CoreVibe: Tips for Maintaining and Extending the Life of Your Tent
High-quality camping and backpacking tents are an investment, but with proper care, they can accompany you on countless adventures. At CoreVibe, we’ve learned that with a little care, you can significantly extend the life of your tent. Here are some practical tips for maintaining, repairing and storing your tent to keep it in tip-top shape.
Protecting your tent on the go
Choose your campsite wisely
Choosing the right campsite is one of the easiest ways to protect your tent. Choose established campsites with level, compacted soil to minimize wear and tear on the bottom of your tent. Before setting up your tent, inspect the site and remove any loose rocks, branches or debris that could puncture the tent fabric. For extra protection, consider using foot mats, especially when traveling by car camping. While we usually forgo foot pads for backpacking because of the weight, they are an excellent addition for added durability.
Do not store food in your tent
Rodents and other animals may chew through your tent if they smell food. To avoid unwanted nighttime visitors and prevent holes, store food safely away from camp in a bear canister, Ursack, or your vehicle. Trust us, it’s better than being woken up by a mouse at 2am.
Handle tent poles with care
Tent poles are an important part of your tent, so please treat them with care. Instead of using impact ropes to hold the poles in place, manually connect each section to minimize stress on the ropes and ensure a strong connection. When dismantling the tent, place the poles in a safe place so that they cannot be accidentally stepped on. When folding, avoid overstretching the inner ropes to minimize premature wear and tear.
Watch out for zippers
Zippers are often the first part of the tent to show signs of wear and tear. If the zipper gets stuck, don’t force it. Gently pull back and let the fabric slide freely. It’s useful to have a multi-tool on hand to adjust the zipper teeth whenever you need to. Regularly wiping the zipper with a damp cloth and applying a wax-based lubricant (or lip balm in an emergency) will keep the zipper sliding smoothly.
Packing up the tent
Shake it.
Before packing up your tent, shake it to remove dust, sand and debris. Hold the tent with both hands, tilt it to gather the debris in one corner, and then shake it out through the tent door. This simple step helps keep your stuff sack clean and prevents unnecessary wear and tear.
Rolling vs. Filling
There are pros and cons to both methods when it comes to packing. Rolling your tent is gentler on the fabric and keeps everything tidy. First fold the tent in half, then roll it up with the poles in the center while sweeping away dust. We recommend this method for long-term storage at home. For use on the trail, carefully tucking the tent into a bag is quicker and saves space in your backpack.
One last thing.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to keep your CoreVibe tent in tip-top shape and ready for your outdoor adventures. With a little care, you can protect your investment and ensure that your tent is ready to withstand the elements on every outdoor adventure. ### Packing your tent: Rolling up and tucking in
When packing your tent, you have two main options: roll it up and put it in your rucksack, or put it in a bag first. If you do choose to bag your tent, be careful not to place it next to hard objects such as cooking utensils, or near any sharp edges that could pierce the tent fabric. While bagging is definitely faster and easier, a little care is needed to make sure that the mesh doesn’t catch any twigs or debris.
OUR PR EFERENCE: We prefer to roll our tents up for long term storage and carefully fill them on the go.
Protect your tent from UV rays
Whenever possible, pitch your tent in the shade, such as under a tree or next to a rock wall. Direct sunlight can gradually degrade the polyester or nylon fibers of your tent’s fabric, causing the rain tarp’s waterproof coating to peel off. Although most tents are treated to resist UV rays, prolonged exposure to sunlight can still have a detrimental effect.
Tent Maintenance at Home
Before you embark on your next adventure, take the time to thoroughly inspect your tent. Storing your tent in a damp environment can lead to mold growth and odors. Here are some great tips for topically cleaning, deodorizing and resealing your tent.
Avoid the washing machine: Don’t impulsively throw your tent in the washing machine, especially older models with an agitator, as they can put pressure on seams, zippers and mesh.
Prepare for your trip: it’s important to check your tent and prepare it before your trip, especially if it hasn’t been used for a while.
Localizing the tent
Before giving your tent a thorough cleaning, pre-treat stains with a non-abrasive sponge using an organic citrus solvent or mild dish soap. For stubborn sap, use ice cubes to solidify it before gently scraping it off. Alternatively, you can sandwich the sap spot between sheets of paper and carefully iron it with a hot iron, but this method carries some risk as synthetic fibers can melt when overheated.
Deodorizing and cleaning
If your tent needs a deep clean or needs to be re-coated due to worn waterproofing, choose a cleaner designed for outdoor gear. Our preferred cleaner, CoreVibe Tech Wash, effectively removes dirt and residue that prevents the waterproof coating from adhering to the fabric.
Odors: If your tent has a particularly unpleasant odor (such as vomit, often caused by specific molds), pour warm water into a laundry sink or bathtub and add four cups of baking soda or one cup of enzyme cleaner. Soak for about two hours, then rinse, dry and check for lingering odors. Repeat if necessary to ensure the tent is completely dry before storing. Avoid storing it in damp areas such as basements.
