How To Repair A Tent
Once you're equipped with the skills to carry out tent repairs, you'll save yourself money, you'll salvage the environment, and it will take (some of) the stress out of that blizzard that seems to exist hell-bent on destroying your dear shelter. With our simple guide, you'll be clued-up on all style tips and tricks to restore your battered shell to a castle of canvas over again.
Even the finest shelters demand to a scrap of TLC from time to fourth dimension. A misplaced crampon, a especially fierce gust, children; there are all kinds of terrors waiting to wreak havoc on your poles and textile. By learning the basics of tent repairs, you tin can save yourself from having to fork out for a new shelter and learn to cherish the one y'all've already chosen.
One time you lot've got tent repairs down to a tee, think nigh the departure you lot'll make to the environs. As nosotros all seek to become that bit greener, gear manufacturers are in fierce contest to evangelize more eco-friendly kit, from the best camping tent and the coziest sleeping purse, to more efficient camping stoves. However, remember – the almost environmentally friendly gear is the gear that you already ain.
So, don't exist that person who puts an entire tent in the trash because of a torn flysheet. For tent fabrics, many camping brands brand specialised tent repair kits with handy patches and tapes. What's purchasing a little repair kit when weighed against ownership a whole new tent?
Now, allow's consider how we get near tent repairs:
Tent repairs: how to repair a tent pole
Modern tent poles are made up of separate, thin tubes that prune together and have a cord of elastic running through them. The tubes are usually fabricated from fiberglass, steel or aluminium. Fiberglass is mutual and desirable considering of its lightweight and flexible qualities. However, it can pause nether strain, fissure downwardly its length or splinter into needle-like shards, leaving you lot with a useless pole.
Earlier we get into how to repair a broken tent pole, let's bust some jargon…
Jargon Buster
Pole section – one of the unmarried fiberglass tubes that when clipped together with the other pole sections creates the consummate pole. They normally have a metallic sleeve (a ferrule) at one or both ends.
Complete pole – when all of the pole sections are clipped together you take a complete pole
Ferrule – the metal sleeve on the cease (or both ends) of a pole section
Shockcord – the rubberband string that runs through the complete pole, holding the pole sections together
Pole diameter – the diameter of the fiberglass office of the pole (importantly, not the diameter of the ferrule). The sizes used on nigh tents are 7.9mm, viii.5mm, ix.5mm, 11.2mm and 12.7mm.
Spiggot – a plumbing equipment (normally metallic) on the stop pole sections that permit them to attach to an eyelet, as an culling to the traditional band and pin.
Okay, so you've simply got back from a backpacking trip with your other half. Ane of your pole sections has cracked right down its length and, fifty-fifty worse, it'southward right in the middle of your complete pole! Time to purchase a new 2-person tent right? No! It'due south time to get on with some tent repairs.
If you are lucky, your tent will have come with spare pole sections. If this is the instance, bang-up! However, fifty-fifty if information technology didn't you can still purchase spare pole sections from outdoor retailers. The of import matter is to go pole sections of the same diameter. To practice this, measure the diameter of the fiberglass part (non the metal ferrule) of your current poles with measuring tape or, even improve, a Vernier caliper.
If your tent already came with spare pole sections and they are the same length as the role that yous are replacing, then you lot don't need to worry most this adjacent chip. If you've bought new pole sections, yous'll demand to cut your new poles downward to size. This is because generic pole sections generally come up oversized so that they can be cut to match different tent sizes.
To cut your new pole sections downwardly to size, you will need some electrical tape, a hacksaw, gloves and sandpaper. Kickoff, measure the new pole side-by-side against 1 of your existing pole sections – with both ferrules at the aforementioned cease – and use the electric tape to marker where you lot will cut. Before going at it with a hacksaw, information technology's a good idea to put some gloves on to avoid getting a nasty fiberglass splinter.
Next, use your hacksaw to cutting part way through the pole, plow the pole slightly and cut office mode again and repeat this process until you lot've cutting all the way through. Cutting towards the middle is advised to avert splintering the edge. Finally, use the sandpaper to remove any sharp edges, which could potentially harm the shockcord.
