Recommend me a tent repair service

My Mountain Hardwear 2 man tent is in need of repair. Spent the last 10 years in the loft but got it out for an adventure with my son this weekend. It held up as thankfully little rain but the fly needs all seams redoing. So much so that small window has fallen out completely…

I’m hoping you can send them off for a reseal and reproof? Seems a waste to chuck it as apart from that I’d kept it in pretty good nick

We’ve used Alpkit in Ilkley for retaping our Trango and it looks good. Not tested it yet though.

Some of them might tell you it is not economic.

As above though alpkit are well worth chatting to, but the fact the window fell out isn’t a good sign

Scottish Mountain Gear in Musselburgh just outside Edinburgh will do it.

On an old tent that hasn’t been used for a decade, I’d pitch it on a nice day, seal any leaking seams with the appropriate product and spray the fly with reproofer. Any more than that would be new tent time.

(And I’m someone who keeps gear going as long as possible – dropped a pair of 7 year old Dakine shorts off at the local seamstress for repair work on Friday).

Scottish Mountain Gear in Musselburgh just outside Edinburgh will do it.

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On an old tent that hasn’t been used for a decade, I’d pitch it on a nice day, seal any leaking seams with the appropriate product and spray the fly with reproofer. Any more than that would be new tent time.

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I’ve done it myself, it’s not especially difficult but it is fiddly. I pitched mine with the fly inside out then went round the seams with seam sealer. That way if it looks a bit messy it won’t be visible

Then I rinsed in nikwax, and in fact I do this regularly along with the inner

You do need to think what state the fabric is in.

My old Macpac Minaret was superb. But it had a decade of use, 4 years to get me through my ML and another few weeks of a family member doing part of  Te Aotorea. It was aged and UV’d.

The fly fabric lost waterproofing, which I kept ‘topping up’ with fabsil. Until one day a gust of wind on the banks of the Spey saw the fly rip right along a panel without warning.

Then I rinsed in nikwax,

You must really hate getting wet.

These guys are minutes away from me.

Outdoor Gear Repairs

I borrowed a tent from a mate, a pole snapped under pretty horrific conditions.  They’re listed as official… whatever it was, Coleman I think, repair place.  I took it in, they went “yeah, it’s too old, we don’t carry those spares any more.  But we can make you one?”  They made up a pole indistinguishable from the original (only not broken).

My 20 year old tent has had its window disintegrate this weekend. I popped a stiff sack over it and it was fine for one dry night.

I’ve got some goretex fabric and a sewing machine to stich it up.

It has been stitched together and had tape applied mover the stitching

What seam sealing tape works?

I’ve tried iron on stuff for goretex before and it came off after 5 min.

Just use seamgrip, silnet, or whatever the current tube of glue is currently called for the fabric (pu or sil coated). Tape’s overthinking it for a knackered old tent. In the case a couple of posts above I’d apply it to the external seams for better results rather than cleaning up interior seams. You can buy pole sections to make your own custom length; I’ve got one I made with a short packed length for easy stowage.

Seconded for LSR / Lancashire Sports Repeair. Have done a couple of tent and kit repairs for me in the past and very good. Often a fairly long lead time though as they’re normally chocka with work

In my experience tents die when the fabric goes. Its not like failing in there wind when new or replacing the zip in a jacket. Probably time to move on

@tall_martin

I used seam grip on the seams,  but then read on ukclimbing that using ripstop spinnaker tape was the best option as it reinforces the seam which in a lot of cases is a single line of stitch.  Am waiting on the tape to finish my repair at the moment.

The sealing tape just doesn’t seem to hold that well

My (my dads) force 10 mk4 hasn’t had insect mesh in the inner for about 30 years now.

Keep meaning to replace it. But effort…

Thanks @grahamt1980. I’ll give them a go.