After we found our campsite, we back in the truck, unloaded, and set up the tent. Well, we tried to set up the tent. Just as we were hoisting up the poles, we saw a 3 inch tear in the side of the tent. The initial shock turned into frustration, as we were excited to eat lunch and then go on an afternoon hike down to the lake. Now we had a large hole that we knew needed immediate attention because the forecast showed chances of rain. Thankfully, I bought this tent repair kit on our shopping trip and had it in the console of the truck. I brought it out and was pleased to see its contents and the variety of repair tools it came with.
The kit includes two patches: one gray and one black. One is for the bottom of the tent that is made to match the same material. The other is for the side wall of the tent. These patches were nice because they didn’t require glue or heat to adhere them. They have an adhesive backing so all I had to do was peel it off and apply to the tent. You have to make sure the area is clean before applying the patch. The patches were a good size and I was able to repair the tear within a couple of minutes. This was so easy and simple that it didn’t even matter anymore that there was a hole. It was fixed and we were able to move on with our activities.
After repairing the hole, I looked through the rest of the kit and found a few other good repair items. It also had a tube of seam sealer for the inside of the tent, 3 sizes of metal cupplers and a few feet of shock cord for repairing tent poles. It came with spare screening in 2 different shades (gray and black), a needle to sew it on, and two shades of thread (white and black). Instructions were also included, as well as a re-sealable plastic bag to keep everything dry and safely in one place.
The only item I have used so far is the patch for the wall. It has worked out great and it was so nice to have on hand. I would recommend to always have a tent repair kit with you for times like that. It is important to always be prepared and this kit was perfect.