Tents – Repair & Service

Our service doesn’t stop when you buy the tent: we want to help you make the most of it. We’re not based in China, we’re here in Melbourne, which means we can clean, repair and service your One Planet tent if and when it is needed. (Reasonable costs apply: contact One Planet for further details.)

We have seen a lot of trashed tents in our time, and we’ve been able to fix most of them. We can replace broken poles, stretched shock cord and various missing bits, as well as fix cuts and holes in the tent. If your precious tent needs some TLC, send it back to us. (After all, we designed it, so we’ll know how to mend it.) If you want to do it yourself, the information below should help.

Holes

Sometimes rodents, flying sparks, pointy objects and other menaces can do horrible things to your tent. If it’s looking a little leaky, send it back to One Planet for repair. We’d much prefer to fix it than have our baby end up in landfill! If you’d rather DIY, instructions follow…
One Planet tents are made using the best fabrics available for the purpose. However, it is not uncommon for damage to occur, particularly on the base of tents. Common causes of damage are sharp objects, rough treatment and boisterous children!

Holes can be easily repaired. If you are in Australia, One Planet can send you two patches of adhesive-backed fabric to fix small holes. For repairs in the field, special glue called Seamgrip (available in many good outdoor shops) will also do the job, patching holes of up to four centimetres square.

Regardless of the method to be used, first thoroughly clean both the inside and outside of the fabric surrounding the area to be repaired.

Adhesive fabric

• Cut two patches of the adhesive-backed fabric so they are at least two centimetres larger than the area to be repaired.
• Peel the backing off one patch and place it over the hole on the inside of the tent.
• Peel the backing off the other patch and place the fabric over the hole on the outside of the tent.
• Rub the two patches firmly for a minute or so. Easy!

Glue

• Get a patch of fabric at least two centimetres larger than the area to be repaired. (Use whatever material is handy; ideally something durable but still supple.)
• Spread Aquaseal liberally over the fabric patch, especially the edges.
• Place the patch over the hole on the outside of the tent and apply firm pressure for a couple of minutes.
• If your hole is larger than four centimetres square, use a patch on both the inside and outside of the tent, making sure the edges of the patch are sealed with adhesive.

Zips

One Planet use only YKK zips on all our tents as they are reliable and durable. YKK zip sliders are intentionally made from a soft alloy so the slider wears out before the zip teeth. Good news, as the slider is relatively easy to replace, while the teeth aren’t.

After extensive use, especially in dirty or dusty environments, the inner parts of the slider can be worn away so it cannot bring the teeth of the zip together effectively. To get the worn slider working until it can be replaced, use a pair of pliers to gently squeeze the slider sides together. (Don’t use too much force or you may jam it!) This gentle adjustment should allow the slider to bring the zip teeth together again.
Always try to keep the zip teeth as clean as possible. After cleaning your tent (see care instructions), lubricate the zips with a silicon lubricant suitable for use on fabrics.

Poles

To ensure a long life for your poles, remember these few points:

• Don’t be Luke Skywalker with his light sabre! Flicking the pole up to snap it all together is great fun, but it damages the shock cord and fractures the segments. Take time and put the segments together with care.
• Keep sand and grit out of the pole segments. If they do get dirty, clean them out with water and let them dry thoroughly before storage.

Replacing a pole section

Okay, so you disregarded our wise advice, re-enacted some scenes from Star Wars, and now your poles don’t work as they should. Don’t worry – help is at hand!

First of all, you need a matching pole segment. If the elastic shock cord has been damaged, that will need to be replaced as well. Visit your nearest One Planet dealer or contact us direct.

Step one: remove the end plug.

The end plugs hold the shock cord in place and will need to be removed. Soak one end in hot water to soften the heat-sensitive glue. Grip the end plug in a vice (or pliers if you are strong) and screw it out. Untie the knot or cut it off. If the shock cord needs replacing, both end plugs will need to be removed.

Step two: replace the broken segment.
Replace the broken segment with the new segment. Rethread the shock cord and tie to the end plug. If necessary, a touch of heat-sensitive glue will hold the end plug securely in place.

Step three: there isn’t one. You’re finished.

Replacing parts

We have spare poles and pegs, as well as pole, peg and tent bags – contact us with the model name and year of purchase and we’ll try to find a match – or something reasonably close at least! The bags might not be of the same fabric or colour, but (most importantly) they will be the right size!

Emergency repairs

The famous One Planet service can’t really help if you’re out in the bush when disaster strikes and you’re facing a cold, wet night with a broken tent… Which is where the amazing powers of electrical tape come in! Similar to duct tape, it is amazing stuff, well worth carrying in case emergency field repairs are needed. It can patch holes in the fly, temporarily fix tent poles (a twig or some other splint will be needed), and even be rolled into a ribbon and used to tie together broken shock cord. (The sticky residue is a nightmare to get off, please remove this prior to returning the broken part to us.)