Repair of a lightning on a tent in a campaign. Crimean mountains

Have you ever broken the arch of a tent while camping? And accidentally burn an awning with a spark from a fire, pierce it with a branch, stain it with tree resin, break a zipper or tear a mosquito net?

These unfortunate accidents can spoil the long-awaited outdoor recreation and turn it into torment. To be prepared for any problem, we have prepared for you a list of what to put in your camping tent repair kit.

We have prepared this article based on many years of interaction with Alexika customers who turned to us for help with tent repairs.

How to fix a tent awning?

One of the most common problems is a variety of microdamages in the outer awning of the tent. These include:

Sparks from a fire,
- falling cones and branches,
- accidental punctures of the awning by stones or other sharp objects.

If you have any questions or difficulties with the repair of tents, write to us, we are always happy to help you!

If the tent is torn, it is not necessary to throw it away. At home, with the help of a sealant, you can repair a parted seam, and with the help of two patches and glue, a broken tent fabric can be repaired. The main thing is to notice the damage in time, and after the repair the tent will become like new

An experienced traveler, before setting off on another trip, must carefully check all his equipment and inventory. It is better to identify any breakdown at home, which, in other matters, does not make such a discovery any pleasant.

If you find that your tent is torn, there is no desire to spend money on a new one, and the old one could still serve for several years, then you should not be upset. Pretty much any damage to a tent can be repaired at home, as long as it's not a giant tear and the whole tent isn't full of holes.

Tent damage can be divided into two types - divergence of the seam and rupture of the awning fabric.

If you find that the tent is torn at the seam, you will need a good sealant, which can be easily found in the camping equipment store, to repair. It is quite possible that you already have it at home, because many tourists recommend buying such repair tools in advance and taking them with you if you are going on a long trip.

Before applying the sealant, the bonding area must be properly cleaned. At the same time, be careful with the tent so that the gap does not go further. When the surface is cleaned, it is necessary to apply a sealant not too thick on the glued elements of the seam and the bends that cover them. Let it dry a little, then tightly connect the matter. For reliability and durability, the seams can be ironed with an iron or a stone (if the repair takes place far from civilization). A couple of hours after that, it is better not to touch the tent at all, and to guarantee reliability, leave it to dry in a dry, warm place for about a day.

If the fabric is torn directly, then first the gap should be tightly sewn up with a strong thread. After that, carefully coat the new seam with glue for raincoat fabrics. While it dries, cut out 2 patches, which should be about 2 cm larger than the gap on all sides.

As a material for patches, you can take a piece of jacket fabric. However, with some tents, manufacturers supply additional material for patches. We impregnate the resulting piece of fabric with a water-repellent agent. First, we apply waterproof glue to one side of each patch, coat the seam on both sides. When the glue has dried, repeat the procedure, give it time to dry slightly, after which we apply patches to the place of the gap from the inside and outside.

Using a stream of hot air from a hair dryer, we warm up the glues. We leave the tent for 4-5 hours, after which it will again be ready for full-functional use.

If the gap occurred already during the trip, then the hole can at least be sewn up, and the main repair work can be postponed until the return.

We work with a variety of materials, both with conventional awnings and with membrane materials, PVC and other specialized fabrics. When repairing tents, the seams are sealed and glued using specialized sealants, a new water-repellent coating is applied, the existing frame is restored, zippers and Velcro, buttons and eyelets, as well as the rest of the fittings are changed.

Our workshop will help you to replace damaged parts in your tent, such as the bottom, entrance, walls, transparent and ventilation windows, either as a whole or by patching. Contact us and we will help you restore almost any tent, regardless of its damage.

Consider the problems that active participants in sports tourism and recreation have to face:

Repair and replacement of lightning tents

It is not so important which zipper broke in the tent: the entrance zipper, the zipper on the flaps, the zipper on the windows, the main zipper that attaches to the bottom of the tent, the important thing is that without it your tent will no longer be able to provide you with the required protection and comfort.

Tent zipper repair is a fast, reliable and most importantly economical solution to your problem! Tent zipper repair can include both a complete zipper replacement and the replacement of related parts.