Resealing the tent
Check the seams: Check the seams of the rain cover, tent body and floor for signs of tape lifting, especially in areas of high stress such as the floor-to-canvas seams, corners, tent pole sleeves and zippers. If the tape appears to be peeling, it’s time to re-treat it.
Determine where to seal: Determine whether to apply sealant on the inside or outside of the seam. Most tents are sealed on the inside, but you can confirm this by dropping water on the seams. If the water beads up, you are on one side of the seal; if it clumps, you are on the other side.
Using 1/4-inch foam or a stiff bristle paintbrush, reapply the sealer as needed to ensure the tent remains watertight and ready for your next adventure . Seal the tent seams
Start by sealing the seams on the bottom and inside of the tent. Check for pinholes and apply a small amount of sealant to them. Sealed seams need to dry for 24 hours before packing the tent or proceeding to the next step of waterproofing the tent body, bottom and canopy.CoreVibe’s Seam Guard is ideal for resealing any type of seam.
Waterproofing of the tent body, floor and flap
This is only necessary if the waterproofing is visibly damaged. An obvious sign is when the top or walls of the tent begin to stick together. CoreVibe’s Tent Fabric Protector is recommended to deal with this.
For new tents, resealing is not necessary for the time being, but if it is necessary, the procedure is very simple:
- Place the tent on a hard surface and use a stiff bristle brush to remove as much of the flaking coating as possible. Wash and dry the tent according to the previous instructions.
- Place the body of the tent on a clean, hard surface and apply two coats of sealer (let the first coat dry for 24 hours). Use a 2-3 inch wide foam brush to allow for easy application and to create a clear, pliable coating that restores the tent’s appearance.CoreVibe’s SolarGuard Spray, which combines sun protection and waterproofing, is also an effective, but more expensive option.
- Allow the tent to dry for at least 24 hours before packing.
Zippers.
If the zipper gets stuck, don’t jerk it. Tighten the fabric and gently move the zipper to bring it back into place. A graphite pen can be rubbed over the zipper teeth to help resolve the problem. In harsh environments, if the zipper breaks, keep some small pins in your repair kit for pinning the door shut. If a permanent fix is needed, you can use a zipper repair kit at home. Use Velcro and clips to reduce stress on the zipper.
Tent poles
Duct tape is a reliable field repair tool for broken tent poles. When traveling, wrap 2-3 feet of duct tape around trekking poles or lighters. Most new tents come with small sections of tent pole material that can be used as cleats, or you can use tent stakes as a temporary replacement. Place the cleats over the broken or bent sections and secure them with duct tape. At home, contact the retailer, manufacturer or CoreVibe Pole Solutions for replacement tent poles.
If the tent poles are too loose, they may not provide a stable structure. At home, you can either replace the shock cords entirely or simply shorten the length of the existing cords. To shorten the ropes, remove the aluminum end caps from each tent pole (use pliers to do this carefully). Pull the slack rope tight, cut it and tie a small knot. The length of the cord should be 65% to 75% of the length of the tent pole. Insert the knot into the gap at the end of the tent pole and put back the end cap.
Stakes.
If the tent poles are lost or damaged, you can replace them with branches and rocks. Insert the branches into the ground, then place heavy stones in front of them (between the branches and the tent) to secure the tent.
Tips for storing your tent
Upon returning from a trip, people often can’t resist the urge to hide their gear. However, the way a tent is stored can greatly affect its longevity. # CoreVibe Tent Care Guide
Shake the tent and allow it to dry thoroughly
Ensuring your tent is completely dry before storing it is probably the most critical step in tent maintenance. Storing a damp tent for too long can lead to the growth of mold and mildew, which not only creates an unpleasant odor, but also damages the waterproof coating on the fabric.
Ventilate your tent
Always ventilate your tent to dry it out before storing it for an extended period of time.
Pack your tent loosely
Instead of stuffing your tent into a large bag for long-term storage, pack it loosely in a large mesh bag or duffel bag. This method helps to prevent moisture retention and significantly reduces the risk of mold and rust.
Benefits of loose packing
Storing your tent loosely is more conducive to prolonging its life than stuffing it tightly into a bag.
Store your tent in a warm area of your home
While an unheated basement, attic, garage or storage room may seem like a convenient place to store your gear, these areas often lack insulation and are damp or moldy. Instead, you should opt to store your tent in a heated area of your home, such as a spare bedroom, hallway closet, or even under your bed.
One final note
We hope this guide has helped you properly care for your CoreVibe tent so you can enjoy countless outdoor adventures. We welcome your thoughts, questions, or suggestions in the comments below, as well as your interaction with the CoreVibe community on our social media platforms.
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