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Hi there to all you Poly-Cotton owners what life span do you expect or have had to your tents

Several years, hopefully, as we love it so very much and £650, though a lot cheaper than the RRP when it was first on the market, was still more money than we'd want to spend too often.  I don't know how ambitious a wish that is!  We're doing our best to look after it super carefully and expect to use it for at least three trips away each summer.  Good question, Zipperwales.  I'll be interested to read the answers...

Quote: Originally posted by Teloz on 15/8/2010

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If you treat it properly and don't pack it away wet, a lifetime sounds about right!

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I would be surprised if it would last as long as a cotton tent, as the polyester component is highly sensitive to UV degradation. Sprayway say that it disperses UV rays better and so increases the lifespan of the tent relative to polyester. The fabric is also supposed to be more treatable with UV resistant products. You should get a longer life span, but a lifetime sounds a bit optimistic. Some polycottons have a much higher polyester component than others. Kampa and Outwell have high percentages of cotton, Vango and others less so (don't know about Royal).

Helen

Quote: Originally posted by petemillis on 16/8/2010

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I'm a landscaper. I wear poly/cotton work trouser (35% polyeser, 65% cotton). I wear them day after day after day, and they are in and out the washing machine every other night. And they don't degrade. They get ripped by nails and thorns and branches and stuff, and they wear on the knees where I'm scrabbling around on the ground. I have a ten made from the same poly/cotton mix, and of similar weight fabric, and I seriously expect it to last a lifetime of camping - the trousers have done me over a year of constant harsh treatment.

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Your trousers will be made from a higher denier polyester than used in a polycotton tent. Even an increase from 75 denier (most polyester tents) to 100 denier (Kampa ultimate tent) increases the UV resistance by 100-150%. Just done a google and climbing trousers can use 600 denier polyester, so you can imagine just how much longer they are likely to last compared to a tent.

Unfortunately, the higher the denier the greater the weight (as well as tear and UV resistance) and polycotton tents try and use polyester to partly reduce the weight of the flysheet so the denier is not likely IMHO to be as UV resistant as your trousers - which is a shame.

Helen -     PS seen some walking trousers of 1200 denier!