Find out about repairing those canvas tent peg loops. You can do it yourself!
Frequent use of your tent wears out the peg loops around the bottom of a tent, especially in a cotton tent where contact with the damp ground encourages fabrics to rot. This may not happen right away, but over time the material will decay. Loops may also pull out of their seams. To make new loops for a large cotton tent, use nylon webbing. For the lighter weight backpacking tent, use nylon tape. When you are replacing a peg loop at the side of a tent, first sew a triangular patch to the tent floor to reinforce the area, then, stitch the new loop in place. Always place your tent out to dry after a trip and then powder it and place in a dry bag for the next trip. This helps to keep the material from rotting.
Always reinforce the fabric when replacing a side loop, the patch will help to spread the stress. Make reinforcement patches from fabric of a weight close to that of the fabric of the tent. When reinforcing a tent floor with a waterproof coating, make the reinforcement of coated fabric. Cut a square of fabric, turn under the edges 1/4 inch, and fold the patch into a triangle. Iron it flat before sewing it into place. Finally, apply seam sealant over all stitching on both sides of the fabric. This will reinforce the seams.
To repair corner peg loops, cross the ends of the nylon tape or webbing, then, sew the loop to the reinforced underside of the tent floor with several even rows of stitches. After setting the grommet in the tape, cross the loop's loose ends, sew the loop's doubled ends to the tent corner. Both the grommet and the stitches pass through a double layer of tape.
If a peg loop breaks so that your tent cannot be properly staked down, you may spend an uncomfortable night if it is windy or rainy. Camping supply stores sell field repair kits, containing devices such as a two-part snap-on loop. Make sure you purchase one just in case before you leave to go camping, and everything else fails. It might also be a good idea to take some upholstery needles with you to sew any fabric on the tent. When using the field repair kit:
Break the two lightweight plastic pieces apart. Insert the disc into the tent fabric from inside the tent, and gather the fabric tightly around the disc. Give the disc and fabric a couple of twists and then slide the arms of the U-shaped clamp around the fabric directly underneath the disc. Snap the ends of the U together, one inside the other, so that the two holes are perfectly aligned. Run a length of cord through the holes and tie the ends to form a loop. Use this loop to hold the tent peg until you can make a repair. If you do not have a gadget like this, you can improvise by using a small, smooth stone and cord.
