I want to put a port, covered hole of some kind, in my tent wall about 4 to 6 inches up from the floor in the back right corner for an extension cord to pass through. I would like it to seal up (kinda) to keep bugs out. any good ideas or products i should look for ? cutting a hole in a tent is crazy to me, but i like the idea of having a port to run a cord and/or propane hose, coax cable .....out of the tent without going out the front door.
help me with this.
- Thread starter tramp
- Start date
Bojib
Active Member
A small zipper, and sew a flap of fabric that will cover the zipper maybe?
thats one option. might be the best option if i can find someone to sew it in. i thought about that but was wondering if there was something better or what anybody else had done if any had. thanks bojib.
ppine
Forester
Tramp,
Putting the hole 5 inches above the ground will just make it obvious. If your tent has a floor, put the port in the floor.
Putting the hole 5 inches above the ground will just make it obvious. If your tent has a floor, put the port in the floor.
hummmmm. that might be better. ill think on it. tks.
Cappy
Well-Known Member
Wish I could help, but the only thing that comes to mind was a trip I took with a friend from work back in the 70's he had a canvas wall tent that he had rigged with a cord.
The thing stuck out of the side low to the floor through 2x 2" square aluminum plates that were sealed together with 4 corner screws sandwiching the tent canvas. The cord was heavy duty and about 2 inches long. Male connection outside female inside it passed through the center of the plates through a black rubber grommet. He had obviously taken the female off poked the cord through and p;ut it back on the inside. He had a heavy duty 3 way splitter hooked to it , I remember waking to the smell of a mr coffee in the tent gurgling away and laying there thinking how luxurious it was I'da called it glamping if the word was invented yet.
The thing stuck out of the side low to the floor through 2x 2" square aluminum plates that were sealed together with 4 corner screws sandwiching the tent canvas. The cord was heavy duty and about 2 inches long. Male connection outside female inside it passed through the center of the plates through a black rubber grommet. He had obviously taken the female off poked the cord through and p;ut it back on the inside. He had a heavy duty 3 way splitter hooked to it , I remember waking to the smell of a mr coffee in the tent gurgling away and laying there thinking how luxurious it was I'da called it glamping if the word was invented yet.
Cut the slit, seal the edges, and sew in some hook and loop (Velcro). It will seal on its' own when stretched and you can open it for passing a chord through or any other necessary tubing or such and it will seal around the instrument of your choosing.
I'd go with the sewn method as expounded by Dino. But then I have a daughter with a heavy industrial machine to do the work. If you don't have access to a method of sewing the heavy fabric, then Cappy's method is also very good. That is also the method for putting a chimney through a tent roof and works well.
ppine
Forester
Cut a small hole in the floor. You won't have to do any sewing and it won't show.
should be able to put a patch of some kind on the floor to keep it from ripping to,, right ?
ppine
Forester
Sew around the edges of the hole if you are worried about ripping and unraveling.
Earlier when I said "seal the edges", I had no idea that you wouldn't know what I was saying. There are many glues that will cure and remain flexible keeping the edges of a cut from fraying. The best one I have ever found is called Poly-Seam-Seal. This is a non-toxic glue used for decades by the fishing industry in building seafaring boats or in repairs. It dries flexible and will outlast your tent.
The Velcro can be sewn in as soon as the glue cures. Buy a hand held sewing awl. This is a dandy little instrument that allows you to force a needle through very heavy materials. It should come with instructions if you don't know how to sew. Take your time and, with patience, you should be able to affect a durable and efficacious solution.
The Velcro can be sewn in as soon as the glue cures. Buy a hand held sewing awl. This is a dandy little instrument that allows you to force a needle through very heavy materials. It should come with instructions if you don't know how to sew. Take your time and, with patience, you should be able to affect a durable and efficacious solution.
ponderosa
Active Member
It kind of makes me cringe to think about cutting a hole in a perfectly good tent, but if I were considering this, the last place I'd put a hole in my tent is in the floor. I'd make sure it's high enough to be covered by the rainfly (which ideally is a full length rainfly, so the hole could be just a few inches higher than ground level).
me to!! this is in a trek 245c. canvas wall tent so no rain fly down that low. i will have to come up with a flap to cover the hole. what I had in mind was something like the fly on your tighty whiteys with a flap on the outside covering it up
Absolutely. This stuff is in common use now for caulking and grout substitutes. It's incredibly effective. It is non-toxic and smells something like bananas.