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Tent Care Tips

Introduction
This article was sourced from the Scout IT Project.

Before you actually store the tent away ensure that everything has been maintained correctly.

Look for:

• Wet, damp or dirty canvas/ropes
• Dirty Pegs
• Loose items (e.g. pegs, dollies)
• Items within the tent
• Rusty metal pegs (clean all metal pegs with an oiled cloth)
• Damaged or frayed ropes (replace or whip/splice)
• Uncoiled ropes (coil and tie them)
• Damaged verticals, horizontals (look for splinters and breaks)
• Loose seams

Any damage should be marked down and attached to the tent.

Ensure that damage is repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

Ensure that the tent is stored in a dry but well ventilated area. Make sure the tent is stored somewhere where it is easy to get or else the tent will be pulled and shoved creating unnecessary damage.

A shelf at waist or shoulder height is ideal. Large and heavy canvas tents should be stored next to equipment such as a wheelbarrow. Never drag a tent across the floor.

Ensure that the poles are colour or number coded so it is easy to place them back in a set should they be separated.

Spare pegs should be accounted for. If you have something left over it may well mean that a tent has an item missing. Check this now or else you will go to your next camp with only half a tent.

Any genuinely spare items should be stored safely.

Mallets should be check for damage, ensure that they are still safe to use.

Cleaning

Always clean your tent thoroughly before you pack or waterproof it.

1. To clean a canvas tent simply wash it with clean water and a stiff brush.
   
2. Do not use detergents or other cleaning agents as they may destroy the waterproofing of the tent.
   
3. Cleaning a tent includes simple tasks like brushing off mud and dirt that accumulates during each camp.
   
4. Use a dry cloth to clean off as much grass, dirt, twigs etc. as you can see as you are folding your tent up.
   

Allow the tent to dry naturally before reproofing.

If you have a tent with a sewn in groundsheet then check very carefully before you move or fold the tent. It is easy to miss a small item, which may rip the tent when you come to fold it. Brush all the items to the front of the tent with a dry cloth. Hold the edge of the tent down level with the ground and brush everything onto the floor. Have one last check in all the corners before you fold the tent.

Nylon hike tents can be washed with just a wet cloth to make sure there is no mud or other dirt on the tent. Allow the tent to dry completely before packing.

Repairing

• Before packing your tent for storage, check for any damages and make those repairs before storing the tent up.
  
  
• It is a essential to keep a tent repair kit as part of your camping equipment. This enables on-the-spot repairs.
  
  
• Depending on the cloth material used in your tent, you may need to occasionally re-waterproof the fabric and seal the seams.
  
  
• Check the instruction from the manufacture before using a waterproofing material on your tent.
  
  
• If you do have any damage make sure it is repaired as soon as possible. Canvas can simply be patched and new eyelet's can be punched in with ease. New ropes are easy to cut and make.
  
  
• Always leave a clear note with the tent detailing any items that need repairing or replacing and ensure your quartermaster knows the exact condition of the tent when you return it.

Airing

• If it is a sunny and dry day, you can roll up the walls using the loops provided on most tents for this purpose.
  
  
• When airing a tent you should also remove the groundsheet so that the grass can get a chance to breath.
  
  
• Rolling up the sides of a tent during the day also means you can keep the inside tidy.
  
  
• If the sides are not rolled up in warm weather then the inside will become very hot and may end up like a sauna, including 'sweating' of the canvas which can cause problems similar to getting the canvas wet in the rain.
  
  
• Wet canvas will rot if left unattended not to mention the fact that it smells terrible.
  
  
• When you roll the sides up, roll them so that the outside walls are rolled in towards the tent. This will let the excess water on the outside drop off instead of collecting it within the roll where it will start to rot the canvas.

Drying
The most important point to remember is that the tent should be dry before you pack it away.

• A wet tent will cause mildew and may even rot given enough time.
  
  
• Never pack away a wet tent. Try to air the tent as long as possible, pack all the rest of your equipment and leave the tent until last. If the weather is wet and you have to put it away wet then make sure that you come back to dry it as soon as possible.
  
  
• Always let a tent dry naturally. Never attempt to use any artificial drying methods.
  
  
• However, please be aware that the Sun can damage nylon. Over time, too much exposure to direct sunlight can weaken fabric, especially nylon. Do not leave your tent set up in the sun any longer than necessary.
  
  
• Always observe how a tent was stored when you bought it. This is likely to be the proper storage method for that tent.