At present you're gear up to kickoff dismantling the consummate pole to replace the offending pole section. Start at the terminate pole section that has only one ferrule, rather than the one with two, equally this makes the reassembly much more straightforward. Use a screwdriver to remove any dirt from the cease pole section. If your cease sections have spiggots, they usually unscrew easily. Untie the end knot in the shockcord and offset to remove the pole sections, one at a time, from the string.
Continue downward the complete pole until you take removed the broken pole section. To aid the rethreading process, earlier adding each pole section back to the complete pole, gather in any slack on the shockcord and necktie it off with a check knot. This ensures you won't run out by the fourth dimension you go dorsum to the end pole section. When you finally get back to the finish pole section, gather in the slack again and use another check knot, earlier tying a business firm, regular knot at the cease. Release the check knots, clipping the pole sections back into place and - voila! - you have a fully repaired tent pole.
Tent repairs: how to repair tent mesh
When information technology comes to repairs for the various fabrics in your tent, the approach is broadly similar. Many brands sell high-quality tent repair kits comprising patches, record and sealant for every tent surface. Some even sell specialised mesh repair kits...
For mesh repairs, you will need: pair of scissors, alcohol wipes, mesh repair kit patches
Tent mesh is as frail as it looks. All it takes is a cut from a stray multitool (see: the all-time multi tool) and y'all've got yourself a hole. Hot headlamps can fifty-fifty melt a pigsty in tent mesh, which something to sentry out for if y'all're also close for too long. But do non stress, there are ways out of even the worst mesh mess.
The kickoff affair you need to exercise is cutting effectually the hole with scissors to remove whatsoever stray, jagged edges. Now, employ booze wipes on either side of the mesh. This is to make sure the mesh is as clean as possible to give the repair kit the best risk of sticking to it.
Next, ready your mesh patch, which is normally circular with normal mesh on one side and adhesive on the other. Peel off the adhesive side, centre the patch over the hole and stick the edges down. It is easiest to do this on a flat surface, where yous tin can pull the mesh tight. And so that at that place isn't a pasty surface left over where the hole previously was, apply some other patch on the opposite site. Ensure all the edges are flat and you're good to become.
Tent repairs: how to repair a flysheet
You will need: scissors, booze wipes, repair tape / patches
No, your flysheet has non been slashed by Wolverine, your buddy has just been clumsy with their crampons and been too agape to tell you. Fortunately, equally tent repairs go, repairing a flysheet is a cinch. In fact, it'southward but similar putting a plaster on, only using repair tape. Various brands now make repair tape, and you tin can easily get concord of some in outdoor stores and online.
Size upwards the tear against your record and cut the tape with a few centimetres to spare on either side. Similar when repairing mesh, information technology's advisable to make sure your fabric is on a flat surface and has been wiped make clean. Once you lot're prepare, peel the tape so that the adhesive is revealed (virtually tapes peel off down the middle) and stick the tape downwardly onto the material. Make sure the fabric is pulled tight and smoothen the tape as you go to remove any lumps and bumps. Pare off the other side of the adhesive strip and smoothen once again. You're now well on the style to becoming a tent repairs adept.
Tent repairs: how to repair a groundsheet
You volition need: scissors, alcohol wipes, repair tape / patches
The approach to repairing a tear in a groundsheet is virtually the same as for a flysheet, using either repair tape or a repair patch. Once more, it is recommended that you clean effectually the tear or hole to give the agglutinative the all-time hazard of effectively sticking. Information technology is worth applying the tape or patch on both sides of the groundsheet for maximum protection.
Tent repairs: how to repair tent seams
You volition need: seam grip, paint brush (or similar)
Taped seams aid to keep your tent fully waterproof, however through clothing and tear they can oft become nicked and require a bit of TLC. This is where seam grip comes in. It'south a clear gel that dries like safety, sealing any tears and maintaining your tent's waterproof qualities. But apply the seam grip to the tear using a little paint brush, covering the whole area lightly. Using the other end of the brush, hold information technology to the where the seam has come away, applying pressure level for a few minutes and then go out to ready. Tent repairs, sorted.
Source: https://www.advnture.com/features/tent-repairs
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