Wait, that tent repair tape says it lasts only 6 months in UV? Surprised me.

I was reading through a gear review on OutdoorGearLab (the one comparing tent repair tapes) and came across a stat that said most adhesive tapes break down after just 6 months of direct sun exposure. I always thought once you patched a tent it was good for years, you know? But half the reviews I see online are from people who taped something and then it failed within a year, while the other half swear their patches held for five seasons. Does the UV thing explain the difference, or is it more about how clean the surface was when you applied it? Anyone else find a stat that changed how you look at a piece of gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

anderson.gavin16d ago

Actually the UV thing is real but it's more about where you store the tent than what the label says. If you camp in the desert Southwest for two weeks straight the tape will cook faster than if you do a weekend in the Pacific Northwest every few months. Surface prep matters a ton too but even perfect application won't stop UV damage once enough sun hits it.

schmidt.eva16d ago

Honestly, storing it rolled tight in a hot car does way more damage than direct sun ever could.