Caring for Troop Tents — Wasatch Front Scouting, Troop 1444

Wasatch Front Scouting  ·  Troop 1444

Caring for Troop Tents

A field guide to taking a tent home, drying it, cleaning it, and returning it ready for the next adventure.

Marker cartoon of the troop's canvas tent with its awning and two Scouts, mountains and a sun behind.
Fig. 1.  The troop's canvas tent, awning unfurled and pitched to dry.

Our troop tents are a real investment, each one costs more than $600. As Scouts we aim to be Trustworthy, Courteous, Thrifty, and Clean. One way we live those values is by caring for our gear so it lasts for many years and serves the Scouts who come after us.

1

Taking a tent home

At the end of a campout you may be asked to take a tent home to dry and clean before returning it to the trailer. Before you leave camp, check that you have everything:

  • Keep all components together. Each tent, tent bag, poles, and pole bag are marked with matching colored tape.
  • Check the tent bag holds: the ground tarp, the hand broom, and the dustpan.
  • Grab 6 stakes from the stake bucket in the trailer: 4 for the corners and 2 for the porch.
  • Find the awning guy ropes. They may be in the tent bag or in a bucket in the back of the trailer.
Something missing? Write it on the whiteboard in the back of the trailer and tell the Quartermaster or a Scout leader.
Marker cartoons in a row: tent bag, pole bag with poles, folded ground tarp, hand broom, dustpan, six stakes, and a coil of guy rope.
Fig. 2.  Everything that travels home with the tent. 4 corner stakes, 2 porch stakes.
2

Drying the tent

Damp canvas grows mold fast, so dry the tent fully and as soon as you can:

  • Set it up right away when you get home and let it dry completely.
  • Sunny day: pitch it outside in direct sunlight.
  • Raining: spread it out in a garage or other covered area, then unzip all the windows and doors. If you can, set two camp chairs inside to lift the canvas off the vinyl floor and move air between them.
  • Unfurl the awning so it dries too, and leave it unfurled when you store the tent.
Marker cartoon of the tent pitched open in the sun to dry, with an inset showing two camp chairs inside for airflow.
Fig. 3.  Dry in the sun when you can. In the rain, prop it open indoors with two chairs.
3

Cleaning the tent

  • Sweep it out (again, if it was not swept before packing).
  • Brush dirt and debris off the canvas.
  • Need more? Rinse with water and wipe with a soft cloth.
  • Dry the ground tarp and brush it off. Clean it with water and a brush if needed.

Never use soap or detergent

Soaps and detergents strip the canvas's water-repellent treatment. Water only.

Marker cartoon of Scouts sweeping and brushing the tent, with a no-soap symbol and an inset of rinsing with water.
Fig. 4.  Sweep and brush the tent and tarp. Rinse with water only, never soap.
4

Caring for the zippers

  • Do not force or "grind" zippers around corners.
  • Ease the way. Gently pull the canvas, window, or door fabric so the zipper glides.
  • Keep zippers clean and free of dirt and debris.
  • Before takedown, leave the windows partly unzipped so air can escape as you roll the tent.
Three-panel marker cartoon: don't force the zipper, brush the zipper clean, and roll the tent with windows cracked for airflow.
Fig. 5.  Ease zippers gently, keep them clean, and leave windows cracked before rolling.
5

Reporting any damage

Catch small problems before they become big ones. If you spot any of these, write it on the whiteboard in the back of the trailer and tell the Quartermaster or a Scout leader right away:

Report right away

  • Holes or tears
  • Damaged or sticking zippers
  • Signs of mold or mildew
  • Missing equipment
Marker cartoon of the open trailer with Scouts at the whiteboard, gear on the shelves and a stake bucket, and icons of a tear, a sticky zipper, mildew, and a missing stake across the top.
Fig. 6.  Log any damage on the trailer whiteboard, then return the tent complete.
6

Returning the tent

When the tent is dry, clean, and packed, bring it back to the trailer with everything that came with it:

  • Tent bag, holding the tent, ground tarp, guy lines, hand broom, and dustpan.
  • Pole bag with all of its poles.
  • Stakes returned to the stake bucket.
  • Mark it done. Write "Returned" and the date in the Issue section of the whiteboard for that tent.

Do not erase the Scout's name

Leave the name of the Scout who took the tent home on the board. It tells us where each tent has been.

Thank you for helping care for the troop's equipment. Your effort saves the troop money, extends the life of our tents, and keeps them ready for the next adventure.

Wasatch Front Scouting