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Topic: Goodbye, faithful tent. A cautionary tale

dmsplat

26/5/2014 at 7:39pm
Location: North West
Outfit: Obelink Familia 6; ESVO Bedouin 280

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Last year, we lent our Outwell Sun Valley out to a friend who hadn't ever camped before.

They brought it back and said they had ripped it a tiny bit and apologised and asked if I wanted any money for the repair, which I declined - I figured tenacious tape would sort it.

I asked if it was damp, but they said it didn't rain and that it was dry when they put it away.

For one reason or another, I didn't put it up to. check or fully dry it. It sat in our hall for a couple of weeks, bad weather and busy lives got in the way. I did unroll it, and it seemed dry, so I just put it away.

Needless to say, I pitched it this weekend and there was mildew all over the inner and a almost every panel of the tent.

I don't blame my friend - they wouldn't have known. I should have known better and it has cost me a tent that I could have had another few years' use out of.

So now I'm hunting for a new tent, and the cash to spend on one!

Let this be a lesson to you when you think "it was dry - no need to air it off..."

dmsplat

26/5/2014 at 7:40pm
Location: North West
Outfit: Obelink Familia 6; ESVO Bedouin 280

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I really loved that tent - I really almost cried.

ZIZAG

26/5/2014 at 7:51pm
Location: Cheshire
Outfit: Coleman Novae x 2. + Helium force 10

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Very sorry to hear of your loss of your tent .
After all you were very kind to lend It to your friend .
Its not a nice lesson to learn . At least you have not blamed the other party ,and forgiven them . Its just that you lent It In good faith .
But Its still annoying to loose . I understand how you feel . So hopefully you get another tent and an even better one . Good luck .
ZIZAG .

geoffprinter

26/5/2014 at 7:53pm
Location: Kent
Outfit: 5m Bell Tent & Olpro Pop Tent.

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Quote: Originally posted by dmsplat on 26/5/2014
I really loved that tent - I really almost cried.

What`s that saying Dave? "Big Boys don`t cry". I think I would have felt the same. My son couldn't believe it when I told him I don't lend tents to anyone when he asked to borrow ours. Hope you get the tent you want and at the right price. Geoff

bridgeywidge

26/5/2014 at 8:26pm
Location: North Herts
Outfit: Monterey4 Cabanon E

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You have true generosity of spirit - not only in lending your tent (I'm not sure I would TBH) and then to blame yourself AND to share your cautionary tale with us all.

I do hope you have luck finding the cash and a new tent that suits you now (not a replacement).

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Do campers 'peg it'?

dk168

26/5/2014 at 8:30pm
Location: Devizes Wiltshire
Outfit: MWB VW Crafter PVC

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OP, I hope you'd find the funds and a new tent to suit your needs soon!

As I have already replied in another thread, I do not intend to lend my gears out as I do not expect others to look after them the way I do.

Good luck!

DK

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rlb26

26/5/2014 at 9:15pm
Location: surrey
Outfit: Royal athens 6 Lichfield canvis frame

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Gutted for you.
Im in the process of trying my best to dry ours out

DandB

26/5/2014 at 9:23pm
Location: Northamptonshire
Outfit: Freedom Jetstream -

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Gutted for you, and admire your attitude towards the borrowers.

Our first tent was quite inexpensive, but we remain impressed with it. However, we have no intention of parting with it, even though we don't need it any more. Simply because it leaves us with a great little tent that we can happily lend to family, without too much worry about damage.

Our new tent would be a different matter entirely

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Good times and great adventures await...

HarryBear

26/5/2014 at 10:10pm
Location: Northants
Outfit: Too many. I need therapy.

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Funny you should write this. A very good friend borrowed our SV8 last summer, I have a horrible feeling I might be opening a mildewy tent as I've not been able to put it up since. Ours is surplus to requirements and I was hoping to sell it to get some cash to put towards this year's holiday. It did mean that a family got a holiday they wouldn't have otherwise had, and I only lent it out knowing it might not come back.

Bramston

27/5/2014 at 11:13am
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I have never torn a tent, I once broke a pole whilst pitching the tent while suffering dehydration, but I try never to damage my tents through neglect. So how come the moment one lends out a tent it can be considered doomed?

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Enjoy the liveliness of the syntax.

girlwomble

01/6/2014 at 2:15pm
Location: Glasgow
Outfit: sometimes a tent. So

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I think people don't care as much about other people's stuff as they would do their own, especially if they don't understand their emotional as well as financial worth. (Oddly I'm more worried about other people's things if I'm using them)
I remember many many years ago wild camping by a loch with a group and we had built a large fire so I moved my brand new tent out the way as there were loads of sparks. Left the tent for a while and came back to find it had been repitched right next to the fire and had several burns on it (each a couple of cm across). Totally broke my heart. The ones that moved it couldn't understand my upset as to then it was just a tent a replaceable. I've been very precious about my tents from then on. So won't loan them out to even my best friends.

presterjohn

03/6/2014 at 6:43pm
Location: Worcester
Outfit: Kalahari 10 Blacks Lupus & Juno 500

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If that had happened to me girlwomble I would have been livid. I would like to think most of my friends would have offered to replace it though. I would have accepted the offer too!! If they had shrugged it off as no big deal they would have stopped being my friends instantly.

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Armchair camper with more tents than I will probably ever get the use out of.

Fay Fife

03/6/2014 at 7:01pm
Location: Midlothian
Outfit: bct bell

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Aw I do sympathise.
We have been asked for a loan of our tent a couple of times, but we're blue meanies and said no.
We love our tent too, and would be really sad if someone else ruined it...even unintentionally.

scotzlynnie

04/6/2014 at 2:16pm
Location: London (Scotland originally)
Outfit: Outwell Indiana 8 Vango Odyssey 500

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I must admit my DH was adament when we got our tent that we wouldn't lend it to anyone. At first I thought he was mean, but now I realise that not only is it our pride and joy but we wouldn't want to jeoporidise friendships over it should it get damaged. Very few people look after things as well as you do if you own it!

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Lynne

Mad Campers - DH, DDs 15, 12 and me!

RTS5

04/6/2014 at 6:40pm
Location: North Wiltshire
Outfit: Elddis & 3 tents

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We borrowed a friends tent once. We struggled to relax as we so worried about damaging it. It was treated with kid gloves all weekend. As said though, not everyone is as careful unfortunately.

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