How To Fix A Tent Zipper
Reading Time: 9 minutes While camping and being outdoors at night, you will need a tent. Undoubtedly, there are many other alternatives to tents that you can sleep in, carry and make, but the best option remains the tent.
While you are preparing the tent, you may encounter some basic problems, and one of these problems is the tent zipper.
Be careful tent zipper may be damaged quickly. Therefore, you will need to repair the zipper. Most people think it’s hard to rehabilitate. Fortunately, it’s not.
We will provide you with a lot of information that will help you in repairing the tent zipper, which you can use to make the necessary repairs.
What is a tent zipper?
The zippers are made of plastic, metal, nylon, or polyester threads attached to a woven tape. Most of the time, a lot of zippers come in multi-purpose weights, and file zippers also have to be rust-proof. It should also be heat-resistant, more flexible, and lightweight in contradiction with metal zips heavyweight.
The zipper is made to match the tent fabric, but some can be large, interesting, and made for display. The durability of tent zippers depends on the type of zips and their anatomy, some types can be effortlessly and easily damaged, and others are not.
TYPES OF TENT ZIPPER
- COIL ZIPPER
It has a continuous connection of nylon threads and is intertwined with the scroll bar. One of the advantages of this type is that it is very light in weight, unlike dental zippers, and some types are water-resistant.
One of the advantages of coil zippers is that they wear out more slowly than dental zippers, which means that you will not have problems in the camp while using the tent made of zip files.
- TOOTH ZIPPER
Some call it vision locks, and they consist of separate blocks of nylon that intertwine when the slider is passed, so the tooth seal is somewhat durable. It is bulky and heavy if you compare it to the files. The teeth of these zips may be broken in one tooth. It’s prone to failure. In most cases, the zip code is short. Thus, the rate of repair is less.
- CONVENTIONAL ZIPPER
This type of zipper is made of spiral threads, strong, durable and flexible, of polyester or nylon, fixed on an industrial tape, and its closure is suitable for tent fabrics so that it is light to medium weight. The most common traditional zippers are central zippers.
TENT ZIPPER ANATOMY
Knowing zippers is not enough knowledge, as you need to know anatomy, and there are many anatomies of zippers, which are as follows:
- SEPARATING ZIPPERS
This quality is present in jackets, especially woollen jackets, and it is considered one of the best things that work to close the tents, as it contains separate fasteners at both ends where the zips separate half of the stoppers in order to be able to enter and exit the tent with ease, and this matter will reduce Pressing the zip code also reduces exposure to broken zips.
Among the most famous separator zips are the two-way ones, which have two zippers. You can also choose tents that have a separate iris, exposed, folded, or in the middle. In order to make sure the zippers will last with you for some time before you repair them, you must know that the zipper is finished on the sturdy tent fabric.
- NON-SEPARATING ZIPPERS
These zippers fuse on each end as they are opened and closed so that they remain connected to each other permanently from one end. Most tent doors are equipped with these zippers, unlike the separation of zips, where if no separation occurs, it may be prone to failure, especially when this thing is stuck between them.
Many tents that are of low quality have doors with non-separate zippers installed, and this will pose a challenge in terms of preserving the door from damage, and you must deal with it carefully when using it, and it is very easy to repair.
Other anatomical structures include:
- The slider is a small device that passes over the zip and is aligned with the sides in order to be joined.
- A tape is a fabric that is present on both sides of the zipper.
- Stop, small plastic blocks that are at the end of each zipper to prevent the slider from getting out of the tape.
- Drag, which is a grab tab, which is attached to the slider.
How to Fix Tent Zipper
Many problems happen to zippers, especially tent zippers. The most famous of these problems we face are breakage and issues in the slider. Before performing the zipper repair process, you must make sure of several things, the most important of which is the dirt stuck in the zippers, and here we will learn how to fix common problems with tent zippers.
Fixing a stuck zipper
The zipper of the tent zipper may get stuck after knocking, and some large-sized dirt can cause it to become jammed, and strong dealing with this type of problem may lead to the zipper’s teeth being bent and broken, and thus the zipper is stuck in the position of the bent teeth.
To fix a stuck zipper:
- Use soapy water to remove the dirt stuck on the tent zipper, and then remove the soap and try to pull the zipper slider back and forth, making sure that it moves smoothly.
