An odd question I know and more commonly asked about tyres I suppose.
Explanation - I have rather fallen in love with the Robens Lodge 2 tent as recommended by breton bikes on here.
As my partner isn't into camping any more I am only ever going to need a 2 person tent for 1 and after a few trips in the Lodge 2 in all weathers, on campsites and freecamping, I can't see anything bettering its design for my purposes.
So, partly out of fear that Robens may get the cycle industry disease and discontinue it or alter it in some misguided "improvement" (or maybe just cut the quality to keep within a price point) and with the upcoming sales in mind I was thinking of buying another to store for when my curent one is worn out, or possibly to raid for spares.
May sell some of my existing tents to fund this for me perfect tent.
So, if kept packed dry in moderate temperatures would a tent last pretty much indefinitely?
Tents - life if kept stored?
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Cyril Haearn
- Posts: 15215
- Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
It might last indefinitely, I think it should be kept in the dark
When you unpack it after years of storage you might get a nasty surprise - mold, insects? Be sure it is quite dry
Reminds me of the recent standard story about keeping food. Some dried or preserved foods apparently hardly change over many years
How many tents do you have?
When you unpack it after years of storage you might get a nasty surprise - mold, insects? Be sure it is quite dry
Reminds me of the recent standard story about keeping food. Some dried or preserved foods apparently hardly change over many years
How many tents do you have?
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
If you want to keep a tent stored, store it loosely in a box rather than packed away in its bag.
The PU waterproof coating can "go off" if a tent is stored rolled up for a number of years.
Apparently the plasticiser in the coating slowly escapes, and if it can't escape/evaporate because you've another layer of coating hard against it in a rolled tent, the coating goes sticky in due course.
It happened to a TN Quasar of mine - it took about 15 minutes to peel the outer apart for pitching, and it stuck again just as firmly whenever the tent was rolled, and similarly stuck if you just pressed 2 bits of coated surface together.
This was probably 10 to 12 years after the previous use.
The PU waterproof coating can "go off" if a tent is stored rolled up for a number of years.
Apparently the plasticiser in the coating slowly escapes, and if it can't escape/evaporate because you've another layer of coating hard against it in a rolled tent, the coating goes sticky in due course.
It happened to a TN Quasar of mine - it took about 15 minutes to peel the outer apart for pitching, and it stuck again just as firmly whenever the tent was rolled, and similarly stuck if you just pressed 2 bits of coated surface together.
This was probably 10 to 12 years after the previous use.
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bikerwaser
- Posts: 359
- Joined: 26 Aug 2012, 9:50am
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
Hi Sweep.
I can't answer your question but thanks for metioning the tent. I've just taken a look and it's really impressive.
I also partly checked it out because you mentioned that Breton Bikes had reccommended it and that for me is a good reason to take a look.
If I was to hazzard a guess though about longevity of a stored tent I would say you shouldn't need to worry too much. I know what you mean about what companies do when they "improve" things. I can't believe they stopped making the Schwalbe Extreme. I could go on about other products but every time I see the words "improved recipe" or "new and improved formula" on my favourite thing, a cold shudder runs through me, knowing that it's not improved at all but they've somehow got some douchebag in to suggest how to make it cheaper and save the company a few quid but lowered the quality.
My friend and I call this the "Olive in the Salad syndrome" which is based on a story about British Airways taking one olive out of each of their in-flight salads in an attempt to save some ridiculous amount of £'s . There is a reason people go to a quality product and pay more. in the end, if you start looking at saving money you just end up with Ryanair.
My favourite tent is the Alpha 200 by Vango. they stopped making that too and i bought several of them. They only cost about £45 when new but are amazing with a large porch good enough to cook in during a downpour. They "upgraded" the tent to what it is now and in the process managed to make it another kg heavier.
Anyway, suffice to say , I understand where you're at.
Happy camping.
Bikerwaser
I can't answer your question but thanks for metioning the tent. I've just taken a look and it's really impressive.
I also partly checked it out because you mentioned that Breton Bikes had reccommended it and that for me is a good reason to take a look.
If I was to hazzard a guess though about longevity of a stored tent I would say you shouldn't need to worry too much. I know what you mean about what companies do when they "improve" things. I can't believe they stopped making the Schwalbe Extreme. I could go on about other products but every time I see the words "improved recipe" or "new and improved formula" on my favourite thing, a cold shudder runs through me, knowing that it's not improved at all but they've somehow got some douchebag in to suggest how to make it cheaper and save the company a few quid but lowered the quality.
