Gear Care and Maintenance: Hiking Tents

All tents are glorious and beautiful in the storefront or when they first get delivered to your door. But after a few camping trips, your hiking tent begins to show signs of wear.

Even though wear and tear are part of life, there are many ways you can maintain your hiking tent to ensure it lasts for many more hiking trips in the future.

We've compiled our best tips for caring for your hiking tent from the day it arrives at your front door until your final adventure.

Why should I take care of my hiking tent?

Whether your tent is brand new, hanging by a thread, or simply borrowed from your neighbour, what you do on this hiking trip will impact your next hiking experience.

You're having the time of your life, and it goes something like this:

You spill some coffee the first morning and forget to clean it up. The next day, it starts raining, and by the end of the day, there is mud everywhere. Day 3: You're setting up camp on rocky terrain when a rock causes a small tear in your tent. You don't patch the tear.

At the end of your trip, you're tired of folding your tent, so you stuff it in the back of your car and, at home, the back of your closet.

A few months later, you pull out a mouldy, wrinkled, torn, and dirty tent, knowing that all this could've been avoided if you followed a few simple steps.

8 Ways to Maintain Your Hiking Tent

Follow our eight ways to maintain your hiking tent so the example above will never be you.

1. Set things up properly

• Choose the right location: Avoid setting up your tent in areas with sharp rocks, sticks, or uneven ground. Use a tent footprint or tarp under your tent to protect the floor if possible.
• Avoid direct sunlight: UV rays can degrade the fabric over time. If you're staying for an extended period, try setting up your tent in a shaded area.

2. Clean your hiking tent

• Regular cleaning: After each trip, shake out dirt and debris from the tent. Use a sponge and mild soap (avoid harsh chemicals) to clean it if necessary. Rinse thoroughly with water.
• Spot cleaning: Clean any spots of sap, mud, or stains immediately with a soft cloth, mild soap, and water.
• Never machine wash or dry: Washing machines can damage the tent's waterproof coating. Handwash only.

3. Dry out your tent after each use

• Always air dry: Before storing, make sure your tent is completely dry, especially after exposure to rain or dew. Moisture can lead to mould and mildew growth, which damages the fabric.
• Never dry in direct sunlight: While drying, place the tent in a shaded area, as direct sunlight can weaken the fabric over time.

4. Maintenance happens in storage too

• Store in a cool, dry place: When not in use, store your tent loosely in a cool, dry area, such as a closet or attic.
• Use a larger storage sack: Instead of the small stuff sack the tent came with, store it in a breathable cotton or mesh bag to prevent the fabric from becoming stiff and the coatings from breaking down.

5. Clean your zippers and tent poles

• Keep zippers clean: Dirt and grit can damage zippers over time. Clean them occasionally with a brush or soft cloth.
• Inspect poles and shock cords: Check your poles for any cracks or bends after each trip. Tighten any loose shock cords and replace any damaged poles.

6. Look after your tent fly and seams

• Consider using a tent fly: A tent fly will keep you dry during downpours and help keep your tent relatively dry. If it starts to show signs of leakage, patch the leaks immediately.
• Seal the seams: Over time, tent seams can wear down and leak. Reseal them periodically using a seam sealer.

7. Use proper ventilation

• Prevent condensation: Open the tent's vents or partially unzip doors to allow airflow and reduce condensation inside the tent, especially in humid conditions.

8. Repair damage as soon as it happens

• Patch holes promptly: Use tent repair kits or adhesive patches to immediately fix any small tears or holes in the fabric to prevent them from growing.
• Replace broken poles or parts: Always carry spare pole sections and tent repair tape on trips for emergency repairs.

Products to Maintain Your Tent

Once you've selected your favourite tent from a wide hiking tent range, the responsibility of maintaining the tent starts.

At Naturehike, we have all the accessories you need to ensure your tent has many more adventures to come.

1. Shelters: We offer a variety of shelters where you can store frequently used items to minimise the time spent in your tent and avoid tracking dirt into it. These shelters can also be used to cover sections of your tent.
2. Tent patches: Our TPU repair patches can be used to repair holes or tears in your tent, sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses, and other gear.
3. Tent footprint: Naturehike's universal foil camping mat is perfect to use as a tent footprint, offering reliable shelter from rocky and thorny terrain.
4. Wind rope: Use our cotton polyester wind rope as guy lines for your tent to keep it grounded in windy weather.
5. Extra tent pegs and poles: It's always good to have a few extra tent pegs and poles in case they get lost or break. Choose the one you need, whether it's V-shaped tent pegs, hexagon hook tent pegs, or universal tent poles.
6. Camp hammer: Using a specific camp hammer with a built-in peg puller helps protect your tent pegs (and your hands) from damage.

For all of us nature lovers in South Africa, adventure will always be calling us to brave the elements and take us to places where few others dare to go.