Tent Care: Amanda Malthuss post brings up some important issues when it comes to taking care of your gear. DEET in bug spray eats your tent and other synthetic fabrics (DEET is a solvent). Aerosols destroy not only the ozone layer, but also the waterproofing on your tent. Aerosols also should not be used around anyone who has asthma. Be sure to keep your tents clean at all times, and never pack them away wet if you can avoid it. If you must pack your tent up wet to travel, unpack it as soon as possible when you get home and set it up to dry and air out. Even if it is in your garage or basement--get that thing aired out or mildew will start to grow amazingly fast. Spot clean any dirt (or heave forbid, any midewy areas) with a soft damp cloth or sponge and water or if need be with mild soap and water--DO NOT ever put your tent into a washing machine, it will totally destroy the fabric. Bring a sewing needle and thread along in your tent repair kit for minor repairs. If your tent rips, DO NOT use Duct Tape (unless you really dont have anything else, and then remove the duct tape as soon as possible and make permanent repairs). It is far better to use the adhesive nylon patches you can buy in the green Coghlans packaging in the camping gadgets section at most stores (like Canadian Tire), or even better is Tenacious Tape (also at Canadian Tire). The adhesive nylon patches, if reinforced by sewing them in place, make a permanent repair. Tenacious Tape will not leave sticky residue behind like Duct Tape, which eventually breaks down your tent fabric. There are tent repair kits available anywhere you find camping gadgets. Before camping with a new tent, or a tent that hasnt been used in a while, SEAL THE SEAMS, especially on the fly. Anywhere two pieces of fabric are sewn together, rain can seep through the needle holes from the stitching. Many new tents are seam-sealed at the factory, but you need to reapply at least every year to ensure you stay dry. If you use your tents often, seal twice a year. Use a tent footprint to protect the bottom of your tent. This can be a tarp, builders plastic (aka vapour barrier), or Tyvek (white house wrap). Cut it slightly smaller than the actual size of the bottom of your tent to ensure water doesnt seep between the footprint and your tent, then seep in through any holes in your tent bottom. Use your bedroll tarp under your bedroll INSIDE your tent to create a further barrier against any water seepage through the tent floor to keep your bedroll dry. Wet sleeping gear is totally useless. Theres more, but these are some basic tips :)
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 14:44:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015