My friend and I call this the "Olive in the Salad syndrome" which is based on a story about British Airways taking one olive out of each of their in-flight salads in an attempt to save some ridiculous amount of £'s . There is a reason people go to a quality product and pay more. in the end, if you start looking at saving money you just end up with Ryanair.
My favourite tent is the Alpha 200 by Vango. they stopped making that too and i bought several of them. They only cost about £45 when new but are amazing with a large porch good enough to cook in during a downpour. They "upgraded" the tent to what it is now and in the process managed to make it another kg heavier.
Anyway, suffice to say , I understand where you're at.
Happy camping.
Bikerwaser
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
If you are interested in the lodge2 or have any questions about it bikewaser, please post on this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=42&t=100557&hilit=lodge+2
which has a link in it to bretonbikes original review
to avoid thread drift.
I'll be happy to give feedback on it there.
back to the storage question.
viewtopic.php?f=42&t=100557&hilit=lodge+2
which has a link in it to bretonbikes original review
to avoid thread drift.
I'll be happy to give feedback on it there.
back to the storage question.
Sweep
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
I've seen quite a few PU fly coatings turn icky over the years, never a silicone elastomer one. Anecdata, but I think that's all you're likely to get.
Pete.
Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
well doesnt look like anything special to me? is it really worth the bother getting a spare?
I have a Vaude Mk 2 exo skelelon tent that must be getting on 15+ years old now. I now store that out of its case so air can get around. I dont use it much as it is too heavy for cycle use so had been stored as per new for some years. The thing that worries me is wrinkling of the fabric and thus the pu coating on the inside cracking and therefore starting to leak - I can see where the wrinkles have led to the coating becoming white and I suspect not so well adhered to the fabric. If the tent is cheap then by all means get a spare mainly for the fly sheet and store that some where nice and loose but not creased. But not if the tent costs a lot - I am sure that tents just as good will come along, it is just a tent.
I have a Vaude Mk 2 exo skelelon tent that must be getting on 15+ years old now. I now store that out of its case so air can get around. I dont use it much as it is too heavy for cycle use so had been stored as per new for some years. The thing that worries me is wrinkling of the fabric and thus the pu coating on the inside cracking and therefore starting to leak - I can see where the wrinkles have led to the coating becoming white and I suspect not so well adhered to the fabric. If the tent is cheap then by all means get a spare mainly for the fly sheet and store that some where nice and loose but not creased. But not if the tent costs a lot - I am sure that tents just as good will come along, it is just a tent.
Last edited by mercalia on 26 Oct 2017, 8:36pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
mercalia wrote:well doesnt look like anything special to me? is it really worth the bother getting a spare?
please post any comments on the tent itself in that thread I indicated.
Sweep
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crazydave789
- Posts: 584
- Joined: 22 Jul 2017, 10:21pm
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
if it is made from a silnylon then yes it should last for decades. light strong and totally waterproof. also less prone to UV damage.
the weak point is the seam sealing - 20-30 years ago you bought a good tent, pitched it inside out and applied your own silicone and wet finger to seal the seams. then they started mass tape sealing first with fabric tape used for goretex then a clear plastic tape. this tape fails whether you use the tent or not as the glue just seems to dry out and so it will leak.
the cure - peel it off when knackered and paint a 50/50 clear silicone/white spirit mix.
My north face tadpole is still as good as the day we bought it 25 years ago, both our vangos failed pretty quickly.
the weak point is the seam sealing - 20-30 years ago you bought a good tent, pitched it inside out and applied your own silicone and wet finger to seal the seams. then they started mass tape sealing first with fabric tape used for goretex then a clear plastic tape. this tape fails whether you use the tent or not as the glue just seems to dry out and so it will leak.
the cure - peel it off when knackered and paint a 50/50 clear silicone/white spirit mix.
My north face tadpole is still as good as the day we bought it 25 years ago, both our vangos failed pretty quickly.
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
I have wondered if pu coating could be repaired by painting some clear polyeurothene paint on?
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
My googling when my Quasar flysheet went sticky led me to believe there wasn't much point in trying to reproof it, not least because of the problem of getting the old, sticky, coating off.
Silnylon tents are still mostly a matter of getting a tube of seam sealer and spreading it on yourself. I think there's maybe one manufacturer that factory seals silnylon seams, and a couple or three more that use fabric that's silicone coated on the outside, and PU coated on the inside, so they can tape the seams on the inside PU side, and get the improved UV resistance of silicone coating on the outside.
I've a Saunders Jetpacker somewhere that's been rolled up in its bag since it was last used in 1991 (I think). I'll maybe have to dig it out and see how it's survived storage, by way of a data point. It'll probably have to wait for spring though - I don't have a closed cell mat any more, and the tent's enough of a coffin that the use of the Neoair would take up too much space, so that leaves the Thermarest prolite, and that's not warm enough close to or below zero.
