Check out my new tent

Analysing the tent

My new ebay-purchased Bell tent has arrived.
I didn't pay much for it because I was the only bidder in the auction.
That's a little worrying.
So let’s take a look at what we’ve got and why nobody else wanted it.
 I'll be honest; at first glance it looks quite bad.

The entrance is ripped.  I’ll need to sew that, and a substantial rip in the groundsheet needs properly repaired.


All of the flysheet is heavily contaminated with mildew – it’s obviously been either sitting out long term or else it’s been put away wet.


So three major problems, any one of which would put off a buyer wanting to just put the tent up and use it immediately.

For me this is an ideal project.
  • I can use a sewing machine, or if necessary I can sew by hand.
  • I'm sure I can find a way to clean the tent and remove the mildew
  • I can patch the groundsheet.
  • I will then re-proof the tent and make it ready for use.

I contacted SoulPad who responded immediately and were very helpful. They provided me with all the documentation and paperwork related to the tent and gave me some advice on cleaning and reproofing.  They even offered me fabric to use when patching the groundsheet.

It's winter. The ground here probably won't dry out until mid Spring so I'm limited in how much I can do.  My immediate challenge is to research and experiment with removing the mildew without damaging the tent.  Soulpad told me that the tent's storage bag is made from the same fabric as the main tent, and suggested I experiment with that before risking damage to the tent itself.

Comments