Message Forums

How much do you do?  on the instructions of our outwell nabraska the only info on maintenance i can find it to seam seal it when it needs it. 

years ago we had an old canvase frame tent which needed re- waterproofing occasionally.  This involved errecting it and then spaying the entire tent (i think you could buy cans of the same solution to paint on if you prefer).  I quess you still do with a canvas tent, but what about the new manmade fabrics.  Theres very little advice on the tent instructions.  Do you spend hours re-water proofing it or  doesnt it need it?  How do you know when it needs resealing and do you do all the seams or not?

I've never done any maintenance on a manmade tent, other than make sure its properly dried out before storing away.  They don't need reproofing like canvas.

 I've never had to use seam sealant either. I would only use it if the seam was leaking through the stitching, no need to bother  if it wasn't. You'd know it was leaking if the rain came in, but most modern tent seams are double stitched and taped. I've been lucky so far.

Yes, always dry it properly after use. Apart from that the only maintenance a synthetic tent should need is bird poo  and mud splashes brushed off it ocassionally (use a soft brush after the poo.mud is dry) and marks sponged off with plain water before drying the tent out.

Synthetic tents don't need waterproofing applied. They ocassionally need a dab of seam sealent, especially if an internal toggle is stretching stitching in a specific area. Apply with a cheap child's paintbrush and allw to dry for 24 hours before striking the tent.