Tips on the maintenance of outdoor tents

When you end a wonderful outdoor journey happily, you are likely to put down all your equipment because of fatigue or trivial matters, and will not deal with them for a long time. But if you take the time to open the equipment and store the items properly, it will greatly increase the life of the equipment and maintain the functionality of the equipment.

This is especially true for tents: improper storage can quickly grow mold and cause material damage. To avoid these problems, you only need to follow two key steps when storing the tent to avoid problems: make sure the tent is completely dry. Store the tent loosely in a cool, dry place.

Make sure your tent is dry before storing it. A damp tent can breed mold and make the tent emit a bad smell. Moisture may also damage the polyurethane waterproof coating and cannot be repaired. If you have ever had a tent that has become thin, sticky, or smelly, it is most likely because you did not completely dry it before storing it.

To prevent this from happening, place the tent indoors or outdoors in a cool place to dry. If you don't have enough space to spread it out, hang it up until it dries.

Keep your tent clean: If you go home with a dirty tent after going out, take some time to clean the tent, which can extend the life of the tent. Especially if the tent is exposed to sand, dust, bird droppings and plant sap during use.

Wash the tent fabric with cold water and mild, detergent-free soap; remove the plant sap and let it dry first. Then use mineral oil or other alcohol-containing products, such as hand sanitizer or wipes, to gently wash, and then be sure to rinse with water.

In order to keep the tent zipper smooth, use an old toothbrush to remove the grit from the zipper. You can go to our outdoor knowledge to learn more about cleaning tents.

Keep it loose: Although generally tents will provide tent storage bags, and after compression, they are very suitable for backpacking. But the storage bag that comes with the tent is not a good choice for long-term storage of the tent. The fabric of the tent needs to relax and breathe to release all kinds of pressure and stress. You only need an old pillowcase or a mesh bag of similar size to do it. You can stack your tent neatly, put it in a bag, or just tuck it in.

Reduce the tension: For the tent poles, the poles can be partially assembled and stored to release the tension of the internal cables, thereby extending the service life of the poles. But not everyone has enough space to do so. So another option is to fold the struts from the middle to the shortest. Folding the storage struts like this can evenly distribute the tension on the rope.

Keep it cool: When looking for a place to put the tent, try to find a dry and cool place at home. Don't put it in a humid or hot place, such as a basement, attic, or car trunk. Equipped cabinets or garages are good choices.

Basically, the tent can be well rested and stored according to the above two points.