How long would you expect a tent to last?
Discussion
Was wondering how long a tent should last, with possibly 2-3 weeks usage each year, of 2 or 3 different places? I doubt if I'll use it more than this year, and feel it's already had it's day. However, I'm sure it should be able to last another season.
I'm making small repairs to the tent, which is a 3 man and probably bought for £25, approx 20 years ago. My first repair was about 10 years in, a tear in the outer skin, but easily repairable with a stick on patch. This year I've invested in new tent pegs as the hot summer bent most of the original tent pegs I had, whilst trying to force them in to a chalk based soil. The groundsheet has plenty of scuffle type marks, even though it's only been on grass. I've a picnic rug that doubles up as a carpet to solve this.
The guy ropes are in a sorry state, and I've had to use garden twine to repair one set, also had to make a sewing type repair on the tent part of the guy rope installation.
All in all, the tent has had it's useful life, and probably next weeks Goodwood Revival will be it's last outing. However, how long should a tent last? How long would you expect it to last?
I'm making small repairs to the tent, which is a 3 man and probably bought for £25, approx 20 years ago. My first repair was about 10 years in, a tear in the outer skin, but easily repairable with a stick on patch. This year I've invested in new tent pegs as the hot summer bent most of the original tent pegs I had, whilst trying to force them in to a chalk based soil. The groundsheet has plenty of scuffle type marks, even though it's only been on grass. I've a picnic rug that doubles up as a carpet to solve this.
The guy ropes are in a sorry state, and I've had to use garden twine to repair one set, also had to make a sewing type repair on the tent part of the guy rope installation.
All in all, the tent has had it's useful life, and probably next weeks Goodwood Revival will be it's last outing. However, how long should a tent last? How long would you expect it to last?
How longs a piece of string?
Pissheads falling about in it bending poles not packing away properly not drying it out properly - not he longest.
We bought our current tent 12 years ago - back then IMHO a good one 4 man two pods and a centre section, got it end of season so it was barely £100.
We’ve used it easily 20 times be it with friends or other couples as it’s plenty big enough.
It’s bulky though relative to the new ones today.
I bought 10” thick metal tent pegs they simply will not bend and do a cracking job.
Ours is still perfectly fine even now - used but fine.
Would I like a new latest spec one absolutely - actually as we’re now a family of 5 frankly it needs to be bigger so there is the excuse but I’d expect that to last a long time.
I guess £400-600 territory RRP would be the range - but being sensible I try to always buy end of season in the deals.
Note I’ve never repaired a single tent for leaks or bent poles, never actually had a leak as it happens. Sole reason I changed the last 3 before that is they took an age to put up and a royal PITA to pack away and very 1970’s
Pissheads falling about in it bending poles not packing away properly not drying it out properly - not he longest.
We bought our current tent 12 years ago - back then IMHO a good one 4 man two pods and a centre section, got it end of season so it was barely £100.
We’ve used it easily 20 times be it with friends or other couples as it’s plenty big enough.
It’s bulky though relative to the new ones today.
I bought 10” thick metal tent pegs they simply will not bend and do a cracking job.
Ours is still perfectly fine even now - used but fine.
Would I like a new latest spec one absolutely - actually as we’re now a family of 5 frankly it needs to be bigger so there is the excuse but I’d expect that to last a long time.
I guess £400-600 territory RRP would be the range - but being sensible I try to always buy end of season in the deals.
Note I’ve never repaired a single tent for leaks or bent poles, never actually had a leak as it happens. Sole reason I changed the last 3 before that is they took an age to put up and a royal PITA to pack away and very 1970’s
I think I have had my moneys worth 
but was interested in how long a tent should last.
There was a feature on this mornings breakfast show where loads of tents were left behind as rubbish from the Reading festival - could some enterprising person, collect them up and sell them on? They didn't look old.
but was interested in how long a tent should last.
There was a feature on this mornings breakfast show where loads of tents were left behind as rubbish from the Reading festival - could some enterprising person, collect them up and sell them on? They didn't look old.
condor said:
I think I have had my moneys worth
but was interested in how long a tent should last.
There was a feature on this mornings breakfast show where loads of tents were left behind as rubbish from the Reading festival - could some enterprising person, collect them up and sell them on? They didn't look old.
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/volunteers-salvage-hundreds-leeds-festival-15081383but was interested in how long a tent should last.
There was a feature on this mornings breakfast show where loads of tents were left behind as rubbish from the Reading festival - could some enterprising person, collect them up and sell them on? They didn't look old.