Repair and replacement of the awning tent

Tent awning repair is most often done in two cases:

Repair of a torn tent awning and Repair of a burnt tent awning. Both cases occur when the tent is used incorrectly and not accurately. The type of repair of the tent awning depends on the complexity of the damage (place and size of the rupture / burning of the tent). The place of the rupture / burning of the tent is sewn up or sealed with hot patches. The process of repairing the tent awning has many nuances, for example, the “new” place on the tent awning must be impregnated with water repellents, and the correct seam ensures strength and no tears when setting up the tent.

After the repair of the tent awning is completed, it will serve you faithfully for many more years!

Repair and replacement of the arches and frame of the tent

The frame of the tent is essentially the "skeleton" of the entire structure of the tent.

A broken tent frame has many causes, and repairing a tent frame has a huge variety of options. Of great importance is the material from which the frame of the tent is made, the mechanism and the places of “fractures”.

An individual approach will help to repair the frame of any complexity from the installation of a coupling to the replacement of complex connecting parts.

Repair and replacement of the bottom of the tent

The bottom of the tent is a mandatory and important element without which the operation of the tent is practically impossible. The bottom of the tent protects from water, dirt, cold and helps to feel comfortable even on damp ground.

It is necessary to repair the bottom of the tent due to such mechanical damage as burning, rubbing of the outer surface, or when the insulation got wet and became unusable, etc.

Depending on the severity of the damage, the bottom of the tent can be repaired by patching. If the damage is large, then it is necessary to make a new bottom of the tent.

The tent must be treated with care and in this case it will serve you longer, and the repair of the tent will not require large investments if it is also timely.

Our masters will be happy to solve all your questions and carry out Repair of tents and awnings in Moscow.

How to fix poles on a tent at home is the topic of this article. If you broke (or broke) the arcs, do not be upset, because you can fix it yourself. I'll show you how to do it with a personal example. If you're lazy, you can.

Breakage of arcs is one of the most common occurrences. You never know when they will fail and of course, they break most often on a hike. What to do with a broken arc? Buy a new one or buy separate knees, or maybe even buy a new tent.

I am writing this post for a reason, because on the tourist club tent, 2 knees broke at once on one arc. A good tent from Pinguin with plastic arches, they obviously saved on them.

P.S. The knee is the components of the arch, not the patella on the leg.

A patient: one arc with 2 broken knees and with a broken thread inside. In addition to the fact that I replaced the knee, I also made up a thread of 3 parts.

Tools

• spare knee
• Thread
• "hook"

Photo instruction

First of all, you need to look at your arch, determine which knees are broken:

From the edge where the end is closer, we begin to pull out the rope.

The rope is in an arc under tension, so you have to get it with a small hook, I used a piece of wire, you can try with an awl or a gypsy needle (you can also use a small carnation)

We remove the broken knees (we count them), I needed to replace 2 knees, so I take new ones and start pushing the thread again.

Important: as you can see in the photo (above), my rope is torn, I have 2 of them + I still had to build up.

Now take new knees and pass the rope through them:

It passes freely, I did not use any extraneous means.

Now the fun has begun, you should have two options:

1. You thread the rope through all the arcs and calmly tie a knot at the end and you're done.
2. Your rope is torn in several places and it needs to be increased, and only then complete the repair.

I got the second option. To increase the rope, I will give you 2 tips:

1. Fasten the rope so that it does not leave, like this:

2. Tie a straight knot, it will hold well (you can use any other one) and it is small in size, and the knot should also be at the junction of two knees, because the knot in the knee channel will not pass. Cut off the ends.

If the rope does not want to crawl into the knee channel in any way, then simply thread the most ordinary thread through the arc and tie it to the rope. You just have to pull, but do not break the thread itself.

Make sure the bow is not too tight or too loose, cut off a piece of rope if necessary and build it up. Tie in a straight knot and cut off:

Then pass through the last arc and tie the simplest knot, for example, a control one:

Cut off the rest and the arc is rewired! Hooray!

