There are several ways to protect your tent.
Base protection
The tent base can be protected by purchasing a foil in order to place that under the floor foil. Also, there are many manufacturers that sell such protective foils. Although their price is high, it’s worth the money.
The aim of such protection is to avoid direct contact between floor and ground. The floor foil can be damaged due to wear and tear caused by abrasion and shards, shells or other objects that can pierce through. Because of this the floor will no longer ensure the initial impermeability.
For those who don’t want to buy a protective foil from the manufacturer, or if the manufacturer does not offer such protection, you can improvise. A thick plastic foil is cut so as to be with 5-10 cm smaller than the dimensions of the base. It is important that the plastic does not exceed the dimensions of the base so it does not gather rain water under the tent. But, at the same time, this plastic foil must not to be much smaller, because a large area of the base must be protected.
Protection after using
After using, the tent must be clean, dry, without a single trace of dust and sand. When you get home is recommended to put it on the laundry cord a couple of hours. Then you can easily shake the dust and possibly sand.
Most models have a polyurethane coating. Water is a very slow solvent for polyurethane, which makes a soggy tent packed to turn over time into a compact ball, which can no longer be opened.
Tents with silicon coating packed wet, the silicone will catch some kind of mold. Inside will be a reeking fug for a long period of time.
Protection from accidents
The tents are damaged the most often during installation and disassemble operations. Accidents can be prevented by performing these operations carefully and during the nighttime you must provide a source of light if you want to assembly the tent.
Before going on a vacation, beginners must install the tent at least once, without rushing, at home, or if this is not possible, in a location where it is allowed and there is enough space.
Reading the instructions manual it is mandatory for beginners (even for those who have experience) when they buy a new one. Even for those who have experience can have intractable problems without knowing the manufacturer thought the installation.