What do I need to do to a tent that's been stored for a long time?
I have a rather nice 1-2 person hiking tent from over 20 years ago. It's still made, with very few changes, and is a double wall design that pitches in one go. I thought it was nylon but the current model is polyester; it's certainly synthetic.
It was put away clean and dry some years ago, tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in an unheated loft. I expected to use it again soon but never did. Now I need a light tent again, I want to see if this one is still useful. I can pitch it in the garden, but what should I do to make sure it's OK?
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One specific thing point not otherwise covered is seams: seam sealant may need renewing, and seam tape may well have fallen off or be about to. I resealed one before the first time I used it, and some more seam tape failed that trip.
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Putting it up in the garden sounds like a great idea, as it will let you check if:
- all parts are still there,
- everything is in working condition,
- you still know how to actually put it up.
One more important thing worth checking is if the tent still is waterproof. In case there is no rain in the forecast for the next few days, you can try to simulate it with a help of a garden hose or in some similar way. I would especially check the seams. If there are signs of leakage, it can be fixed with a waterproofing spray.
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Additionally to what April mentioned I would:
Check if any of the plastic parts (if there are any) got brittle. If they did I would replace them (this should be easy if the tent is actually still produced).
If the zippers are metal, check them for rust. If they are rusty and tend to get stuck I suggest cleaning them with a mild rust solvent, like WD40. Take care not to get any of this on the actual tent fabric though (also don't use this on plastic zippers!).
Check that you have the needed number of pegs. Many tents can be set up with a minimal amount of pegs in good weather, with the option to user more pegs/cordage in windy conditions. Make sure you have enough pegs for the worst case (and maybe a spare or two).
Check all the area/seams/ribbons where most force is applied to the tent: e.g. where cords are attacked, near loops to place pegs, where tent poles are fixed, etc. These areas are bound to experience the highest load so are bound to wear out first.
Check all elastic parts/cords/loops. Elastics have the tendency to become very brittle and just dissolve after some years, chances are that they won't hold up anymore and need to be replaced.
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