If you start to notice leaks along your seams, seam sealing can make them waterproof again.īecause seam tape does not adhere all that well to lightweight fabrics (even the highest quality fabrics), MSR has spent 10 years researching a solution. Over time, moisture, heat and humidity can breakdown the seam tape and even seam sealant on tents made of lightweight fabrics.
Alpine design tent pole replacement free#
Keep zippers clean and free of fine grit, which can wear away at the zipper’s metal slider to the point where it no longer clinches the zipper teeth together. Assisting the zipper with a second hand, especially when going around a curve, will reduce wear on the zipper and its metal slider and help keep it running smoothly. Tent fabric is designed to be taut when set up, so there will always be some tension on the zipper. The best thing you can do to extend the life of the zipper is to go slow and use two hands when zipping your tent open or closed. By keeping water and dirt away from the bottom of your tent, a footprint also helps your tent stay clean when you need to pack it up again. Use a footprint with your tentįootprints are designed to keep your tent floor clean, dry, and protected from excessive abrasion. If you’ve been in dusty or salty conditions, make sure to clean your poles, especially around the intersections. When disassembling your poles, start from the center and move outwards to evenly distribute the tension on the shock cord. Also, make sure poles are fully inserted into one another before bending them. Don’t overstress the poles when setting up the tent doing so can lead to permanently deforming the sections. Try to keep the ends of the pole sections from banging together when assembling the frame as it can dent them or create cracks at the ends, which can compromise pole strength and lead to breakage. For this reason, the number one guideline for longer tent life is to make sure your tent is clean, dry and stored in a cool area out of direct sunlight. Storing your tent while it’s wet or even damp can lead to the premature breakdown of its fabric and coatings. Gavin Turner and Dan Baas camping in a high alpine basin after a fast and light ascent of Cutthroat Peak–North Cascades, Washington. Here are 6 simple tent care tips for making your tent last longer. Whether the backcountry beckons to you every weekend or an annual camping trip with friends and family is more your pace, you want to make sure your tent stands up for the long haul by taking proper care of it.