A guide to tent repair (leaks, rips, broken poles & zippers)

Tips & tricks

Because mishaps can happen, especially in nature — it’s only important how you deal with them.

Picture this: you’re on an outdoor adventure, you’ve got all your supplies, you’ve brushed up on your tent-pitching skills and the excitement is already rushing through your veins, but then you notice that something’s wrong with your trusty tent. If you’re visiting camp Šimuni, you’ll find everything you need in our camping equipment shop. However, if you’re out in the wild and with no convenience store in sight, this might pose a bigger problem. In order to be prepared for these kinds of situations, read our easy tips on how to repair a tent.

First-aid tent repair kit

These are the things that you should pack with you on your camping trip: repair tape, seam sealer (depending on the material your tent is made of), pliers and some duct tape (always comes handy, not only for tent repair!).

How to patch a tent 

Learning how to fix a tear in polyester fabric can potentially save your camping trip. Holes in the fabric of your tent leave you vulnerable to wind, rain, bugs and other animals, but you can prevent that with just a bit of tent repair tape and seam sealer. 

You can apply it on the inside and the outside of your tent in case of smaller holes, just make sure to use the right material. For polyester or nylon tent repair, use tape and sealer made specifically for nylon and polyester tents. For canvas tents, use taffeta repair tape and a special seam sealer for canvas. 

If you have a bigger hole in your tent material, try to pull the two sides around the hole together, fold one side under the other, then sew tightly with a sewing awl and waxed thread. Make sure to apply seam sealer after sewing the material together. Of course, if you’re in a pickle and don’t have the necessary tools, duct tape can also work as a temporary solution. 

How to patch a camper canvas 

If you’re planning your vacation in a camper van but have an unfortunate tear in your pop up camper canvas, you can try solving it with a sewing awl and waxed thread. If you see that you can’t make nice, tight stitches, buy a repair kit that includes fabric and some sort of adhesive and use it as a patch for the canvas.

 

How to fix a tent zipper

If the slider on your zipper isn’t working, try repairing it using pliers. Remove the tiny iron stopper off the top of the zipper, then remove the zipper pull and close the two sides of the zipper pull with your pliers. When you see that it’s close to the initial shape of the pull, put it back on, as well as the stopper.

How to repair a broken pole

If you have a spare for your broken tent pole, then your problem is easily solved. If not, reach for the duct tape in your tent repair kit and wrap it generously around the poles that need strengthening and binding.

Now that you know what to do in case of an emergency tent repair, read up on some tips for camping in Croatia, then start planning your next camping escape!