Family camping trips are a whole lot of fun. Young or old, family members can enjoy connecting to nature and of course, bonding with each other, through camping.
There’s just something about being out and about in the wild that brings out the adventurer’s spirit in everyone!
Camping tents are probably the most essential item in a camper’s roster of items. It serves as your home while you’re outdoors, protecting you from forces of nature that may harm you while you’re out in the wilderness.
It’s no wonder that you have to make that you take care of it properly, to maximize its lifespan.
Here are some tips and trick to keep and use your family camp tent for longer!
Don’t just place it anywhere
First and foremost, choose a suitable place before pitching the tent on a site. Make sure that the area is devoid of anything that can rip, stain, or otherwise affect the tent negatively, such as rocks, twigs, or branches. It should be as smooth and as clean as possible, to avoid ‘injuries’ not just to the tent, but also to the people who will be staying inside.
If you can, you should also try using a tent footprint, which is a kind of ground sheet that acts as a layer of protection between the ground and your tent. They are usually available for most family tents, since those cover larger areas and therefore need more protection. If your tent is smaller, you can have a tent footprint customized to fit.
Remember, you might have the best family tent, but it won’t last long if you don’t know how to properly care for it right from the get-go.
Try not to be too rough
Your tent deserves just as much gentleness as a young child, try not to be too rough with it! Avoid doing things that can cause damages to your tent. These things include the following:
- Using the zipper too roughly
- Allowing playful kids or pets play inside the tent
- Wearing footwear inside the tent
- Roughhousing inside the tent
- Keeping food inside the tent
Make sure that everyone in your family knows these rules, most especially if you’ve got little kids or even pets who don’t know how to control themselves yet when they’re feeling particularly playful.
Footwear worn inside the tent can damage and also stain the floor layer, while keeping food inside the tent may attract animals that will not think twice about ripping off your tent to get that food. For safety reasons, you should keep food in airtight containers outside the tent, not inside.
In the case of small tears though-- don’t worry, they happen and they’re completely normal-- a duct tape is your best friend, so always remember to bring a roll with you during a trip. Use it as a first-aid emergency to avoid making small tears bigger, but remember to have it repaired immediately once you’re back home so as not to worsen things.
Prevention is still a thousand times better than a cure though, so you’re better of taking care of your tent especially during use to ensure that you get the maximum usage time out of it.
Aftercare is just as important
Finally, it’s time to go back to reality and go back home. If you have the habit of just rolling up your family tent and leaving it at the back of your car, then you better stop that now!
Remember, aftercare is just as important as care before and during use. If you’re like most campers, that tent probably spends more time in storage than in the outdoors, which is why it’s important to ensure that it’s stored properly.
After a trip, determine if your tent needs to be cleaned. The answer is probably yes. If you’ve been using the tent with care, a wet cloth is likely enough. If you really have to wash the tent, though, don’t use a detergent; it will stripe away your tent’s waterproof abilities. If you really have to use a soap, choose a gentle, non-detergent one.
Make sure that you never store a tent wet, unless you want a mouldy tent. Air it out first, thoroughly and properly, before putting it into storage.
Travel tip shared by John Pre Travels
www.pretravels.com
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