Of the things that you should get when heading for a camping trip is a tent. It will act as your shelter when you are out there and will keep you protected from the elements.
Rain, snow, and strong winds can really ruin your adventure. That is why you need a good tent that will keep you safe for the entire time you will be outdoors. However, it can get damaged.
A tear on the floor is one of the common challenges that campers face. It will allow water on the surface, making your interior messy. It will also allow ants and other bugs to get inside of it.
When you damage the floor, you don’t have to get rid of it and get another one. There are ways to repair it and I will teach you how to patch a tent floor without a hassle.
How to repair a torn tent floor?
The floor of your tent plays an important role in making your stay outdoors comfortable and safe. It keeps water away from your belongings and ensures that you are dry for the entire time.
However, it could get damaged and this will expose you to the elements. What are the reasons for tearing it in most cases? Rocks on the ground are the biggest cause but a dog’s claws can also be problematic.
Dog owners like to get a dog-friendly tent that has a more durable floor so their pet friends can’t tear it.
Poor handling will also damage the floor and leave you with a huge tear or hole. See how to set up a tent step by step so your tent and belongings will be undamaged.
You may contemplate getting rid of the damaged tent and buy a new one when this happens but you don’t need to resort to such an extreme measure.
You can repair it with simple steps and I will guide you to patch a tent floor like a pro.
Small tear repair
If the tear is not too big, follow the steps below to make the repair.
- Locate the tear and make sure that the area is clean. Use alcohol to clean the area to remove any dirt.
- Cut a portion of tenacious tape for sealing the cut. The tape should be larger than the tear by two centimeters on both sides to seal it effectively.
- Round off the edges of the tape to reduce chances of the tape coming off when attached.
- Remove the backing from the tape and attach the tape over the tear on the top section of the tent’s floor. Press the tape effectively to remove the bubbles on the tape.
- Apply the tape on the bottom side as well to ensure that you have double protection over the tear. Make sure to press the tape over it so it adheres to the surface firmly.
- Optional step: You can choose not to apply the tape on the outside of the tent as it could get pulled apart when it comes into contact with objects on the ground.
If you opt to skip the last step, you will have to use a seal grip to seal the tear from below. After applying the tape to the upper section of the floor, turn the tent over and apply seal grip gently over the damaged part.
Use your finger to spread the seal grip on the tent’s surface for proper sealing. Let the seal grip to sit for about 12 hours undisturbed.
Large tear repair
If you have a large tear, then the method mentioned above may not be ideal. You would have to use a large piece of tenacious tape to seal the tear but this is also not a good idea.
The ideal measure would be to sew it to seal it and this is how to do it.
- Get the ideal sewing thread. The thread that you will use in this regard is not the ordinary thread that you use to replace buttons on your shirt. You will need special sewing thread and polyester thread is one of the best that you can get in this regard.
- Sew the tear on the floor perfectly and ensure that you sew over the whole tear. Be gentle when sewing as you don’t want to create tears elsewhere on the material that may expose you to outdoor elements.
- The tiny holes created by the needle will allow water to enter into the tent and you should seal them to prevent this from happening. Use seal grip and allow it to dry for about 12 hours.
- Your camping tent is now ready for use.
I think you might be interested to repair a tear in a tent as well so use my tips on how to do that.
Fix it and save money
Any damage to the floor of your tent will allow water on the ground to sip into the interior and invite insects in. This can be quite a nuisance so use my two methods that you can use to fix it.
