Tip 1: Campsite Selection. Tent care starts when you are selecting your campsite. You should try to find an established campsite on a flat and even spot with no vegetation. The ideal campsite is sheltered from the wind and far enough away from other campers to afford you some privacy. You should pay particular attention to the type of ground, hard rocky ground or loose sandy areas can be very tough to place tent pegs into.
Prior to pitching your tent, you should clear any rocks, sticks or any other foreign objects from the area. This will not only make your sleeping place more comfortable, it will also help protect your tent by ensuring you don’t step on a sharp rock and puncture the floor.
Tip 2: Use a footprint. If possible you should always use a “footprint” which is a cut to size ground sheet that goes underneath your tent and provides extra protection from any roots or rocks which you may have missed when clearing your site. Many tent manufacturers offer footprints to match their tents, or you may use a cheap tarpaulin folded and cut to the size of your tent. A footprint will also keep your tent clean and dry which will make packing up easier and quicker.
Tip 3: Pitch it Taut. When pitching your tent you should ensure all lines are tight and the rainfly is covering the entire tent. This will avoid any saggy areas that would allow water to stand, in turn weakening the tent and making a wet night more likely.
Tip 4: Remove your shoes. When entering and exiting your tent you should always remove your shoes first. This keeps sand and mud away from your bedding, and also reduces wear on the tent floor. Tents with good sized vestibules allow you to leave your shoes outside while protecting them from the rain. This is ideal if you or your partner has smelly feet!
Tip 5: Clean and Dry Storage. The most important rule to getting a long life out of your camping equipment is to ensure it is clean and dry when placed in storage. If there is any moisture in your tent this will cause mildew to form over time which not only smells bad, it also weakens your tent fabrics considerably.