Maintenance

As with any tent, it is recommended to thoroughly wet the canvas and allow to dry before first usage. Repeat up to three times to ensure sealing of the seams. Whether or not the canvas needs to be resealed depends very much on how much you use the tent. We have customers that have travelled for months on end, using their Gordigear tent every day and they still find that it is as waterproof as on the day they bought it. However, it is a good idea to reseal it if the tent is in frequent use, especially in wet conditions. Only utilise quality protective agent from your local camping/outdoor shop or run a block of beeswax around the seams to revitalise the seam protection.

Clean with cold water only. A brush can be used if required. Do not use chemicals, soap or detergents. Using a silicon spray on all zips from time to time will extend their life.

You can pack together your Gordigear tent or awning when wet and reopen it several hours or days later. If you do so, make sure that it dries completely when reopening. We advise that you should always ensure that your tent or awning is dry if it is packed up for longer periods of time to prevent mould. Although our material is mould resistant, it still might develop mould if stored wet for extended periods.

Repair

Smaller tears are easy to repair and should be attended to before they become larger. Simply clean the area around the tear, make sure that it is dry and generously apply cloth or fabric repair tape on both sides of the tear. Then smooth out the edges of the tape, coat them with seam sealer and wait until the sealer has dried.

Large tears and holes require sewing, i.e necessitate an awl and waxed thread. Clean the area around the tear and let it throughly dry. Cut two similar size patches of fabric, at least 5cm larger than the repair area. Tent fabric is usually under moderate stress, so it pays off to take a deliberate approach and not just measure close enough. Before sewing patches onto the tent fabric, make sure you account for water run off. You don't want to form channels that can hold water, which will eventually lead to a leaking tent. Apply seam sealer to one side of each patch and wait for it to become tacky. Position one patch on each side of the repair area and smooth out wrinkles. Completely sew around the edges of the patches in a dense zigzag pattern and apply seam sealer to the perimeter of the patch, both inside and outside. Apply seam sealer to all other stitching and overlaps and wait until dry.

Leaks around seams can be stopped or prevented by simply applying seam sealer on and around the seam. Make sure the area is dry and clean before you apply the sealer and let it sufficiently dry out afterwards. Repeat until leak disappears.

Grommet replacement requires a grommet setter. Damaged grommets or tears around grommets require replacing. Cut out the grommet, making sure you remove as little canvas as possible. Cover the hole with a patch as per the instructions above. Use the grommet setter to position the new grommet and apply seam sealer around the edges of the new grommet.

Most of the time the above problems occur when too much force is applied. None of our products require force to be set up or dismantled. If in doubt, please contact us and ask. As a precautionary measure, it is recommended to take a small repair kit with you when you go camping. At a minimum, the kit should contain seam sealer, repair cloth and patches, an awl and waxed thread.

If you are not comfortable undertaking a repair yourself, please consult a specialist.