With proper use, care and attention and following these useful guidelines and the manufacturers instructions it should provide you with many trouble free holidays.
Please erect your tent before going away for the first time and familiarize yourself with all the components of the tent as well as the assembly instructions provided by the manufacturer. We ask all customers to do this to ensure firstly that all the parts are present and working (imagine arriving 200 miles from home to discover a vital part was missing) and secondly so that when you arrive at your destination you can erect your tent efficiently and correctly no matter the weather. Canvas tents will also need to be weathered before first use i.e. thoroughly soaked then allowed to dry. We can not accept responsibility in failure to follow this point.
When pitching your tent try and find a suitably flat area that is clear from stones etc. Try and face doorways away from prevailing winds and try to make use of natural shelter but avoid pitching under trees, they continue to drip long after the rain stops.
Whilst all our tents will do there best to perform in very windy conditions it should be remembered that tents are temporary shelters and that even some permanent constructions can be affected in extreme winds. The major factor in a tents performance is how well it is erected and secured to the ground by the pegging points and guy lines. When pegging your tent out please try and insert your tent pegs into the ground at an angle of 45 degrees. All tents come supplied with very basic tent pegs. It is a very wise investment to purchase additional pegs to suit different types of ground that you may experience. We recommend plastic pegs for soft ground and a strong steel rock peg for hard ground. Please use all the guy line points on the tent. It may be nice and calm when you arrive but the weather can sometimes change quite quickly in the night or while you are out for the day. The guy lines are fitted by manufacturers for a reason, not as an ornament. Remember that your warranty does not cover storm damage.
Your tent is supplied by the manufacturer waterproofed. It must be remembered that as temporary shelters and constructed from woven material they will have a maximum tolerance to water pressure. Once this tolerance has been exceeded water seepage can occur. This tolerance level will vary between different makes and model of tent. Always make sure that you and your belongings don’t touch the tent fabric as this will allow water to seep in. Camping is an outdoor activity, you may occasionally get wet!!!
If your tent gets dirty and you wish to clean it only use plain water unless you purchase a special tent cleaner. Any household cleaner or detergent will take the waterproofing out of the canvas and become almost impossible to reproof.
Zips should give many years of trouble free use, however please remember that tugging a zip because it is stuck is not the answer to the problem. Zips are best treated with gentle respect and checked to make sure that material is not caught etc. Please also cross peg the base of your zips to remove excess strain from your zip.
Please do not confuse condensation and leaking. Modern polyester and nylon tents do not breathe naturally. Moisture in the air from cooking and your breathing as well as general atmospheric conditions can form beads of water when it comes into to contact with a cold surface such as the outer skin of your tent. This unfortunately is unavoidable but can be alleviated by leaving vents and doorways open if possible to allow air circulation and by the placing of a groundsheet. Water on the inside of your tent does not always mean leaking.
We all want sunshine when on holiday but tent fabrics are weakened by prolonged exposure to ultra violet light. With normal weekend and holiday use your tent will have many years of use but if it is to be left standing for a prolonged period of time deterioration will take place more rapidly and you should try and chose a shady location.
Packing your tent away is also very important. All tents should be packed away dry if at all possible however if they have to be packed away wet they must be opened up and dried thoroughly within 24 hours of being packed away. Cotton tents must be erected and pegged on the frame to avoid shrinkage of the canvas. Failure to do so will result in mildew forming on your tent, which can stain and at worse actually rot your tent.
Please remember that even with modern fire retardant fabrics your tent can still burn quickly. Please be careful and be sensible if cooking inside your tent. Read the manufacturers guidelines and above all use common sense.
We recommend insurance for your tent and camping equipment via our specialist insurer that will also cover storm damage, which your warranty will not cover. Please ask for a proposal form. Joining the Camping and Caravan club for new campers is also well worth considering. Please ask for an application form.
