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What a great site this is, already taken advantage of the discount on the Bak Rak, 2 day delivery was great, and also the advice of all the contributors.

I have just bought an Outwell Wolf Lake 5, new for 2008, and I have done some camping before but a few years ago. The booklet with the WL5 is a bit thin on info and I have read bits about 'weathering' and Fabsil etc but can anyone give me some advice on regular maintenance of the WL5 which uses the Outwell proprietary poly cotton fabric. The booklet also says to coat the poles with a thin layer of 'non-acidic' oil, what is that, wd40, 3-in-1 or is there something better.

Thanks in advance for your help

Seriously, if you coat your poles with oil you could well impair the waterproofing on your canvas if they come into contact! It sounds nuts!

Also, no Fabsil (or other waterproofer) should go anywhere a new tent (it should never need doing, if you take care of it!).

You shouldn't have to 'weather' a polycotton tent, that is something you do with traditional cotton canvas so that the fibres can swell and thus make the fabric waterproof. If you do want to do this, however, just pitch your tent on a nice day, give it a good sprinkling with a hose (not a blasting!), you will notice the water just runs straight off for a good while and appears not to penetrate so just keep on sprinkling until you are convinced it is as wet as it is going to get, and then leave it to dry out naturally, making sure that it stays well pegged and guyed until completely dry.

Enjoy your new tent, and stop worrying about it! Just make sure it is dry when you pack it up (or else dry it out as soon as you possibly can after you get home) and keep it free from mud and bird poo. Just keep the poles wiped and dry, and keep the whole lot in a ventilated, dry and rodent-free place when you aren't using it.

Best of luck with it.

Hello there, apiking & welcome

We've just bought the Wolf Lake 7 & taking it on its 1st outing on Saturday, can't wait.  We did pitch it in the garden this week as a dry run (?!?) but it starting raining! Took the tent straight down as OH working away so couldn't leave up to dry.  I've had it laid out in the playroom since then drying off & as Liddenham says the water just ran off it in little beads.  Enjoy the tent, I'm sre we will