Before you go out, try it out. Pitching an unfamiliar tent in the dark is no fun. Make the start of your camping trip easier by setting your new tent up before you take it on that first trip. Pick a time when you can work in daylight. Allow extra time so you can read the instructions and get familiar with the parts.

Seal the seams. This weatherproofs your tent. If the seams are not sealed, water can pass through needle holes where the fabric is sewn together. Apply sealant to the inside and outside of all exposed seams, following the instructions on the bottle.

Bring along a ground cloth. A ground cloth protects the floor and adds an extra layer of waterproofing. You can cut your own ground cloth, but Eureka! Floor Savers are a convenient alternative. Floor Savers are durable and come pre-cut to size. A ground cloth should be slightly smaller than the tent floor so the tent will completely cover it. If the ground cloth sticks out, it will funnel water under the tent.

Picking A Campsite. Avoid low spots that collect water. Don't set your tent up under dead trees or branches that might fall. Once you've picked a site, clear the ground of sharp objects such as stones or branches.

Check the ground at established campsites for cinders or crushed stone. These improvements control erosion, but they can damage a tent's floor quickly. In this case, a ground cloth is essential.

Stake your tent down. All tents need to be staked down to keep them from blowing away. Securing the tent by placing heavy objects inside is not adequate. The stakes packed with your tent work well in most conditions, but certain situations call for special stakes.

"Guy Out" your tent. Use extra ropes to secure your tent. Most Eureka! tents have rings or loops on the fly for extra ropes. Stake down the extra ropes 3-4 feet from the tent.

In severe weather, tie extra ropes directly to the tent frame at a crossing or junction point. For umbrella designs, tie a rope to the frame just above the hook at the eave bend. If your tent has an awning, remove the bottom section from each corner pole when it rains. This protects the door and improves water run off.

Limit ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Ultraviolet light is the invisible part of sunlight that causes sunburn. In a similar way, UV damages tent fabric over time. First, the tent's colors fade. As UV exposure accumulates, the fabric fibers are gradually destroyed. The fabric finally disintegrates.

You can prolong your tent's life by limiting its exposure to UV. Set your tent up late in the day. Pitching your tent in a shady spot will also help.

Don't keep food in your tent. Cooking and food odors attract wild animals. A hungry animal searching for food will chew or claw through the fabric, damaging the tent beyond repair.

Condensation. Through perspiration and breathing, an adult gives off about a pint of water overnight. When you stay in a tent, this water vapor is trapped. If it cannot escape, water vapor reappears as condensation. Your tent's permeable roof reduces condensation, but can't eliminate it. Condensation is most obvious the morning after a cool night. You usually find condensation on coated fabric inside the tent. It can also form under sleeping bags, pads, and objects that press the floor against the cool earth.

To reduce condensation, leave your windows partly open at night. Cross ventilation lets excess moisture escape, reducing condensation The windows on most Eureka! tents are shielded from rain by hoods in the rain fly. This allows cross ventilation in bad weather. Ventilation becomes more important in very humid or extremely cold conditions when your tent's permeable roof is less effective.

Zippers. Never force a jammed zipper. Instead, carefully remove any trapped material. If a zipper separates, gently pull the slider until the zipper is all the way open. Try to close the zipper again. The zipper may have repaired itself. Sand or grit can erode a zipper until it fails to close. If you use your tent in sandy soil, clean zippers frequently by flushing them with fresh water.

House keeping. Sweep out your tent daily to protect the floor. Since stones stuck in shoe treads can damage the floor, try not to wear boots or sneakers inside your tent.

Avoid contaminants. Some substances can damage your tent, including insect repellents, fruit juices, acid from leaky flashlight batteries, stove fuel, and hair spray. Keep all of these items away from your tent.

Acid rain can also harm tent fabric. Rinsing with fresh water from a garden hose will limit the damage. This will usually clean your tent adequately as well. If you must wash your tent, use a soft sponge or cloth with a mild soap. Never use washing machines, driers, or detergents. These will damage the tent's waterproof coating or seams.

Storage. Three words sum up proper storage: KEEP IT DRY. This prevents several problems.

Mildew. If you store a tent while it's wet, mildew will form. In addition to the odor, mildew damages the tent's waterproof coating, causing leaks.

Sticky Coating. Leaving a wet tent inside its bag may ruin the coating. Over time a process called hydrolysis may soften coating, making it sticky. Sticky coating can peel off, letting water in.

Color Transfer. Due to the nature of tent fabrics, color can transfer from darker fabric to lighter fabric if two colors are in contact over time when damp. This does not effect tent performance.

Troop 121 Hiking Equipment List