"Restoring" a tent...

[4shot]

yesterday I decided to go on an overnight camping trip at the last minute. Threw some stuff together and grabbed an old MSR Hubba Hubba that I had in the attic for the last 3 years. Don't know why I decided to take it but I did. Anyway, when I get to my site I oull the thing out and it felt extremely sticky, almost like it was covered in syrup. Then I found out that the pole and stakes weren't in the bag (rookie mistake). I slept in an old barn on the place so that was no major issue.

When I got home today, I looked at it a bit closer. My attic gets very hot in the summer and there were white flakes all over the fly and tent. My theory is that the heat baked out the silicone water proofing stuff (just a guess).

any thoughts on how to remove the stickiness. I know I can retreat it but I won't use it again if it feels so sticky. I knew the weather was going to be good and that I had the barn as a fall back option, otherwise I would have taken my tarptent but I wanted to take the MSR out for old times sake. Any advice is appreciated!

[DaTwiztedOne]

im not sure if it will help but i had an old cabin tent that had some kind of flakes on it and it leaked bad, i took and set it up and blasted it with my powerwasher and peeled most everything off it, then i scrubbed it with westlys bleach white and then powershed it again and let it dry good, then i bought 5 cans of water proof from walmart and sprayed the heck out of it. it had some light and dark spots in it when done BUT it never leaked again :)

[Tipi Walter]

If you're serious about spending any amount of time in the woods, I'd dump the old tent and upgrade. Even with perfect conditions a tent under use is a lost cause eventually---the zippers bust, the hydrostatic floor coating sponges up water, the fly gets UV damage. I'd go with a new tarp before going with an old tent.

[Black Wolf]

Corn Starch will remove the stickiness ... you'll have to rub it in .. if the seams are taped .. use your fingernails and rub it ( the seam tape ) completely off .. then re- seam seal using Permatex Flowable Windshield sealer ... then spray it down with a waterproof spray .. it's a lot of steps .. and some amount of work .. but it will refurbish the tent .. for occasional use ..you'll be OK .. anything more I'd follow Tipi's advice and replace it .. the one thing that can't be replaced .. well it could be .. is the thread if they're deteriorated.

[Venchka]

Oh good grief. Return it to REI for a new one.
Always store a tent loosely stuffed in a large cotton bag. Walmart, Target, etc. Sell large laundry bags that are perfect to hold a tent and a sleeping bag. Keep the bags in a closet indoors. Never in a gararge or attick.
The Hubba Hubba hasn't been made long enough to be old. Take better care of the next one.

Wayne

[McPick]

4Shot... This is a known issue, especially with the old orange and yellow flys. Contact Cascade Designs' Customer Service (MSR section at their website) and explain the problem. I had a similar situation several years ago with an older Hubba-Hubba fly. For the cost of shipping the old fly to them, they replaced it. Simple as that...

I want to tell you that I know firsthand how this company prides itself on its customer service. This, from their website, is not just typical rhetoric... "by striving to exceed our customers' expectations of service, we will be successful for many years to come." In my experiences, Cascade Designs excels at it. I am a customer for life.

Keep us posted!

[Tipi Walter]

The Hubba Hubba hasn't been made long enough to be old. Take better care of the next one.

Wayne

This is misleading. "Old" can mean worn out if a person uses their tent 6 months out of the year. I have found my Hillebergs to be significantly degraded after about 5 years of steady usage.

[flemdawg1]

Toss it or return it to REI. Next time don't put it in the attic.

[Venchka]

This is misleading. "Old" can mean worn out if a person uses their tent 6 months out of the year. I have found my Hillebergs to be significantly degraded after about 5 years of steady usage.

That may be true. However, it doesn't take very long to ruin coated nylon in an attic. I know from experience. Did a similar thing myself. I sent the degraded tent back to The North Face asking if the tent could be repaired and offered to pay for the repair. I got a new Bullfrog tent in return. I wish I could say the same fro a pair of Garmot boots. Garmot is off of my list.


Toss it or return it to REI. Next time don't put it in the attic.

That's what I said. Thanks for the confirmation.

Wayne

[HooKooDooKu]

Always store a tent loosely stuffed in a large cotton bag.
I thought that was for sleeping bags, not tents. Never heard even a suggestion that a tent be stored loosely. I stored a Kelty tent in the original pack for well over a decade without a problem... at least not until the water proof coating started to disintegrate. But by then, the ten was well over 15 years old.

However, I did make sure the tent was BONE DRY before it was stored, and it was ALWAYS stored in a cool DRY basement.

I can't think of any camping equipment that I would ever store in a attic. It's very easy for the typical attic to reach 140++ degrees in the summer.

[Wise Old Owl]

It's done +4