Care for your tent and your tent will care for you, especially when it rains!

When you are outdoors camping or on a trail, there are some basic tent care rules you should follow.

Rule 1: before laying your tent out, clear a spot on the ground, removing large rocks, especially sharp rocks. You should also brush away twigs, sticks, and pine cones.

Rule 2: if you didn't buy a footprint (a piece of tent material that is the same size as the bottom of your specific tent), then use a tarp and lay it down on the ground before putting your tent up. Then lay your tent on top of the tarp/footprint. This protects the bottom of your tent and keeps your tent bottom from getting all wet.

Rule 3: always remove your boots/shoes before going inside your tent. No one likes dirt tracking inside, because it eventually makes its way into your sleeping bag.

Rule 4: before you pack your tent up in the morning, shake or brush it off. If it has any dew or rain on it, try to dry it off in the sun or shake it off as much as possible; more on this in a bit.

Rule 5: when packing your tent, it is best to either stuff or fold along new lines, this keeps creases from forming. When you fold the poles (if you have the elastic in between the poles), start from the middle and work your way out. This keeps the elastic from having too much stress placed on it at an end.

When you get home, you need to follow some more tent care steps:

Rule 1: if your tent is wet or damp, hang the tent up in the garage or somewhere that it can completely air dry. This is absolutely essential. You can put it out in the sun, just don't let it stay too long. UV rays can be harmful to the plastic. The reason for a dry tent is that they can start molding which will eat away the plastic and quickly destroy your tent.

Rule 2: if your tent is dirty-clean it. Use a gentle soap and cold water, or just plain water and gently clean off the mud.

Rule 3: store your tent in a dry place away from a damp environment. Avoid basement storage. If you can, hang your tent from somewhere. Most people don't camp during the winter, so hanging your tent during those months, will keep the tent from creasing and possibly cracking when you take it out in the spring. If hanging is not an option, try stuffing the tent in a large bag where it can be packed loosely.

If your tent has developed mold, you need to remove it ASAP. Try cleaning it with regular water first. If this fails, you can mix one-half cup of Lysol® in a gallon of hot water, then gently scrub the mold off. When it is off (the stain may still be there), then put it out in the sun to air dry-only for as long as it takes. Don't forget it out there!