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6 TIPS FOR A LONGER TENT LIFE

Whether the hills beckon to you every weekend, or an annual camping trip with friends and family is more your pace, you want to make sure your tent stands up for the long haul. We spoke to MSR's tent experts about what you can do to prolong the life of your tent.

01. Never Store Your Tent Wet

Storing your tent while it’s wet or even damp can lead to the premature breakdown of its fabric and coatings. For this reason, the number one guideline for longer tent life is to make sure your tent is clean, dry and stored in a cool area out of direct sunlight.

02. Treat Your Poles Well

Most pole damage occurs during setup. Try to keep the ends of the pole sections from banging together when assembling the frame as it can dent them or create cracks at the ends, which can compromise pole strength and lead to breakage. Don’t overstress the poles when setting up the tent; doing so can lead to permanently deforming the sections. When disassembling your poles, start from the center and move outwards to evenly distribute the tension on the shock cord. Make sure to clean your poles, especially around the intersections.

03. Use A Footprint With Your Tent

Footprints are designed to keep your tent floor clean, dry, and protected from excessive abrasion. By keeping water and dirt away from the bottom of your tent, a footprint also helps your tent stay clean when you need to pack it up again.

04. Be Kind To The Zips

Tent fabric is designed to be taut when set up, so there will always be some tension on the zip. Assisting the zip with a second hand, especially when going around a curve, will reduce wear on the zip and its metal slider and help keep it running smoothly. Keep zips clean and free of fine grit, which can wear away at the zip’s metal slider to the point where it no longer clinches the zip teeth together.

05. Seal The Seams

Over time, moisture, heat and humidity can breakdown the seam tape on tents made of lightweight fabrics. If you start to notice leaks along your seams, seam sealing can help prolong their waterproofness. Seam sealing will ensure maximum waterproof defence and create a tent with exceptional longevity.

06. Avoid Long-Term UV Exposure

Tents can offer great protection in sunny as well as stormy weather, but you shouldn’t set up your tent in your back garden and forget about it, leaving it to bake in the sun all season long. UV rays break down nylon fibre, making it dry and brittle and reducing its tensile strength causing the fabric to rip at the seams and stress joints. Polyester offers a little more UV resistance over nylon fabrics, but any tent should be stored out of direct sunlight when not in use. If you take good care of your tent, it will take good care of you, so you can have adventures together for many years to come.

MSR TENT RANGE

If you want a great quality backpacking tent at a super price, our offerings from MSR are really hard to ignore. The Elixir range is a staff favourite, providing exceptional value for a true wild camping tent, and one ready for years of good use. It's design is easy to pitch and offers plenty of space. Check out our range below to see which MSR model suits you.

MSR Elixir 1 | A one-person shelter with a large porch, this is ideal for the adventurer who wants to break away. At just 2.2kg and £215, the balance of weight to strength to cost is unbeatable.

Shop MSR Elixir 1

MSR Elixir 2 | Sharing the same strong design as the Hubba Hubba, the Elixir 2 has been our best selling tent for the last three years. Strong, simple, excellent value - simply the best all round two-person tent.

Shop MSR Elixir 2

MSR Elixir 3 | Like its siblings, the Elixir 3 is a simple bombproof tent. Palacial for two, cosy for three, and like the other Elixir models, come complete with a footprint for long life.

Shop MSR Elixir 3

MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 | Take the classic design of the Elixir and shed over 1kg of weight, and you get one of the very best backpacking tents, the Hubba Hubba. A firm staff favourite and proven performer.

Shop MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2

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Since Tiso opened its doors in 1962 we've been researching, testing & selling the best tents from the very best brands. It's the part of the outdoors we love the most. Pop into any of our stores to get expert advice from our knowledgable staff, and shop the best range of camping kit in the UK.

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