Why should a good tent be UV resistant?
From my experience, any tent gets hot when in plain sunlight, so I wouldn't stay in it (and can't imagine why anyone would) + I'd rather be outside my tent when the weather's nice.
I don't really understand this "UV resistance" thing. Why is it so important?
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It is for two reasons. By far, the primary concern is that UV rays will make the textiles deteriorate over time. UV resistant textiles will last a lot longer, and deteriorate less from only sunlight.
It is also a minor concern for the people inside, but only if they will be spending considerable amounts of time in the tent in direct sunlight. Similar to how its possible to get a sunburn through thin clothing if you are out long enough, a small amount of UV rays will pass through a non-UV resistant tent and reach the people inside. Usually this isn't a concern, but if you spend all day every day in the tent without sunscreen, then you would have the potential to get tanned or burned
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It's because the sunlight will damage the tents fabric over time.
UV damage occurs when long term exposure to the sun damages the fabric and thread of your tent or rain fly. The fabric will become thin and brittle. If you tent or rain fly seems to rip for no reason or with very light pressure, this could be the reason. The outside of the fabric will often appear to be a much lighter color than the inside.
Ultraviolet damage to tent fabric is caused by excessive exposure to sunlight. While our fabrics are UV resistant, any synthetic fabric is susceptible to ultraviolet degradation. UV damage will cause nylon and polyester to become brittle and tear easily.
While UV resistance won't totally prevent the damage, it will slow it down. This is also why its a good idea to keep gear out of sunlight when storing and if possible when in the outdoors.
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A tent's UV resistance isn't for you, it's for the tent. High-energy UV rays will break down many synthetic and natural textiles over time. UV resistant fabrics are not as susceptible to this breakdown, and will last longer with repeated exposure to sunlight.
UV resistant fabrics are great if you're looking for long-lasting gear that will be used in exposed, sunny areas, like above the tree line on a mountain. If you're doing occasional camping in a shaded forest, it may not be as much of a selling point.
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