- When the teeth of the zipper are bent, you can use the pliers and forceps to fix the teeth, and then try the zipper and the zipper will be able to open and close once the teeth are fixed.
Repair split zipper slider
In many cases, when pulling the slider hard and pressing it too much, causes the teeth to separate from each other, and dirt can also separate the zipper teeth.
To fix split zipper slider:
- If the zipper separation is caused by dirt, all you have to do is remove it with soap and water, with the use of cloth after that in order to remove the soapy water.
- Pull the slider all the way to the end and then bring scissors and cut the separate part of the zipper in front of the slider, then cut a few centimetres deep, until you reach the zipper tape, then slide the slider through it and sort the zipper up and down.
- After these steps bring a needle and thread and stitch the part you previously divided into the zipper, then carefully re-sew the seam stopper until the path meets the fabric of your tent.
Separated zipper
It is considered one of the most common problems, which is loosening and separating the tent zippers after pressing. The reason for this problem in most cases is the slider since the top and bottom of the slider get a gap between them then fail to connect the zippers to each other properly.
To fix a separated zipper
In order to fix this to the plier, tap lightly on the bottom of the slider and while holding the pliers move the slider back and forth in order to see if the zipper is working correctly.
Repeat the process several times if you find that the zipper is still not connected, and you can increase the pressure on it this time.
Tips and tricks regarding tent zippers
We will mention some tips that will help you in repairing zippers
- Bring a zip tie or paper clip and use it to temporarily repair a broken zip fly.
- Do not press the sliders while they are stuck, but loosen them slowly and gently instead of pressing them.
- Try to clean the zippers of dirt and you should lubricate it regularly and continuously.
- You should bring some repair tools to the camp, especially tent repair tools when you go on the camping trip.
BEST ZIPPER REPAIR KITS
ZIPPER REPAIR KIT
It is considered one of the best fasteners repair kits that you can ever use, especially when repairing broken fasteners that require replacing the slider. Double zip-coil sliders, ten zip-coil sliders, and eight zip-coil sliders.
And all the tools in this set are of high quality, and all you have to do when using these tools is to follow the guide correctly to get the best results.
ZIPPERSTOP REPAIR KIT
And another great set of tools and a number of slides are available in this set in order to replace the stuck and broken fasteners, the most common one that all tents need.
ZIPPER RESCUE KIT, OUTDOOR
If you are out for a camping trip, do not forget to take this important group. It is not safe from breaking the tent zippers or even the zippers of your sleeping bags, and this group is considered the most important of all for repairing tent zippers when you go out.
This group consists of several tools, namely 2 top stops; 2 bottom stops, 2 coil sliders and 2 coil sliders, 3 4.5mm sliders and 2 5mm sliders, so you don’t have to worry about breaking or damaging the zippers in your tent, this set is ready to be repaired instantly and nicely.
PREVENTING DAMAGE TO TENT ZIPPER
We usually say prevention is better than cure. Don’t be too harsh on the slider and zipper, especially when there is some resistance to some of the zippers. A piece of cloth, sand or dirt can get stuck between the teeth, causing the slider to get stuck. In this case, the best solution you can do is Stop pulling and handle it gently in order not to damage the zipper.
And check the zippers periodically in order to determine the problem of repairing them in the right way and maintaining the zipper, especially the lightweight zippers, so you have to be gentle when using them, as they are considered one of the most prone to defects.
Also, make sure the sides of the zipper are aligned correctly before passing, and when you encounter any problem, stop pulling for fear of breaking or damaging the zipper, and you can repair many tent zippers using a small set of pliers in case the fabric gets stuck in the zippers.
IN CONCLUSION:
When you go out camping, you are exposed to many problems, and the most important of these problems that many campers face is the damage of the tents’ zippers. All you have to do for that is to buy high-quality tents, as they are well manufactured. Even the zippers are made in this type of tent from strong metals. that can withstand all harsh conditions.
In order to identify the best way to repair the zipper, all you have to do is learn the anatomy of the zipper and this will facilitate the repair process, and do not force the zipper if it is stuck and fix this defect immediately in order not to damage the zipper.
Read More:
