UKC

I was camping the other week in relatively windy conditions and the corner of my eight-year old Hilleberg Nammatj ripped. I sent it off for repairs, and they said the UV damage to the tent was too great, making it too weak for repairs. I'm really bummed. Obviously these are very expensive tents -- was hoping to get more than eight years out of it. It's a high mileage tent as I do a lot of camping in the spring and summer. But still.

Does anyone know if you can buy flies alone? Or have any other brilliant ideas other than buying a whole new tent, which I can't really afford.

In reply to Emily_pipes:

Hi Emily. Yes you can buy the fly sheets on their own, unfortunately they are about 3/4 the price of an entire new tent (of the same model) and so is likely to cost more than what you originally paid for the tent. How big is the rip and where is it on the tent?

In reply to George Fisher UK:

The rip is about six to eight inches long I reckon (tent is at repair shop, so don't have it in front of me). If you were to stand facing the front of the tent, it's on the back right corner, maybe five or six inches from the peg.

In reply to Emily_pipes:

Looks like you may have to accept you've had some good usage from it by your own admission. Only you will know if you've had your moneys worth taking how much you originally paid for it and how many nights spent. Always good to reproof every season with UV proofer however without seeing it maybe not wise to throw much money at it ! Possibly try repairing it yourself and take a deep breath and save up for another one. If you've a few tents try and salvage it yourself and be selective on condition and trips nurse it on for a few more adventures

In reply to stevieweesaxs107:

It's the only tent I got, unfortunately.

In reply to Emily_pipes:

In that case Emily, I would definitely recommend trying some McNett Tenacious tape. It is self adhesive, clear, waterproof tape that should stick to the siliconised nylon fly sheet. You might need a couple of packs of the tape but at £6.50 each, it's definitely worth a try (and is useful for all sort's of other gear). Just make sure the fly sheet is clean and dry before applying the tape. I would speak to Scottish Mountain Gear (I assume this is where the tent is now?) about this to get their opinion, they may even be able to do it for you.

In reply to George Fisher UK: an alternative tape to try is spinnaker tape sold in chandlers. I've used it to do a few tent repairs, and also repairs on Paramo gear. It's available in a wide range of colours.

In reply to Emily_pipes:

Did you send it to Hilleberg, the shop where you bought it or to Scottish Mountain Gear? You may get different responses. SMG can cobble a good repair on just about anything. 8 years doesn't sound too old unless you've had it pitched on the Vallee Blanche since you bought it. Best of luck.

In reply to George Fisher UK:

You confused me then. I don't remember replying to this thread... Until now.

In reply to Emily_pipes:

Having been bowled over by the response I receved my advice would be to place a "wanted" ad on here for a used tent. I dd and I received about six really outstanding and generous offers and ended up acquiring a super Wild Country 3-berth tent in brand new condition for a silly price. Sorry I can't remember who it was who sold it to me.

In reply to Rigid Raider:
Yes, it's at Scottish Mountain Gear. I bought it in Boulder, CO, so not really practical to go back to that shop, though my father, who lives there, may check it out and see if they have any suggestions. SMG didn't seem keen to do any tape or patch job, not being convinced the fabric would withstand it, but if replacing the fly is untenable (they are looking into that for me), I'll go with the tape suggestions above and do it myself. Or the 'wanted' suggestion on UKC, which is a good idea (got an awesome belay jacket that way).



And I agree, I didn't think eight years --even with a lot of Scottish camping -- was that old. That's why I'm so annoyed about this. It's not pitched on glaciers for weeks on end (or ever).

In reply to Emily_pipes:

I guess flimsy material and cheap construction are the price you pay for light weight and low price. Most tents are probably not made from finest cotton by a worthy Welsh seamstress in a factory half way up a mountain; they are probably mass-produced in a huge automated factory in Taiwan and have the brand label sewn on at the end of the line.

In reply to Rigid Raider:

To be fair, Hilleberg tents are all made in their own factory in Estonia, and probably represent some of the highest standards of tent manufacturing in the world. It's a real shame about the UV damage, which seams unusual compared to the feedback I've had from many other Hilleberg owners. Hopefully some taping will see it's life extended.

In reply to Rigid Raider:

Hilleberg tents are many things, but low priced isn't one of them!

In reply to Emily_pipes:

I wouldn't know!

In reply to Emily_pipes:
Can't say I am very impressed with Hilleberg at the moment. I'm told it will be over £600 to get a new fly. I bought the tent in the States, and did not pay anywhere near that price! One would think an outdoor company would want to limit waste and energy, and therefore not put me in a position where I might as well chuck the perfectly good inner tent and poles I already have and buy a whole new tent. Plus, I've had great customer service with companies like Thermarest and Osprey when it has come to sorting out damaged gear. Clearly not a thing with Hilleberg. Absolutely crazy.

I'm getting the flysheet back. At least in the short term, I'm going to follow the repair suggestions given here. I'm headed into Glasgow tomorrow anyway, so will buy armfuls of Tenacious tape from Cotswold.

Long term, I don't know. I'm really freakin' annoyed.