We've only been camping twice so far. I'm not sure we're doing the right thing with our tent when we get home.
We hose it down in the garden to get rid of any mud etc. and leave it to dry a bit and then bring it indoors and hang it over the landing banister. Problem is - the tent is taking days to dry out and it's taking up a lot of space. We just got a second hand outwell montana 6 (did have a second hand hartford XXL) with awning and this time we didn't use the awning. No idea how we'll deal with that when we use it.
We still haven't done anything with the bedrooms which I'm sure had a fair few bugs in it when we wrapped it up.
Any suggestions please?
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It seems to me that you are giving yourself a lot of unnecessary work. Why are you hosing the tent down? Is it pitched in the garden when you are hosing it. Are you hosing the groundsheet? My advice would be to pitch the tent in the garden on a dry day, just let it air then if needs be, a wipe with a dry cloth to remove any debris, same for the groundsheet.
If you tent has a sig then getting a footprint will help protect the sig and keep it dry and clean when you strike camp.
As long as the sleeping pods are dry then bugs = camping experience :) just be happy they died a horrible death!!
Umm, I don't know! Just asked hubby and he said 'to clean it'. The first time we went camping it was really muddy which is why we hosed it down - mainly it was the groundsheet. Our garden isn't large enough to pitch the tent - it gets flung over the washing line.
I thought it a tent was packed away with even the slightest bit of moisture it would be covered in mould next time we took it out.
So re the bugs - you just shake the dead ones out when you next camp and go home with new ones??
You want to see the state of some of my tents with dead bugs!!
Seriously tho, if you are draping the tent over a washing line, let it dry out turning it around occasionally and when it is dry (including the groundsheet) just wipe of the dirt with a dry cloth. Stubborn stains maybe use some water but dont use anything which would affect the waterproofing (like detergents)
I have a similar problem with garden space, I can only just squeeze in my Carolina. The biggest benefit will be when you get a footprint for it tho
We have a hartford XXl and I totally agree on the footprint issue! Does seem to be alot of work tho...hosing it doen etc. If it's a problem we let ours dry first then just use a dustpan brush to get any bad bits of mud off....but to be honest sine the footprint we have only done this once.....when we didn't have the footprint!!
------------- It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent.
Mud isn't what worries me - it's the moisture. How long do you let your tent dry for if you've packed it away after a rainy night? Can you store your tent muddy if you really have to? Also, if you know you're going to be using your tent the following weekend, can you get away with doing less? I just want to make sure we look after the tent.
We are actually going to sell our Hartford XXL as we found a 2nd hand Montana 6 for an absolute steal. We wanted to add to our Hartford e.g. carpet, but as it's no longer in production we really struggled to find any in stock. Shame really.
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We also take care of our tents - this is what we do:
If the tent is not packed away completely dry on site, we lay it out in the garden with furniture inside to allow a good airflow. It needs to be dry both inside and out. Condensation can be an issue. Smaller tents can be turned inside out. Dry inners separately from the main flysheet to aid drying.
If the weather is damp we dry indoors, turning the tent every day until its dry. We find that the slowest thing to dry are the guyropes, so when these feel completely dry to the touch and nowhere else on the tent gives cause for concern we pack it away.
We don't find mud an issue as we use a footprint groundsheet that gets a hose occasionally and a drying session in the garden or garage. I don't think we've had to clean mud off the flysheet at all over the last few years. May be because our tents have a dark mudflap around the bottom (so we don't see it). Anyway it would dry along with the rest of the tent and just brushed off gently if we spotted it.
Bugs we try to brush off or waft out before collapsing the tent at the site. Anything left inside gets swept out when we re-pitch the tent - not a problem.
------------- Love our set-up and need no more tents or gear, so trying to stop looking!
I find my tent usually dries out in 24 hours. Even if it has been dried outside you can still have a bit of a damp ground sheet; in this situation I just pack it in the bag but leave it open. I have never had any mould issues doing this. When before you pack a wet tent up its worth giving it a good shake and whack the roof and sides from inside to shake off as much as possible.
You don't need to save up for a footprint groundsheet for the Montana. Buy a cheap tarp from B&Q or your local DIY in a size larger than your tent. Take the tarp and a sharp pair of scissors with you next time you camp, and cut the tarp 2" shorter all the way around than the groundsheet of your Montana. This footprint will work just as well as an expensive purpose made one.
I have dyneema line (made for kites) which I am using to replace all my guys, It doesn't absorb water, so no soggy guys. If I am going to be in a hurry packing or it's very wet i use pound shop polythene dust sheets under the ground sheet.
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