That's pretty good going, I'm on my third for the same time duration, get used once or twice a year
1) cheapy 3 man dome, prob £35, did 10 years, then was letting water in and TBH not worth having it treated.
2) Replaced with £75 4 man tent as not so young I wanted space to stand up inside, did 6 years, had a couple small tears but zip knackered and like so much today, just not worth time or expense of repairing.
3) £100 4 man, couple of uses now.
perfect design for me is enough space to stand up but with a small footprint that gives you flexibility where you pitch if not turning up earliest at music festivals etc. Not too dear as you're taking it to festivals, One room is ample, current winner is a vango berkeley 500
1) cheapy 3 man dome, prob £35, did 10 years, then was letting water in and TBH not worth having it treated.
2) Replaced with £75 4 man tent as not so young I wanted space to stand up inside, did 6 years, had a couple small tears but zip knackered and like so much today, just not worth time or expense of repairing.
3) £100 4 man, couple of uses now.
perfect design for me is enough space to stand up but with a small footprint that gives you flexibility where you pitch if not turning up earliest at music festivals etc. Not too dear as you're taking it to festivals, One room is ample, current winner is a vango berkeley 500
condor said:
I think I have had my moneys worth
but was interested in how long a tent should last.
There was a feature on this mornings breakfast show where loads of tents were left behind as rubbish from the Reading festival - could some enterprising person, collect them up and sell them on? They didn't look old.
People used to buy them for festivals and leave them for charity to send out to 3rd world countries for any aid. but was interested in how long a tent should last.
There was a feature on this mornings breakfast show where loads of tents were left behind as rubbish from the Reading festival - could some enterprising person, collect them up and sell them on? They didn't look old.
However reading up on the Reading tents it appears nearly all are trash (oddly plenty deliberately damaged and others with human poo left inside...). They are nearly all going to landfill what an utter utter ecological waste.
We have a 20 year old three man tent which had been extensively used for about ten years and it is still good.
We bought a four man stand-up tent about 6 years ago and it started falling apart after four years use (about three weeks camping plus the odd weekend each year) It was a cheap Trespass tent. Seams were failing/ leaking, zips knackered, poles out of shape, ground sheet ripped, a general mess - but maybe a result of family use.
We have had a Vango 4 man tent for the past two years. It seems okay for the moment, although part of the inner lining has frayed and ripped. If it makes it to 5 years I would be happy.
We bought a four man stand-up tent about 6 years ago and it started falling apart after four years use (about three weeks camping plus the odd weekend each year) It was a cheap Trespass tent. Seams were failing/ leaking, zips knackered, poles out of shape, ground sheet ripped, a general mess - but maybe a result of family use.
We have had a Vango 4 man tent for the past two years. It seems okay for the moment, although part of the inner lining has frayed and ripped. If it makes it to 5 years I would be happy.
king hell I bought a sundome thingy for 15 quid that broke first time out!I got my (second) Vango Equinox about 20 years ago, its probably seen 200 - 300 nights of use and is still in decent condition although the seam taping could do with being replaced and one of the poles has a slight bend in it.
As a result of my first (indentical) Equinox falling apart from UV damage within about 5 years, and following advice from Vango's technical team, I make sure it gets a good waterproofing every year with Fabisil, which seems to have stopped it from getting sun damaged.
As a result of my first (indentical) Equinox falling apart from UV damage within about 5 years, and following advice from Vango's technical team, I make sure it gets a good waterproofing every year with Fabisil, which seems to have stopped it from getting sun damaged.
I have a Quechua 3 man pop-up that I bought for £60 in 2004 when they were almost unknown - regularly used to have to demonstrate it to people at campsites!
It's been all over the world with me since then and is still going strong, showing no signs of any wear or damage.
I'd say if you look after it then a good test should last many many years.
It's been all over the world with me since then and is still going strong, showing no signs of any wear or damage.
I'd say if you look after it then a good test should last many many years.
Cheapy Tesco 3man jobbie bought for Glasto 2010 and still going strong festival use only at least once a year.
Some enterprising folk stay back at Glasto and "recycle" abandoned tents, it is not unknown for the tents to contain more unopened beer than they can carry! I've heard tales of £400 tents that people have just walked away from.
Some enterprising folk stay back at Glasto and "recycle" abandoned tents, it is not unknown for the tents to contain more unopened beer than they can carry! I've heard tales of £400 tents that people have just walked away from.
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