Advice: count the number of knees of the repaired arch and the number of the whole arch (second). When I did it for the first time, it was 11 on one and 10 on the second 🙂

How can you break an arc

It’s easier to just take it and break it, but if it’s intentional, but the “usual” cases that will lead to a breakdown, I’ll tell you about them now. These little tips I usually give when renting tents:

1. Don't jump on the tent You will break several knees at once.
2. Set up on level ground- if the tent is on a slope, then the load is not going correctly and the knee may crack.
3. Do not load the "shelf" in the tent itself- if you put a lot of things (heavy) on it, then a strong load will go on the arcs and the knee may crack, this is exactly how we broke this arc :).
4. Correctly lay the arcs in the case- they need to be laid in the middle, wrapped in the tent itself and the awning, so it is less likely that when the tent falls in the case, the knee will crack.

That's all. Use my instructions, I think it will come in handy if you already had experience in repairing arcs or you want to ask something - write in the comments, I will answer.

By the way, I liked repairing the arc and immediately photographing the whole process. And he made an arc, and wrote a post, there will be more!

Riddle - which arc was broken?

Yes, and tell your Vkontakte friends about this post, they will be happy 🙂

For dessert: look at the next extreme selection, I liked it madly, I miss winter a little when I take skis and start skiing. I liked the selection with numerous first-person views, be sure to check it out:

The task of any awning is to effectively protect the interior from precipitation, sun, wind, and cold. Even small damages reduce the protective properties of the tent or awning. What damage can be repaired at home?

Repair of punctures and damage to the awning at home

The textile part of the tent and covering awnings are made of dense fabric with a water-repellent coating. Finished products must be completely sealed. Therefore, even microscopic holes from needles at the seams of the awning are boiled with hot air or glued with a special tape.

It is quite difficult to damage such tissue. The tightness of the tent (awning) can be broken for one of the following reasons:

In the first case, the tent should be immediately shown to the repairman. It is possible that the entire surface of the tent is worn out and beyond repair, so the master will advise you to buy a new tent.

Minor "injuries" can be repaired without professional repair. How to do it right? It is not enough to simply sew the damage with a thread - such a repair will not restore the tightness of the product. The fabric must be glued and patched with a piece of a similar awning material.

For a simple repair, you will need a patch, a needle with a strong thread, glue for working with synthetic fabric. Textiles for the patch can be bought at a camping equipment store or cut from an unnecessary awning.

Glue is needed moisture resistant, able to withstand the load on the awning and not crack from frequent folding of the tent:

Simple gluing procedure:

1. Cut the patch to size 2-5 cm wider than the damage;
2. Sew the gap to avoid displacement of the torn edges under the patch;
3. Stretch the awning on a flat, hard surface;
4. Remove dirt and degrease the gluing site with alcohol, acetone or an alcohol-containing liquid (White Spirit, vodka, cologne);
5. Apply a layer of glue on the damaged surface of the awning and on the patch;
6. Press the patch firmly against the awning, straightening the folds on the surface of the textile parts;
7. If necessary, remove excess glue that has come out along the edges;
8. Leave the tent under pressure for at least 24 hours.

For another gluing method you will need:

• Industrial (construction) hair dryer;
• Silicone roller with a heat-resistant surface;
• Patch;
• Needle with strong thread
• Glue;

For the thermal method, one of the listed compounds for PVC is suitable. You can also use a special thermoplastic adhesive, such as Rapid.

Tip: Try to choose a patch that is as close in material and structure as possible to the fabric of the awning.

How to repair worn surfaces and seams

After several years of active use, even an awning without visible damage can begin to leak water. There may be several reasons:

1. The layer of polymeric water-repellent impregnation is worn out.

In the instructions for the tent, the presence of such a coating is referred to as "durable water repellent" or DWR. The polymer layer is applied to the outer surface of the tent and prevents moisture from being absorbed into the fabric.

If the DWR wears out, areas of the fabric begin to absorb moisture from precipitation. The fabric becomes heavier, heavy condensation and / or small leaks may appear on the wrong side of the tent.

