How to look after and repair a polycotton tent ?

The first step to ensuring a long life for your tent is to use it properly.

As with all tents, the fabric of the polycotton tent is sensitive to UV rays which can damage it and accelerate its wear. To prolong the lifespan of your tent for as long as possible, we advise that you do not overexpose it to the sun. Granted, there is no such thing as a total screen for tents, but there are plenty of solutions such as awnings and tarps. Placed above your tent, they can protect it from the sun's rays. A location in the shade is also a very good solution. Be careful not to place your tent right under a tree that will drop its fruit!

Protected from the sun, your tent will repay you a hundredfold by withstanding the passage of years and camping trips.

Some sites recommend watering your tent before using it for the first time as this will tighten the weave and enhance its water resistance capabilities. While this advice applies to 100% cotton tents, mixing it with polyester eliminates the need for this step.

A polycotton tent is designed to withstand three consecutive weeks of annual exposure to the sun (our teams design them to last 30 to 40 weeks of use). You can of course use your tent for more than three weeks a year! But we recommend that you do not continuously subject it to UV rays, otherwise its wear will be greatly accelerated.

As part of the tent is made of cotton, the canvas must be completely dry before storing it to prevent moud. This is extremely important because polycotton fabric is very sensitive to moisture. Especially since even small specks of mould are very good at growing. It will then be too difficult to remove them and bad odours may develop.

The golden tip is as follows: dry your tent well before storing it. Either at the end of your camping trip if the sun and wind are there, or once you are back home in your second house!

If you have space, the easiest thing to do is to pitch your tent in the open air, open all the doors and air it out well, just like spring cleaning. The sun and wind will be your best friends. If you are in a hurry, you can use a squeegee (like those used for swimming pools) to remove the water from your groundsheet.

Yes, that's if you have a big garden. We also have solutions if you don't have space outside to pitch your tent and dry it. Take your tent apart: double roof on one side, bedroom on the other. Then dry each item separately on a clothesline, a clothesline, a bathtub curtain rod, a balcony, etc. The guy ropes will be your allies to avoid a fall or a flight of canvas from the top of a balcony!

And last but not least, don't forget to dry the bottom of your tent and the cover too ;)
Once your tent is dry, and only then, you can fold it and store it in its cover. A word of advice: close the front door and all openings in the tent before packing it away. It will be even easier to unfold.

Store your tent in a dry place at room temperature. If you can place it high up, it's even better (in case small rodents are curious to see what is hidden in the cover).

By following all of these tips, you will ensure that you avoid any damp odours that may enter your tent.

You should know that the environmental impact of a discarded tent is equal to more than 3,000 km by car. To limit this impact, all Quechua and Forclaz tents are repairable ! In addition, we know how attached we can be to our tent when it has allowed us to experience unforgettable campfire evenings. All the more reason to choose the repair solution!

Do you need to change a pole? Do you need to replace a bedroom? There are two solutions, depending on your wishes, the space you have at home and the tools you have available:

- you can contact the workshop of your DECATHLON store to have your tent repaired. Several services are available such as roll bar repairs, roof liner changes etc.

- Are you a handyman or a handywoman? visit the after-sales service site where you can find advice, videos and tutorials to help you repair your tent step by step. You can buy all the spare parts you need, such as an inflatable roll bar or a double canopy, via the SAV site.