Condemned my tent after 4 years of use until a patch kit saved it last weekend

Got caught in a pretty good rain at Lake Como campground last Saturday. Water started dripping right on my face around 2 AM. Found a 2 inch tear along a seam I never noticed. Was ready to toss the whole thing and spend $200 on a new one. Buddy handed me a Gear Aid repair patch he had in his truck. Figured it would fail by morning but it held all night and still good now. Anyone else had luck with those patch kits or am I just waiting for it to give out again?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_fox562d ago

My old tent had a zipper fail on me two years ago. Duct tape got me through that trip. Kept using it for six more months before the whole thing sagged in the middle and looked like a sad circus tent. Patches are like band-aids for tents. They work until something else breaks. I'd say use it until it fails again then buy the new one.

bell.emma1d ago

Read an article from Backpacker Magazine last month about tent lifespans. Said polyester tents last about 5 years if used twice a season. Yours is way past that. That sagging middle means the fabric is tired, not just a zipper issue. My buddy's tent did the same thing after a windy night in Colorado. Waterproof coating was gone too. New tent is cheaper than waking up wet at 3am.