent as a result of it will possibly turn out to be flaky and cheesy to be used.
Eradicating mould
After a day trip tenting, it’s not unusual to seek out mould or mildew within the cloth. It may need been the condensation or the climate. Put together it exterior in daylight to kill the mould earlier than you take away any stains.
Use a smooth brush to take away the mould from the fabric. Wash the material with an answer of sizzling water, vinegar, and dish cleaning soap. You can too use variations of this, corresponding to Lysol or lemon juice and salt with sizzling water. For cussed molds, keep away from scrubbing it too exhausting. As a substitute, use a brush with bristles. Rinse the material gently and let it dry utterly within the solar.
For mildew, bleach the stain. Wash the affected space with non-chlorine bleach. Coloured materials want an answer of a cup of lemon juice and salt with a gallon of sizzling water, whereas color-safe materials want an answer of two tablespoons of bleach and a quart of water. As a lot as potential, do that outside to keep away from leaving mould spores inside the home.
Prevention
Preserve your tent dry
Do it as a lot as you possibly can assist it. It’s your accountability to turn out to be meticulous about its upkeep.
Tents might accumulate moisture, so greatest count on mould and mildew to type, particularly in humidity, which permits them to type inside when the dampness is trapped. Whereas these are unavoidable, you possibly can stop mould and mildew throughout storage.
Waterproof your tent
Waterproofing will want two coatings. These will put on off ultimately, so be sure you reapply each from time to time. Purchase a tube of seam sealer for waterproofing the tools. It may also be used for patching holes within the cloth.
First, apply urethane coating to forestall moisture from penetrating the fabric. The second layer is the DWR resolution, which repels water.
Storage
Bear in mind to retailer it in a cool and dry place after utilizing.
Shake your tent
After taking it down, give it an excellent shake to verify nothing is inside earlier than you repack it. Take away the footprint.
House is the place you pitch your tent. Photograph Credit score: Getty Photos, bernardbodo
Push, don’t pull
Poles are simpler to take away than you suppose, so there may be little must be tough with them. They go by sheaths on the outside for simpler removing, so simply push them by they usually’ll come out. Then, break them down within the center and divide the sections.
Dry after utilizing
You already know the drill. Dry the tent every time you possibly can. If the within is even a bit moist, mildew is certain to develop. After a day outside, it’s good to be sure that no moisture is left inside, since you’ll be leaving it in storage for some time. Roll it up earlier than you set it inside. Merely stuffing it can smash its type and stress the supplies. At dwelling, dry it once more, after which retailer it in a unfastened sack someplace dry and funky.