Silnylon tents are still mostly a matter of getting a tube of seam sealer and spreading it on yourself. I think there's maybe one manufacturer that factory seals silnylon seams, and a couple or three more that use fabric that's silicone coated on the outside, and PU coated on the inside, so they can tape the seams on the inside PU side, and get the improved UV resistance of silicone coating on the outside.
I've a Saunders Jetpacker somewhere that's been rolled up in its bag since it was last used in 1991 (I think). I'll maybe have to dig it out and see how it's survived storage, by way of a data point. It'll probably have to wait for spring though - I don't have a closed cell mat any more, and the tent's enough of a coffin that the use of the Neoair would take up too much space, so that leaves the Thermarest prolite, and that's not warm enough close to or below zero.
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
"mercalia wrote:I have wondered if pu coating could be repaired by painting some clear polyeurothene paint on?
Up to a point, Lord Copper, for some values of "repair". A PU coating is laid on to a fabric as a hot liquid which then cures to form an impermeable layer, and you just won't get that sort of level of performance from painting on some goop. It's actually the hot application that's one of the drawbacks with PU, as it heat-ages the fabric underneath and makes it weaker.
andrew_s wrote:Silnylon tents are still mostly a matter of getting a tube of seam sealer and spreading it on yourself. I think there's maybe one manufacturer that factory seals silnylon seams, and a couple or three more that use fabric that's silicone coated on the outside, and PU coated on the inside, so they can tape the seams on the inside PU side, and get the improved UV resistance of silicone coating on the outside.
VauDe and Lightwave both say they seam-tape silicone, but given the ease of DIY and then not having the extra weight and bulk of quite a bit of seam tape I'm not sure it's worth it. I don't know if it's a hot-tape process, but if it is that will weaken the underlying fabric. Neither of my Hilles leak in any case, with no recourse to additional sealing. Seam taping is mostly about marketing, with lots of people aghast that someone would buy a tent that wasn't guaranteed waterproof. Personally I'm happy to spend 10 minutes doing it myself, and having a stronger tent that doesn't go icky as a result.
Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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crazydave789
- Posts: 584
- Joined: 22 Jul 2017, 10:21pm
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
mercalia wrote:I have wondered if pu coating could be repaired by painting some clear polyeurothene paint on?
painting it from the outside with silicone sealant diluted with white spirit 1:5-10 works, and is cheap.
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
Sweep wrote:mercalia wrote:well doesnt look like anything special to me? is it really worth the bother getting a spare?
please post any comments on the tent itself in that thread I indicated.
Have posted an update answering your question on that other thread.
Sweep
Re: Tents - life if kept stored?
Some years ago I used to manufacture and repair marquees and other similar structures, before they all went PVC.
I've repaired a few caravan awnings and apart from UV damage to the fabric the stitching was the most common age related degradation, sometimes these would be little used but long stored. I found once one seam had started to come undone others where likely to follow. So I started pointing this out and giving an idea of the cost of restitching completely which wasn't usually economically viable, it lost me a few jobs but better that than disappointed customers. Whether this is relevant to the storage of modern unused tents I have no idea, but it would be enough to make me wary that something stored for a decade would still be in new condition.
I'm about to make a new flysheet for my Terra Nova, using the old one as a pattern. I've never done anything so small with he corresponding tolerances, or zips! Laying it out it doesn't look that complicated, anyone competent with a sewing machine will probably have tackled more challenging projects. This tent is one that suites me well and I haven't seen anything I like as much, and those that come close are many more £££s than I'd pay. If I wasn't doing this myself, I'm pretty sure I could find someone to do it for me.
I've repaired a few caravan awnings and apart from UV damage to the fabric the stitching was the most common age related degradation, sometimes these would be little used but long stored. I found once one seam had started to come undone others where likely to follow. So I started pointing this out and giving an idea of the cost of restitching completely which wasn't usually economically viable, it lost me a few jobs but better that than disappointed customers. Whether this is relevant to the storage of modern unused tents I have no idea, but it would be enough to make me wary that something stored for a decade would still be in new condition.
I'm about to make a new flysheet for my Terra Nova, using the old one as a pattern. I've never done anything so small with he corresponding tolerances, or zips! Laying it out it doesn't look that complicated, anyone competent with a sewing machine will probably have tackled more challenging projects. This tent is one that suites me well and I haven't seen anything I like as much, and those that come close are many more £££s than I'd pay. If I wasn't doing this myself, I'm pretty sure I could find someone to do it for me.