robgendreau
Explorer
I have fixed a bunch of tent zippers over the years. I also got some remaindered used tents at REI sales with shot zippers for like 80% off. A minute with pliers and I've got a great tent.
Most folks usually think it's the zipper teeth that are shot, when most often when the teeth come apart it's the result of problems with the slider. The quick fix is to take a pair of pliers and gently pinch the grooves closer together; often only a little bit will fix the problem. Sometimes you have to replace the slider, which may mean tearing out one end of the zipper from the tent fabric. We've had to do this on mountain tents that were set up for weeks at a base camp. You can just close up the torn out part with some thread, or sometimes dental floss if you can poke holes in.
Sand really trashes the zippers; I've done a lot of sea kayaking and the combo of salt spray and fine sand is deadly. So a little cleaning helps, and a little lube as others have noted. I like silicone spray, but usually don't have that in the backcountry (except when skiing).
Most folks usually think it's the zipper teeth that are shot, when most often when the teeth come apart it's the result of problems with the slider. The quick fix is to take a pair of pliers and gently pinch the grooves closer together; often only a little bit will fix the problem. Sometimes you have to replace the slider, which may mean tearing out one end of the zipper from the tent fabric. We've had to do this on mountain tents that were set up for weeks at a base camp. You can just close up the torn out part with some thread, or sometimes dental floss if you can poke holes in.
Sand really trashes the zippers; I've done a lot of sea kayaking and the combo of salt spray and fine sand is deadly. So a little cleaning helps, and a little lube as others have noted. I like silicone spray, but usually don't have that in the backcountry (except when skiing).