Karsten Tents have proven their quality throughout the years and are solid as a rock. For even more camping fun, we are happy to give you a few maintenance tips:
Before you leave on your camping trip, find out on what type of soil you will be pitching your tent (sand, rock, or grass), so you can bring the appropriate pegs. We recommend using washed guy lines for Karsten Tents. These are in fact better for all tents, as they won't affect the water-repellent properties of the canvas.
1. Beware of high-voltage lines
Never hold aluminium arch poles near high-voltage lines!
2. Tension
Always make sure your tent canvas is stretched tightly, allowing water to trickle down without pooling.
3. Dirt on the tent canvas
Did you spot dirt or a stain on your tent canvas? Remember the golden rule: keep it dry and don't use soap!
Regularly wipe the (dry) tent canvas clean with a soft brush, to prevent it from getting too dirty. Dirt is a breeding ground for fungi. Be wary of setting your tent up under trees. Resin, lice excretion or other substances could end up on your tent and are hard or impossible to remove. They can also impact the water-repellent properties of the tent canvas. Always allow stains on the tent canvas to dry up entirely before removing them. Try to remove stains with a soft brush only, and if necessary, with clean water.
4. No soap!
Never use soap or other chemicals to clean the canvas. They will reduce the water-repellent properties of the canvas.
5. Ventilation
Always make sure the tent is properly ventilated, even if the tent is not or hardly used. It is essential ensure ventilation when you are cooking, as condense could lead to mould.
6. Prevent leakage: no sunscreen lotion or wet towels on the tent
The waterproofness of the tent canvas is checked thoroughly. The biggest threats to the waterproofness are sunscreen lotion/oil, detergents or their vapours. We strongly advise against washing or drying the laundry, in, on, or near the tent, as this may cause leakage. It is also best to avoid cleaning the ground sheet with a detergent.
If your tent shows signs of leakage, don't start treating the entire canvas with a waterproofing agent right away. Treating the spots where there is leakage will suffice. You see, the cotton of which the tent canvas is made is woven to be breathable. If you treat the entire tent canvas with a waterproofing agent, it will lose its breathable properties. The Karsten Tents workshop is happy to recommend a treatment method and the right waterproofing agent.
7. Film window and ground sheet
Avoid contact between film windows and the PVC ground sheet. The ground sheet could leave a print in the film.
8. Inner tube
The inner tube is made of rubber. Make sure it doesn't come into contact with oil or similar products.
9. Guy lines
If you want to replace the guy lines, use only cotton or washed nylon guy lines. These do not affect the waterproofness of the tent canvas' cotton.
10. Story dry
Don't fold the tent when it's wet. If you must, make sure that you unfold and dry the tent as quickly as possible, but no later than 24 hours later. The tent should be dry before it is put away in the bag. After that, store the tent in a dry environment.