So you have a commercial tent — congrats!
It’s all fun and games when the tent is in use, but what about storage? It’s important to make sure you take the right precautions and be mindful when packing up commercial tents for storage (plus, could save you many a headache and lots of dollars in the long run). Let’s dive in.
Tent Equipment Storing Guidelines
TENT TOPS
Commercial tent tops are usually made with vinyl fabrics. Although each company differs, most commercial fabric have vinyl plastics on top and bottom of the tent.
Be mindful: These vinyl coatings are subject to scrape away if the tent is dragged against a abrasive surface (i.e., concrete or asphalt). It’s best to avoid rubbing your tent surfaces against anything that could harm the aesthetic.
- Leave no moisture: Make sure the surface is dried out completely. If your tent isn’t completely dry, moisture can penetrate inside the fabric and mold will form from the bacteria, causing mildew (not fun). It is VERY hard to get rid of the mildew once it is formed inside the fabric.
To be safe, it’s a good idea to lay the tent out on a flat surface and dry. - Storage bags: Ideal bags for storing the tents are breathable type (so moisture can escape). However, most storage bags are made of vinyl. The best thing to do if your bag isn’t as breathable is to leave the top of the bag open and let moisture escape.
- Keep in mind the hardware: Quality buckles are made of stainless steel, so that rust won’t form. If your buckles are not stainless steel, it’ll be likely that they will develop rust quickly—make sure you take proper precautions to make sure all buckles are dry before storing.
TENT FITTINGS
Most quality tent fittings are made of coated steel. Coated steel is rust-resistant, but are NOT rust-proof. If you’re planning for prolonged use, it’s important to paint the fittings intermittently so the rust can not seep into the surface beneath the steel coating.
Rust lifetime depends on the proximity of rust-inhibiting agents such as saltwater, rainwater exposure, and fittings surface treatments. Be mindful of your location and where you store the tents (ideally in a cool, dry area).
TENT POLES
Most aluminum tent poles are anodized-coated and not rust-proof. Anodized surfaces can easily lose its coating over time and especially with abrasive use such as dragging or sliding the poles while storing and stacking.
Keep in mind that aluminum oxide rust is white rust that may chemically react with vinyl tent tops and in turn, leave black marks on the vinyl. These marks are not easily cleaned, so to save yourself the time and trouble, make sure that when storing aluminum, be careful with the surfaces of the tent poles and avoid hastily stacking.
It’s important to store aluminum poles in dry areas. If you expose aluminum to water or moisture, aluminum oxide will form.
Hope this helps. Leave a comment if you have any questions or have any other experiences storing commercial tents.