Tent Care

Caring For Your Tent

Waterproofing: We do not recommend that you waterproof your tent. The reason canvas is used in construction is because it breathes. The application of waterproofing will prevent your tent from breathing. It will seal it up like paint and the cavas will no longer breathe. if your tent no longer breathes, you will have a problem with condensation, especially if you are using a stove. The seams of a new tent often leak the first time they are subject to moisture. It takes several good soakings to shrink needle holes tightly against the thread. We advise that customers set up new tents and soak them several times with a hose, allow the tent to throughly dry between soakings. If this procedure is not practical for your situation, we suggest that you not set your cot under a seam that is leaking. This is expecially important when the tent is made of the 12.40 oz. and 14.90 oz. untreated canvas. It is not so necessary if the tent is made of the 10.10 oz. or 12.63 oz. treated Army Duck.

If your tent leaks at a few spots along a seam, you may rub wax or a bar of Ivory soap to fill inthe stitch holes. If you apply waterproofing, do so only in the places where it leaks and do NOT cover the entire tent.

The Sunforger finish used on the Army Duck fabrics is applied at the factory when the fabric is woven. This type of water repellency allows the fabric to breathe adn far superior to anything you could apply yourself.

Make sure your tent is Dry Before Storage

A tent that is stored when still damp, will mildew. This is especially true with the untreated canvas. Once mildew appears, it is difficult to remove. Some mildew is inevitable: do nno worry about it too much. We recommend a bleach and water solution to remove mildew. You will not be able to remove all of it. Mix 9 parts water with 1 part bleach and be sure to rinse throughly.

Do NOT leave tents unattended for long periods

Tents are designed to withstand reasonable wind, but when left unattended in severe weather, disaster is inevitable. Larger tents are more susceptible. In the wind the rope tighteners may loosen, allowing the tent to flap and eventually fail.