Author Topic: how to fix a rip in a tent ?  (Read 1603 times)

tenmilesplus

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how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« on: 18:32:30, 17/08/18 »
Hiya all..

  earlier this year I bought a Jack Wolfskin Gossamer 1 man tent, I have erected it a couple of times I the garden but not taken it out in the field yet.. Anyhow, I erected it today and have noticed a short 5mm rip near the door but in a not stressed area, I was wondering what is the best way of fixing it or any other rips I find in the outer sheet ? The material is 75d Polyester but I suspect it has a coating on too..
 I know nothing about tents but I am not scared of DIY.. There is some spare material and a tube of seem sealer in the bag with the tent, I have searched the interweb and there is some tent fix tape that is in the shops, should I use this ?

 Thanks
Gone for a walk, back in a bit..

NeilC

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Re: how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« Reply #1 on: 19:28:07, 17/08/18 »
Hiya all..

  earlier this year I bought a Jack Wolfskin Gossamer 1 man tent, I have erected it a couple of times I the garden but not taken it out in the field yet.. Anyhow, I erected it today and have noticed a short 5mm rip near the door but in a not stressed area, I was wondering what is the best way of fixing it or any other rips I find in the outer sheet ? The material is 75d Polyester but I suspect it has a coating on too..
 I know nothing about tents but I am not scared of DIY.. There is some spare material and a tube of seem sealer in the bag with the tent, I have searched the interweb and there is some tent fix tape that is in the shops, should I use this ?

 Thanks


If the seam sealer is the thick polyurethane goop like McNett's Seam Seal, that sets like tough plastic/rubber, then I'd use that with a circular patch  (or at least one with rounded corners to stop peeling). Cover the patch with a layer and press it on and dab a little sealer on the open side to cover the cut too. A patch boths side will make it extra strong if required.

I've had good results with this method on tents, rucksacks and sleeping bags. It's stronger than the original material most of the time.
« Last Edit: 20:48:01, 17/08/18 by NeilC »

tenmilesplus

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Re: how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« Reply #2 on: 23:41:58, 17/08/18 »
Hiya, cheers, it is the thick gloopy type but I'm not sure if it like that due to it being old.. I have seen a You Tube demonstration of someone putting ordinary tape on one side and glooping the other then after 12hrs taking the tape off and gooping the other side.. The rip is so small I might just try this and if it fails then I'm going to try your patch method..

 Cheers.
Gone for a walk, back in a bit..

Percy

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Re: how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« Reply #3 on: 08:32:14, 18/08/18 »
If you bought it this year it might be worth exploring whether the warranty covers it.

tenmilesplus

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Re: how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« Reply #4 on: 09:46:52, 18/08/18 »
Hiya Percy

   I would but I bought it online and the split is so small it is too much hassle.. the cost of a blob of glue V sending the tent off for a blob of glue I would rather keep hold of it instead of losing the tent for a couple of weeks.
Gone for a walk, back in a bit..

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« Reply #5 on: 22:50:00, 18/08/18 »
Invest in some Pertex material, so anyone with the skill of needle and thread could actually patch up any rips or tears in the tent.
Small rips can easily grow into larger ones, so a more substantial repair would make more sense.
Pertex is very cheap to buy, just check out the prices on ebay, and if stitched together well, will cover up a tear,, small or large.
Glueing a rip or small tear, is never as effective as making a patch for the damage.
My mothers friend, who is a very skilled seamstress, took my Montane jacket to pieces, and sewed in a new length of pertex.
The only way you can tell the jacket was repaired, is from the different coloured section on the right hand side.

I know it takes great skill to disassemble an entire jacket and sew in a new section, but some people are more skilled than others.

Buy a length of Pertex and find someone with the required skill to repair the damaged section, it should not be that expensive, and will be longer lasting than using glue.
« Last Edit: 22:53:42, 18/08/18 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

jimbob

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Re: how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« Reply #6 on: 00:20:33, 19/08/18 »
Dyffryn forgot to add that stitching is absolutely not recomended except to skilled knowledgeable seamstreypeople.The stitches themselves cause lots if holes which have to be sealed. If the wrong thread is used, it has to be sealed and can rot very quickly in sunlight.For the 99% of those who do not possess such sewing knowledge and proofing expertise then the well proven and completely foolproof way is the double patch method as advised previously.

My wife knows about sewing waterproof material professionally and she told me never to go near her machines except to put them on the sewing table for her.  She has rolls if seam seal and bottles of silicone to get the correct finish.
Too little, too late, too bad......

NeilC

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Re: how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« Reply #7 on: 07:54:52, 19/08/18 »
Hiya, cheers, it is the thick gloopy type but I'm not sure if it like that due to it being old.. I have seen a You Tube demonstration of someone putting ordinary tape on one side and glooping the other then after 12hrs taking the tape off and gooping the other side.. The rip is so small I might just try this and if it fails then I'm going to try your patch method..

 Cheers.


I've done that method on a groundsheet and it worked for a small hole.


It's all down to the sealer. The McNetts appears to last forever. I did one 5 years ago it's still perfect. But I got some stuff I thought was the same from a poundshop and that's come away. If in doubt buy the good stuff and it will last and last.

vizzavona

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Re: how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« Reply #8 on: 12:19:45, 19/08/18 »
I hope this product is more secure that the McNetts Tenacious tape.  I tried this tape a couple of times on the seam of the slot where the single pole slots in on my Spacepacker tent and both times did not last out the length of the trip.

NeilC

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Re: how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« Reply #9 on: 18:48:17, 19/08/18 »
I hope this product is more secure that the McNetts Tenacious tape.  I tried this tape a couple of times on the seam of the slot where the single pole slots in on my Spacepacker tent and both times did not last out the length of the trip.


Yeah it's a different product entirely with a completely different action.


Tenacious is good stuff but not on a highly loaded area like that and is never a permanent fox anyway

gunwharfman

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Re: how to fix a rip in a tent ?
« Reply #10 on: 15:35:24, 22/08/18 »
I ripped a 2" gash in my outer tent, solved in with a bit of Duct tape. This was three years ago, no problems since.

 

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