Tent cleaning and winter storage

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matt2matt2002
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Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by matt2matt2002 »

I used my Hubba Hubba NX a dozen or so times this year. Kept it quite clean, always used a ground sheet and always dried out after wet weather.
I bought it in the summer so have not had to store it over a winter.

Any thoughts and tips on a final winter clean and storage?

And thoughts on using a washing machine?

Many thanks folks.
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Psamathe
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by Psamathe »

I'm no expert (I'm sure others will be along who are) but I'd not put any of my tents in a washing machine.

I was wondering about cleaning my Hilleberg and retailer said to use a special tent cleaner but Hilleberg said warm water and a sponge only.

Ian
Jdsk
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by Jdsk »

I don't wash ours except for areas with bird droppings etc.

But that airing and drying is crucial.

Jonathan
PH
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by PH »

Terra Nova recommend using a specific tent cleaner or pure soap and to do it in the bath and not use a washing machine. I cleaned my flysheet like that once in ten years with liquid soap after a few weeks costal camping, other times I've just sponged it off with warm water. I have also wiped and re-proofed a couple of times and I do frequently lube the zips. I can't remember ever washing the inner, other than wiping the muck off the groundsheet. I also store mine in a big box rather than tightly rolled, that probably isn't necessary if you're sure it's completely dry, but I have the space and it can't do any harm.
PaulaT
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by PaulaT »

I've never done anything special. They're synthetic so don't rot although they might smell a bit musty if stored wet. So I just make sure they're dry. A couple of years ago I brought my old 2-person tent back into service after about 20 years storage in the loft. It was absolutely fine.
mercalia
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by mercalia »

once you have cleaned it store it out of its bag looselyand without creases
KTHSullivan
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by KTHSullivan »

mercalia wrote:once you have cleaned it store it out of its bag looselyand without creases

+1
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pjclinch
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by pjclinch »

Jdsk wrote:I don't wash ours except for areas with bird droppings etc.

But that airing and drying is crucial.


This, and generally for cleaning a little warm water and nothing else seems to do the job. If something is very stubborn a liquid soap (not detergent), but very rare that I have to bother.

If you've been camping by the sea a lot give the poles a warm bath to get rid of any salt (sounds daft, but sea paddling pals have been refused warranty replacements of broken Quasar poles by Terra Nova because of salt corrosion).

mercalia wrote:once you have cleaned it store it out of its bag looselyand without creases


Have always stored mine in the bag and never had any issues, the Spacepacker is still fine after well over 20 years of that. If it was the sort of bag where it's a fight to get it in I might not keep it in there, but none of mine are. Note that tent manufacturers and shops store tents in bags for potentially years on end, it really shouldn't be an issue.

Very much wouldn't put a tent in a washing machine, simply out of it might go very wrong, and there's nothing much to gain.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
mercalia
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by mercalia »

do tent makers and shops store tents in their packs for years? Sounds like a business about to go bankrupt. In my tents case I am concerned about creases damaging the water proof coating as it has some kind of plastic coating, that I also understand can deterioate and turn gungy if not exposed to air. You can probably get away with storing a polycotton/canvas tent in its bag ( I do ) as long as its is dry
PDQ Mobile
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by PDQ Mobile »

I think the most important is clean and really dry.
A wipe with a damp cloth is sufficient for the first. Though rinsing with just clean water is ok too.

Nothing beats a thorough airing either on a sunny day over a line and bringing in before any hint of dew or in less optimal conditions -opening out in a low humidity situation. Central heated house for example.
This absolute dryness is vital for mould free storage and most important.

If space is at a premium then IMHO neatly folded and totally dry in a cupboard is ok.
Opened out and stored loose also good.
In damper houses a regular opening and airing helps too.

Washing machine?
Not for my tent ever.
Thehairs1970
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by Thehairs1970 »

Somewhere dark too? UV is not your tent's friend.
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andrew_s
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by andrew_s »

pjclinch wrote:
mercalia wrote:once you have cleaned it store it out of its bag looselyand without creases

Have always stored mine in the bag and never had any issues, the Spacepacker is still fine after well over 20 years of that.

Silnylon may be OK, but not all tents are - I had a Quasar that died of being kept in the bag.

The PU coating on the outer went sticky. It took about 15 minutes to pull apart to get opened out to throw over the inner, and stuck just as firmly on being re-rolled.

Investigation led me to believe that the plasticiser in the PU coating comes out as a vapour (very slowly), and if it can't escape because of another layer of coating on the adjacent layer of the roll, it accumulates, and the coating goes off.
It's probably OK if the tent is in regular use, but in my case the tent had been getting used for a hill walking or caving base camp tent, was too big & heavy for cycle camping after I moved down to Gloucester, and on those occasions when I did camp out of a car, the tent that was in regular use for cycling was more convinient than digging out the tent in storage, so it was probably rolled for 10 years.
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pjclinch
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by pjclinch »

mercalia wrote:do tent makers and shops store tents in their packs for years? Sounds like a business about to go bankrupt.


Last year a local(ish) shop put a Mk 1 Rogen on their e-Bay channel. They haven't been made since 2016. I bought the last-ever Saunders Snowcat, which had been sat on a shelf for some time as an ex-dem second years after it went from the catalogue. My Tarra was being sold off as end-of-stock from Tiso's after they weren't really shifting at full retail for at least many months.
So yes, it does happen.

mercalia wrote:In my tents case I am concerned about creases damaging the water proof coating as it has some kind of plastic coating, that I also understand can deterioate and turn gungy if not exposed to air. You can probably get away with storing a polycotton/canvas tent in its bag ( I do ) as long as its is dry


See andrew_s' post for more on this. All the ones I mention above have silnylon flys rather than a PU plastic coating, which it sounds like could be an issue (though the PU coats on the groundheets have been fine, but those are much thicker). I've had PU deteriorate on not-folded-at-all rucksack snowlocks. Could just be that some implementations of PU coats are simply Not Very Good.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
Tangled Metal
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by Tangled Metal »

Put away dry, or not, and worry about it next spring. Never had any issues with that care routine yet. :lol:
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foxyrider
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Re: Tent cleaning and winter storage

Post by foxyrider »

tent, care routine - what is this furren language being spoke? :lol:

Neither of my in use tents get folded - in fact the mfr specifically says not to to avoid crease damage. The only thing i routinely do is make sure they are bone dry before being put away, never had any issue and sometimes they don't get used for a year or two. I do check the poles for damage, same with pegs - wouldn't want to pitch up in the spring and find bent pegs or cracked poles.

Last tent that suffered damage in store was a cotton thing with a ridgepole that i used for non bike trips back in the 80/90's, which got a bit mildew which was more aesthetic than a problem - it eventually died of cotton rot along the zip.
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