Expert Advice on Repairing a tent or Awning
Tents or awnings can suffer damage in their lives, it can vary how bad the damage is whether it is repairable or not.
Most smaller tears or holes can be patched using simple repair tape such as the Kamap Tenacious repair tape, this satin finish tape will repair almost all damage quickly and easily, and as long as the surface is clean and dry it should provide a permanent repair of damage.
This repair tape is supplied on a roll, just measure out the required amount for the damage to be repaired and cut off the length, this can be done with normal household scissors.
Support the material on the opposite side (you may need an assistant in the tent to do this) then apply the tape gently and evenly, this can be then gently smoothed down to cover the damage.
For a more complete repair the other side to the one that has been patched should have the tape applied too for a stronger and longer lasting repair.
The tape is Satin so that it does not shine like traditional adhesive tape when sunlight hits it, this makes the repair much more difficult to spot.
This repair tape can also be used to repair split and damaged air inflatable tubes on tents and awnings.
To do this just unzip the sleeve of the inflatable tube and make sure all the air is inflated, then cover the damage evenly with the repair tape before placing in the tube and inflating.
There are also repair kits available to repair separated seams, particularly useful when camping if the seam stitching frays.
The Kampa Tent and Awning repair kit is designed for repairing more complex damage such a seams and ragged damage/punctures to the tent.
The repair solution is perfect for use on seams there they can be glued back together.
For more structural holes such on higher tension parts of the tent, the supplied patches can be used with the glue to patch the hole. Providing there is an overlap of the hole/ tear of 25mm this will provide a strong and lasting repair.
It also includes a shorter length of the Kampa Tenacious Repair tape.
The above kits can also be used on groundsheets and mudwalls providing they are clean, dry and free of dust.
If the very worst has happened and your tent has split open along a tear then this tape is a great item to carry with your camping gear, whilst it won’t look so good on anything except a groundsheet it will be perfect for emergency repairs for large amount of irreparable damage even If only temporarily.
The adhesive on this tape makes it effortlessly stick to the Polyester flysheets of tents, it can also be used to wrap split air tube sleeves, a great emergency essential to carry.
Tent poles can also break and repairing fiberglass poles is not that easy as they are required to flex in order to hold up the tent placing them under great strain. Replacement pole sections are available, just measure the diameter of the pole and match it as closely as possible to the sizes we stock.
We stock most diameters of fiberglass poles, these come in packs of 5 so several sections of broken pole could be replaced.
They may need to be shortened to the same length as the original, but this can be done easily with a hacksaw, we would recommend doing this first, so the correct length poles can be carried with you when camping.
The shock cord (elastic) that runs through the poles is also included along with some threading wire to make it easier to rethread the elastic through the centre of the poles.
The shock cord is also available separately to replace tired or broken cord, this again is supplied with a threading wire to allow the wire to be stitched through the centre of the pole.
Whilst the shock cord is not essential for a tent to be used, it does make it a lot easier to pitch and disassemble.
The shock cord is also available separately as part of the shock cord repair kit
This is another great item to carry with you in case of any failure of the shock cord.
Whilst the above repairs will never be as good as a professional repair, they are instant fix and offer a cheaper on the spot alternative.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the sales team here