Your tent has sprung far too many leaks to be repaired again. That’s one tell-tale sign that you need to replace it. Another is that it no longer comfortably accommodates your growing family. Older children take up more space than younger children and get restless if they aren’t able to move around freely. Lack of room to breathe is yet another sign that it’s time to rethink your current camping equipment.
Here’s how to tell that it’s time to upgrade your tent to a newer model:
It’s no longer easy to put up.
You used to be able to put your tent up in record time. Now you can’t because you’re missing pieces of it or they’re too worn or frayed to make the task quick for you. If you’re forced to camp with a big roll of duct tape to save your tent again, it’s time to start thinking about upgrading the equipment.
You’ve patched it so many times it’s a wonder it still can be used.
There is no physical way to use it anymore. It’s better off becoming a drop cloth for a paint or automotive project at this point. It has long surpassed being a suitable shelter to sleep in.
It’s too small for your family.
Fitting your large family or growing brood of children into the tent is questionable. After all, it is where you’ll be living for days or weeks at a time. You’ll want everyone to be able to move around and sleep in the tent comfortably. If they can’t, it’s time to buy something new and larger to use on the next camping trip.
It’s covered in mildew.
If you stored your tent for the winter and it got wet and mildewed before you could clean it, it’s time to replace it. You don’t want to take a chance on breathing contaminants in while you camp and sleep. Make sure to carefully store your camping equipment in a place that is dry year round so you don’t run into this problem again.
It’s time to go all out and make an investment in a new tent. Doing so ensures that you’ll have many happy camping experiences in the future. Now that you know what to look for in a tent’s features, you’ll be able to make an informed decision concerning which model is right for you and your family.