To fix this problem, you will need to buy impregnation for the awning. For example, McNett ReviveX Durable Waterproofing (McNett, USA), Grangers Fabsil Universal Protector (Granger's, UK), Holmenkol HighTec Proof (Holmenkol, Germany) and others. You can restore the moisture-repellent layer yourself:

• Clean the fabric from dirt;
• A straight awning can be simply laid out on the floor, and the tent can be set up on the frame;
• Treat with impregnation with a spray or sponge;
• Dry thoroughly when unfolded.

"Home" processing of awning fabric will need to be carried out regularly, at least 1 time in 2 years. Professional tools are much more stable.

Important: impregnation should be applied strictly according to the instructions. Be sure to use protective equipment - goggles, rubber gloves.

Signs of a worn coating:

• The textile surface becomes sticky. Parts of the tent stick to the hands or "glue".
• Unpleasant "chemical" ODOUR.
• Partial delamination of the coating from the fabric.

It is possible to restore the PU coating, but this process will take a lot of time. The main difficulty is to find a composition in the store for applying a new layer of PU. For example, McNett Tent Sure Tent Sealant or Aquaseal Polycoat from McNett (USA). The repair process is as follows:

• Remove the remnants of the old coating. To do this, you can use a non-metallic hard brush. It is easier to clean the cover if you pre-wash the tent in the washing machine. It is important to use gentle detergents and wash in "manual" or "delicate" modes.
• Rinse and degrease the cleaned cloth.
• Unfold (stretch on the frame).
• Apply evenly with a sponge or brush.
• Dry unfolded for up to 24 hours.
• Treat the surface with baby powder (talc), put away for storage.

1. The seam on the tent with PU-impregnation is leaking.

The seams of the tent, welded or glued with a special tape, cannot always be restored at home. If the parts were thermally bonded, repairs should be carried out immediately in the workshop.

To repair a seam with a peeled tape, you will need:

Before starting the repair, the awning must be laid out (stretched on the frame) with the seams outward. Thereafter:

• Remove and carefully clean off the remnants of the "factory" tape;
• Degrease the seam;
• Mark the place of application of glue with masking tape;
• Apply a thick layer of glue so that the composition is absorbed as deeply as possible. This can be done with a soft brush or tube applicator;
• Apply the tape evenly and press;
• Remove excess glue from the edges of the tape;
• Dry completely during the day;
• Before folding, remove the adhesive tape, sprinkle the seams with talc (powder).

Tip: if gaps appear at the seam, they must be sewn with a thick thread before gluing.

1. The seam on the tent with silicone impregnation is leaking.

Tents with internal and external silicone coating (marking Si/Si, Sil/Sil) cannot be thermally repaired. Often, such models come with a repair kit with special patches and a silicone-based adhesive. If this is not in the set, you can repair the seams using this method:

Tip: silicone treatment is best done outdoors. It is important that the weather is dry and warm.

Urgent repair - how to make a temporary patch

In camping conditions, the tent is not difficult to repair if you have a “repair kit” of glue and a suitable piece of awning fabric with you. If there is no such set, then the “ambulance” for a textile awning is any polyurethane adhesive-sealant that can be used to fasten the ends of the gap.

To repair small tears in a polyethylene tent or floor covering, experienced tourists recommend using reinforced sanitary scotch tape.

Pieces of adhesive tape, evenly attached to a fat-free surface on the inside and outside of the tent, will temporarily “patch” the leak. At home, such a patch can be fixed thermally: warm it up with a hairdryer and roll it with a roller.

How not to repair

There are two most “harmful” repair methods that masters do not recommend resorting to even to temporarily fix leaks:

Repair in the workshop: what you need to know

Any inaccurate repair, especially thermal gluing, can ruin the awning fabric. Therefore, it is better to contact the workshop. Where to go for professional repair?

The repairman will inspect the entire surface of the tent, give recommendations on the feasibility and methods of repair. It is possible that during the inspection, other damage and weakened areas of the tissue will be found.

Together with a specialist, the owner of the tent can choose a convenient way to troubleshoot. The workshop offers the following services:

Experts will carry out repairs better and more accurately than it can be done at home. Depending on the region, the cost of repairing 1 meter of an awning is from 700 to 800 rubles. The final price of such a service is determined by the size and complexity of the damage, the degree of deterioration of the fabric.