Zipper failure in tents ! ever had one ?

[Honu]

OK was curious how many have had zipper failures on your tents ?
if so brand etc.. please

thanks

 

[K2ZJ]

Eureka Tetragon 1610, main door failed on a trip to SD. Of course it rained everyday. I was able to close it enough that with two butter knives folded over each other, I sandwiched the zipper and used vise grips to hold them closed. It kept most of the rain out.

 

[Victorian]

Happened twice to me...

1. On a long motorcycle trip in Africa. Was a Tatonka tent. http://www.tatonka.com/Products/Tents/tents/Mountain-MII/2513 Common brand in Europe. Tent was about 1 year old and I have slept in it maybe 40 times. Was quite cranky when it happened as replacement wasn't easy to find ...

2. On a 10 month bike trip through North America. Tent was VauDe Mark 3. http://www.vaude.com/en-GB/Products/Tents/3-Person/Mark-UL-3P-green.html Zipper failed after about 8 months. Not a big deal as the trip came to close anyway. Replaced the pulli and everything was fine.

 

[Honu]

I use wax used it most my life on wetsuits/drysuits to keep the zips going good want to get my tent up and clean it then wax it dry wax in a sense won't collect dirt etc..

 

[Stumpalump]

Bring safety pins if you use a tent. Duct tape also will help fix a bad day. I blew out the screens and zippers on my Sierra Designs tent after about 10 years. Back then it had a lifetime warranty so they just fixed it and sent it back. North face also used to have lifetime warranty and they sewed a new zipper and entire arms onto a coat that I wore out. Filson does the same thing with gear I go thru after years of abuse. Pay upfront but have it for life. Are their any lifetime warranty tents around anymore?

 

[brentbba]

One time on an old 10x10 Eureka dome tent. It had seen it's day with all my Boy Scout trips. Unfortunately it was the first day of three nights in the desert!

 

[stevil]

My cvt RTT cover zipper just failed last trip. I ordered one of these kits, and am going to repair today. And I'll be bringing the kit along going forward.

 

[nwoods]

I camp with kids so of course I have experienced zipper failure.... In all my tents sooner or later. They blow through the doors without fully unzipping them, snag a foot, and pow, good bye zipper.

My local SoCal REI had an arrangement with a "little old lady in Pasadena" (say it with me: 409, 409....), who would replace your zippers with MEGA zippers. For about $100 she'd lace in a zipper that could be used on the face of the Hoover Dam. Money well spent.

 

[Scoutn79]

I camp with kids so of course I have experienced zipper failure.... In all my tents sooner or later. They blow through the doors without fully unzipping them, snag a foot, and pow, good bye zipper.

My local SoCal REI had an arrangement with a "little old lady in Pasadena" (say it with me: 409, 409....), who would replace your zippers with MEGA zippers. For about $100 she'd lace in a zipper that could be used on the face of the Hoover Dam. Money well spent.

Not trying to hijack BUT where can I find more about these MEGA zippers??? A Google search comes up with a lot of info on MEGA zipper. Ironically non of it is about a zipper.

Darrell

 

[nwoods]

Not trying to hijack BUT where can I find more about these MEGA zippers??? A Google search comes up with a lot of info on MEGA zipper. Ironically non of it is about a zipper.

Darrell

I was being descriptive, not literal. I don't know the brand name. I'll see if I can post a photo later this week (out of town currently). They are totally bomber.

 

[summerprophet]

Destroyed my tent zipper on Mt. Adams. 70 mile an hour winds made short work of lightweight nylon.

Returned to MEC for free repair.

I am pretty sure the MEGA zipper described would just be a large scale zipper (like those found on backpacks and heavy duty duffels). Any outdoor fabric place should stock such stuff.

 

[swduncan]

Around 20 uses in, a door zip on my Columbia Cougar Flats tent started to come apart. The coil is coming loose from the fabric. We'll retire that door and start using the one on the other side. Nice tent otherwise.

 

[zoblo]

fix n zip

I used one of these fixnzip sliders http://www.fixnzip.com/ to easily fix the zipper on my sleeping bag. Seems for me the usual problem is the slider wearing out. I carry an extra one or two with me.

 

[chadlanc]

I had 2 zippers fail on both sides of my REI tent recently. It really sucked, I got eaten alive by the bugs. Thanks to the return policy I got a brand new tent

 

[Jay H]

I hate zippers.

10 year old sierra design tent- zippers got mangled in a very strong wind storm on the white rim road in canyon lands.

3 year old marmot - have 150+ nights in it, A couple real bad wind storms tore the fabric part of the zipper- the stitching and tent fabric did not fail, only the zipper itself.

10 year old kelty - just waked zipper again and it is starting to jam and separate when it should not.