Tent Care and Maintenance.

[Beer Me!]

Hey guys, new here! I have a couple questions and any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. I tried to use the search option but I couldn't find the thread I was looking for. I apologize if I overlooked a similar topic. Anyway...

I purchased my tent (REI Half Dome 4) earlier this year and I've camped in it 3 or 4 times since. I just got back from a week long trip in Talluah Falls, GA and had a nightmare about my tent busting apart at the seams during a bad storm. This, of course, got me thinking about if I was taking care of my tent properly.

I'm not an avid adventurer or anything but I'm working my way up to it. I'm sort of particular about my equipment and I'm trying my best to take good care of it. I was wondering if there is any sort of special care or maintenance that I should (or could) be doing to my tent in between trips or during long periods of storage? I love my little tent and it would break my heart if something bad happened to her because of something I could have prevented.

Thanks in advance!

[ddrinik]

Re: Tent Care and Maintenance.

I’m no expert by any means myself, but I can toss a couple of suggestions your way.

Always make sure your tent is dry before putting it in storage, if need be, set it up when you get home to make sure it is dry. Reapply waterproofing as needed, there are many threads, I would recommend searching, you will come across different approaches.


Dan

[Beer Me!]

Re: Tent Care and Maintenance.

Thanks for the tips guys!

Hogsnapper: I clear my tent site of debris the best I can before I pitch and always use a footprint (and sometimes a tarp) underneath. My last trip had all gravel camp sites with no pad so I used both. On the inside I use a thick quilt to cover the tent floor. I'd have to say that I am guilty of barging through my half zippered tent door from time to time in an effort to keep the mosquitoes out though. I'll try my best to make sure my tent door is fully unzipped from now on.

Ddrinik: What parts of my tent should I be waterproofing? The bottom? My rain fly? I always use my rain fly even if the forecast is clear. With my luck, the day I don't use it, we'll have a freak storm and I'll be soaked and miserable for the rest of the trip.

Thanks again guys.

[renodesertfox]

Re: Tent Care and Maintenance.

Another zipper tip is when we are camping before the tent is stuck(taken down). I get a small amount of water in a large mouth but not deep container(half pint container from the deli section where potato salad are sold) and soak the doorway zipper "slider" for about a minute, working that slider back and forth in the little 1/2 pint jar. The water and the small action of moving the zipper releases any dirt particles that may have gotten attached to the slider. This is especially useful in dry desert or sandy camping conditions, but I've been doing it for so long, it's a part of my routine where-ever we go. When we return home and the tent is pitched again to clean it in a more controlled environment this zipper slider process is repeated. Usually the first item to stop working properly is the doorway slider. Thanks Hogsnapper, you really nailed every nook and cranny of maintenance and it's always a pleasure to read your posts!

We also take a rake with us to easily clear away lighter sticks & small rocks.

[ddrinik]

Re: Tent Care and Maintenance.

I use seam sealer on the seams, tent and fly. And Kiwi camp dry spray on the fly and tent as well. I haven’t done anything to the floor, just the use of a ground tarp.

Dan

[Mike]

Re: Tent Care and Maintenance.

Mold, mildew, and sand are the worst enemies of tents. Like other responses to this thread, always pack your tent dry. In this regard if your tent bag is water-proof or coated, change to a non-coated bag. This will let moisture OUT. You really don't have to worry about moisture getting INTO your tent bag because the tent itself is waterproof.

As for sand, either bring a small hand broom with you or use a fist full of long grass or cedar as a broom and sweep out your tent as you use it and before you put it away. Some folks put a floor mat in front of the tent which is a good idea if you are car camping, but not practical for backpacking of course.

[Mike]

Re: Tent Care and Maintenance.

Another thing about keeping your tent alive for a long time: make repairs immediately. A small tear can turn into a ruined tent in seconds. Bring tent repair tape with you. Just about any sporting goods store has a tent repair kit for under $5.00. They include repair tape in several colors, mosquito net mesh, needle, thread, seam sealer, pole elastic, and pole joints. Get one of these and include it in your tent peg bag.

If you are good with a sewing machine, you can fix some major tent damage/wear that would cause most people to toss their tent and buy new.

Keep your eyes open for old tents at garage sales and thrift stores. For $5.00 to $10.00, you can get a spare set of poles and zippers that would cost $20.00+ to buy new. If you don't canibalize the yard-sale tent, then you will have a spare tent for back-up or for friends.

[Beer Me!]

Re: Tent Care and Maintenance.

RDS: Thanks for the zipper tips, definitely going to add that to my maintenance routine.

HS: Thanks for the tent specific tips. This really helps.

Mike, ddrinik: I really appreciate all the repair and maintenance advice.