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I have a Vango Hurricane Alpha tent (made in Scotland) which I have owned since new in the early 1990s.

I have recently noticed that there are irregular white patches on the inside of the flysheet which appears to be the inner coating beginning to delaminate.

Is there any way of repairing this coating other than as a temporary repair or must I just accept that this tent, otherwise still in excellent condition, is just reaching the end of its useful life?

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I think you are correct and what you see it is the polyurethane coating chemically breaking down. Warm or damp conditions will accelerate this. An example image is displayed on the Outdoor Gear Lab tent-buying page under the section discussing polyurethane coatings.

Usually this means it's time to get a new tent, although there is one thing you can try. A thread on BPL mentioned the following steps as received from one tent manufacturer (Sierra Designs):

  1. Wash in front load washer or soak in a tub with a laundry detergent until the laminate peels off or is no longer sticky.
  2. Make sure you have all the soap out of the fabric and that it is dry.
  3. Re-laminate with Tent Sure by the McNett Company. This is a paint-on, and 2 coats should be sufficient.
  4. Make sure the tent or fly has time to dry between coats.

It is also mentioned that this is not guaranteed to work. However, many people use similar techniques (often with silicone coatings) to seam-seal their shelters, and I have not heard anything to suggest such coatings are particularly temporary.

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  • That's wonderful! Thank you so much!
    – End Anti-Semitic Hate
    Nov 24, 2023 at 17:46
  • if the de-lamination is partial, no need for a new tent: cutting and replacing part of the panel, with a good seam-seal, is not very hard
    – njzk2
    Nov 26, 2023 at 19:32
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Yes, a nylon tent flysheet that is delaminating can be repaired. One common method is to use a specialized tent seam sealer or adhesive designed for outdoor gear, as you'll see on my website. Clean the area thoroughly, apply the sealer or adhesive, and follow the product's instructions for the best results. Keep in mind that the success of the repair may depend on the extent of the delamination and the specific products used.

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  • This doesn't appear to add anything different from an existing answer.
    – Martin F
    Nov 23, 2023 at 17:30
  • Alex - we expect you to disclose affiliation with a particular website or service. Otherwise posts will be deleted as spam. See our How to Answer page for guidance.
    – Rory Alsop ♦
    Nov 24, 2023 at 14:01
  • People, three mods have looked at this answer and each separately decided it is not to be deleted as spam, so please stop reporting it as such.
    – Willeke ♦
    Nov 24, 2023 at 17:51

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