How To Fold A Pop-Up Tent? – Step By Step Guide

Your pop up tent is designed to protect you from heat, cold, rain and UV radiations when camping outdoors. Indeed, the materials used to manufacture outdoor canopy tents are durable and weatherproof, and lend the tents their resilient nature.

Take for instance PVC or polyester – two popular materials for canopy construction. They are known for –

• Excellent UV absorption capabilities: this means they absorb the bulk of the UV radiation in sunlight and keep you safe in their shade.
• Breathable: this means the temperature inside the tent remains at an optimum and you don’t feel stuffy.
• Insulating: Both PVC and polyester are great insulators, meaning you can stay warm and comfortable inside your tent on cold days.
• Waterproof: Both materials keep out water, meaning you can stay dry while camping in the rainy season.

Cutting edge derivatives of these two materials like polycotton, and PVC/PU coated polyester take their efficacy a notch higher, giving more reasons to users to rely on heavy duty pop up canopies. High quality tent manufacturers are pretty choosy about frame materials too. Hence, the best branded pop up tents available in the market have extruded aluminium or powder coated steel frames. Needless to say, both materials are durable enough to last you a lifetime.

But all this doesn’t mean tents are indestructible. They too need care, although not a lot of it! By taking care of a few simple things you can make your tent last really long. In this piece we will discuss how to fold and store your tent in a proper manner so as not to damage its fabric or frame, and make it last a lifetime. Let’s dive right in!

Step 1: Untie Guy Ropes, and Remove Fasteners and Tent Pegs

It’s common practice to secure tents with guy ropes and tent pegs. Where the surface is hard and unsuitable for tent pegs, tent users often use weight plates, sand or water bags to secure tent footplates. Before you start taking down your tent, make sure you have untied the guy ropes and removed all the tent pegs or weight plates. But do not attempt this in windy conditions. Wait for the draft to settle down and then begin everything. Otherwise you will be left running after a parachuting canopy!

Step 2: Remove Fasteners Connecting Canopy to Frame

The next step is to detach the canopy from the tent frame. Gently remove the Velcro fasteners attaching the canopy with the frame and collapse the frame slightly. This will make it easy for you to remove the canopy from the frame. But before you remove the canopy entirely, watch out for extruding tree branches, not least if you are camped in the wilderness. They can do serious damage to the fabric.

In case of inflatable tents, things are simpler of course. You just need to let out the air in the tubes and the whole structure will sag and collapse.

Step 3: Remove the Canopy and Clean Thoroughly

Once you have removed the canopy from the frame, or it is completely collapsed, as in case of an inflatable tent, it’s time to check for water logging and cleaning. Rain water can accumulate in the folds and creases of tent canopies, especially in the monsoons. While it won’t harm your canopy directly, it can eat into the tent’s frame with time. So, it’s necessary to look for water pooling and wipe the canopy with a piece of clean, dry cloth. This also takes care of settled dirt and debris and helps retain the sheen of the fabric.

Do not forget to inspect the frame for water pooling, especially at the joints. Look out for mildew accumulation on the tent fabric. Use vinegar to get rid of the fungi, if nothing else is available.

Step 4: Fold Up the Canopy and Pack It in Its Bag

The last part of the chore involves folding the canopy along its fold lines. It’s best to stick to old fold lines while going about this because that will prevent too many creases from forming on the canopy. But look out for fabric damage along the lines, especially when the Custom Canopy Tent has been in use for quite some time. Take precautions at the first sight of wear and tear.

Once your canopy is neatly folded, it is time to fold the frame completely as well. Remove the connectors and collapse the frame completely. Now it’s ready to be packed! Make sure the frame is free of dirt and moisture before you pack the whole thing. Use the tent bag given with your accessory to store your tent. Store in a cool and dry place only. Silica gel pouches are an excellent way of keeping your tent dry in storage. Just throw in one or two pouches inside the tent bag and rest assured.

Endnote

Treat your tent well and you can expect it to serve you a lifetime!