A lot has happened here at Exclusive Tents since our February newsletter. We try to keep everyone updated on our news, progress, and to keep the promise that our newsletters will be brief, interesting, and informative, without becoming a regular intrusion in your life.

This year started off as a very busy one. Anders and Brian spent many hours revising our website to be more informative and easier to navigate through. Please do visit the website and see how good it looks.

Over the last few months we have been very busy working with a number of very exciting projects. We will update you on the progress of these projects, and their locations.

Before getting into more details on tent projects, we would like to discuss the common issue of tent maintenance. This is a question that we often have to deal with. There are many ways to answer this question. This has a lot to do with the climate and a number of other issues. However, there is a rule of thumb that applies no matter what the climate is. The main factor with tent maintenance is to keep a regular visual inspection of your tent/s. Take notice to any changes or irregularities one may observe. This is not at all difficult. It mainly involves the following: Making sure all fabrics are under tension and not baggy. Look for any markings such as mold, dirt, or dust.

This is not much at all to observe, but it will save a lot of trouble in the future if one could keep an eye on these two factors.

All the tent fabrics should be under constant tension at all times. Should the fabric become loose and start flapping in the wind, is when damage can occur to the tent fabric and frame. However, there is a delicate balance between the right amount of tensioning. If the materials are too tight, the stress on the materials will cause them to tear. This is why a simple frequent observation of your tent/s is worth the time spent.

Should the tent be braced for wind using steel cable X bracing, these cables should also be frequently checked for the correct hand-felt tension. This is very important, particularly after a strong storm.

When it comes to the fabrics, marks, and observations this again is a regular easy visual inspection that needs to be done. It is most important to keep the fabrics clean when dirt is observed. It is suggested that the tent outer canvas be wiped down with a soft sponge and light soap solution to to keep the canvas clean. Preventing dirt from building up is better than having to deal with bigger issues later. We suggest that the tents be sponged down at least once every month or two (as one would normally do with glass windows and doors) and even if the canvas looks clean, it is surprising to see how much dust accumulates. The interior of the tent should be wiped down at least every 4-6 months. When the canvas is wiped down, so should all the window storm flaps be rolled down and also cleaned. At no point must one use any type of scouring pad/sponge or hard brush, as it is not good for the canvas. Only a soft cloth or sponge are required.

It is also a prudent maintenance practice to roll down the canvas storm flaps at least once or twice a week to make sure no critters or insects as using them as a cozy sheltered ‘home’.

Keeping the outer canvas clean as well as the PVC mud-flance strip at the bottom of each canvas wall is a minor job, but is critical to the longevity of the canvas.

In very hot humid conditions it is not good to keep the tent closed up with no ventilation. As this practice will encourage mold – airflow and/or fans help a lot with keeping mold away. If mold is spotted, it is best to treat it immediately with a mix of water and vinegar, or some other mild anti-fungal treatment.

We also supply a type of water based paint which we call “canvas compound” which is supplied in the various colors of our canvas. This compound is a concentrate, and is mixed with water and best applied with a soft paintbrush. The compound will restore the UV protection, anti-rot, waterproofing and also original canvas color. On a less frequent basis the interior can also be painted down when needed.

The Shade fly can be watered down in more arid climates to wash out any dust and dirt. The PVC rain fly can be simply washed with a soft brush and soap solution.

Today we also offer all fabrics with a fire retardant (FR) coating as an optional extra. The FR can also be ordered up to be included in the canvas compound.

The project in the desert of the UAE has been completed and will be formerly opening soon. This entire project was developed from the ground up together with our associate Architect, Mr. Patrice Belle, who created most of the designs and was involved in every facet of the project including interiors and lighting. This project also had us produce the biggest tent we have ever manufactured which was designed as a reception, and restaurant welcome center. This tent has 1000 sqm internal space within the tent, plus 1000 sqm covered terraces, set upon a basement structure with a ‘secret’ subterranean cloistered gallery around a central below ground cascade pool.

The tent is also open in the center that from above the opening looks like an eight petal flower.

There is also a very large VIP tent suite and another 7 large guest accommodation tents in one and two bedroom configurations. In that, this project was built in the middle of desert amongst the sand dunes, and presented a whole set of unique challenges that had to be met and overcome.

Such challenges were high winds, shifting sands and extreme temperatures.

Two small boutique two-tent glamping resorts have just opened in different locations in Italy. One of which is owned and operated by the owner of Via Canonici in Italy and Sandat Glamping in Bali. As soon as we get some pictures we will share them.

We currently also have 15 tents on the ocean that are headed to a client in Mexico. These tents will be located close to Yautepec and will become the first tented eco resort in Mexico.

We have been working on another exciting project for the Zaina Lodge, which is another unique tented eco lodge currently under construction in Ghana. The 24 tents for this lodge will come out of manufacturing at the end of July and will be shipped to their new home in the Mole National Park. 

There are a few other great and fun tent projects coming up in Costa Rica, Maldives and the Galapagos Islands of which we will keep you updated on as things progress.

We have also started an effort to keep one or more Kambaku Tents in stock but they seem to get sold out before we get finished with manufacturing. So we may have to increase the quantities we had planned on producing so as to be in a position to be able to offer a few stock tents for those occasional clients who have an urgent need for the tents and cannot wait on the lead times.

The only drawback is once a stock tent is completed there is very little wiggle room for any custom changes.

Lastly, this idea came from our clients and good friends in Southern Belize, the installation of a wood skirting under the tent. This is a relatively simple but fantastic idea. Not only does it raise the tent, it helps prevent people from bumping their heads into the tent frame corners, and it offers an alternative to mounting electric outlets flush on the tent floor. The skirting was made out of 2” x 12” hard wood that is hardy and very durable.