Harris Tent Storage

[Drew Bedo]

I have had a Harris Tent for changing 8x10 film holders for well over ten years. I like it when I use it. Wish the corner pole holder pockets were shaped a bit different, but over all it works great. I went through a multi year period of shooting much less and haven't done any 8x10 since maybe 2011 though. So haven't used the tent. It has been kept stored rolled up in its bag in the closet. Got it out yesterday to change out some 4x5 shots from a week in Santa Fe.

The rolled up and folded tent was slightly sticky and had a powerful "New-Car" smell. Opened it carefully and set it up OK. Gave it an hour or so to air out and changed my films. Still had an odor, so I left it set up and open over night. Seema a bit better now, but still . . . .

Anyone have a similar experience with a Harris Tent. Recommendations?

[Oslolens]

Yes, and always up to avoid the smell and wear. The polyurethane will wear of by movement and probably stickiness. How about some non-stick teflon bake sheets for when you need it packed? And to store it more loose than in its bag?

Sent fra min SM-G975F via Tapatalk

[Drew Bedo]

Looking for compact styorage and simplicity in my overall workflow. No place to leave it up. Want to avoid fiddling with other stuff to "make-it-work". If thia weara out, I'll go back to a T-shirt sort of changing bag. Folds and stores like a wind breaker and I'll deal with the inconvenience.

I did take it to Santa Fe, but our room only had a postage stamp table and the tent is too bit gor that.

I really like it so . . . .Maybe I'll set up the tent several times a year for a day or so if not used.

[eric black]

I have resorted to installing some hooks in a closet and hanging mine up when it is not in use. I have never had a problem with rolling it and taking in on week long trips for use, but long term storage rolled up with that fabric ends up with the sticky problem. unrolled and hanging works though

[Roger Thoms]

Drew, eric's advice is excellent. I have a Harrison tent that is 8 years old that I always store in loosely folded in a mesh bag. So far so good. When I bought my tent the instructions were clear about not storing the tent rolled up for long term storage.

Roger

[Jim Noel]

Looking for compact styorage and simplicity in my overall workflow. No place to leave it up. Want to avoid fiddling with other stuff to "make-it-work". If thia weara out, I'll go back to a T-shirt sort of changing bag. Folds and stores like a wind breaker and I'll deal with the inconvenience.

I did take it to Santa Fe, but our room only had a postage stamp table and the tent is too bit gor that.

I really like it so . . . .Maybe I'll set up the tent several times a year for a day or so if not used.

WHen I travel with mine, I set it up on the bed.

[archphotofisher]

I agree with the above, store it loosely in a dark and cool constant temperature place.

[djdister]

I set it up and hang it from the floor joists in the basement when not being used.

[Drew Wiley]

It doesn't matter if it's a film tent or camping tent. Urethane fabric coatings degrade over time and start smelling just like, yeah, the substance they first came from, urea. Then it gets sticky and starts peeling etc. The correct storage method has already been mentioned : loose in a dry cool storage environment. The mistake many of us have made is to tightly wrap such things and cram them into their original stuff bags. Remediating degraded urethane coatings is a major headache.

[Kiwi7475]

Nothing much to add to what has been already said.
I treat it as a consumable, having to replace it every 5 or so years. But at least I buy the Chinese knock off at 1/3 of the Harrison price, which is just outrageous.

And yes, they work just as well and last as long. If not more.

[Drew Wiley]

5 years is more? I'm going on 30 yrs on both my Harrisons. The other problem common with Chinese fabrics is that they're so heavily plasticized that you can get a horrible rash from them if they're not aired out for several weeks before use. Who knows what that might do to film?

[Kiwi7475]

5 years is more? I'm going on 30 yrs on both my Harrisons. The other problem common with Chinese fabrics is that they're so heavily plasticized that you can get a horrible rash from them if they're not aired out for several weeks before use. Who knows what that might do to film?

5 years is what my last Harrison tent lasted, yes.

I understand your apprehension to the knock off but it is literally made the same way and I’ve never had any issue. But if you want to pay $257 for the Harrison one, you’re free to. I’m just making people aware of other options.

[Robbie Bedell]

Mine melted into a stinking gooey mass of melted yuck. I will never buy another one...

[Drew Bedo]

I have been pretty happy with mine over all. I will take the advice of those who recopmend keeping it aired out.

Becides the out-gassing coating (manageable I gurss) I would waqnt a slight change to the way the poles fit into the corner retaining pockets . . .a minor quibble.

[C. D. Keth]

5 years is more? I'm going on 30 yrs on both my Harrisons.

That is more along the lines of my harrison experience. I had the same one for 10-15 years and changed thousands of 35mm magazines and 4x5 holders in it. I sold it a while back when I thought I wouldn't shoot LF anymore and at that time it was still fine. I wonder if some of the equation is warmer, drier places allowing the offgassed solvents to get completely away from the tent by virtue of stronger evaporation. The wet places, like Robbie 2 above this post in Florida, have those chemicals sticking around longer?

[Drew Wiley]

Domestic products outgassed rather quickly. Many of the Chinese imports seem almost soaked in phtahlates and plasticizers, recklessly. There was a mysterious local epidemic of wrist rashes on people buying exercise watches with vinyl handles, and the doctors didn't even know to ask the obvious - where were they made? I wanted a lighter wt backpacking tent due to advanced age, bought a Big Agnes, which was indeed a good choice for an import, but gave me a rash everywhere I touched it for the first two trips, despite being aired out first. That never happened with any domestic tent. Things like carry bags given to me had to be thrown away; even being in the same room would give me a sore throat, and it wasn't an allergic reaction. For years I used Leki trekking poles with either cork or true rubber handles. When I tried a new Black Diamond pair with fake rubber handles from China, it gave my hands little blisters until I aggressively scrubbed those handles with solvent. I'm aware that cottage industries in China can make some very nice things like view cameras; but when big US stores order up massive volumes of outsourced low-bidder consumer goods, there is always a roll of the dice. I remember Stanley planes coming in by the tens of thousands when the accompanying plane iron wouldn't even fit through the sole of the plane; nobody ever checked, either there or here. And any film tent maker is not making the fabric itself; they're buying it from an outfit far bigger over there, and just sewing it together. There's a real difference between superficially cloning something, and knowing the right questions to ask a subcontractor of materials to begin with.

[Vaughn]

I bought some cheap curtains for my bedroom -- a wide window that took three packages. Two sets were odd -- the graphics on the packaging sort of transferred slightly to the drapes -- and when I hung them up, they started to smell especially toxic. Some solvent in the inks of the graphics on the packaging reacted with the plastics of the drapes...tossed them all out and got better.

[mikey1two]

My Harrison PUP has lasted me over 5 years, but has become sticky due to storage in the bag. It along with my Jumbo Harrison tent (bought for $30 like new) now stay assembled and hanging on the wall next to my JOBO CPP2. No issues over this last year with stickiness.
Follow everybody’s advice and keep it out of the bag unless traveling to extend the life of the tent.
-Mikey

[Rayt]

The stickiness and stink go away when properly stored. I had a large Harrison changing bag stored in its original packaging for years and when I took it out for a road trip my wife thought something died in the house. The old lady made a bigger stink. On my solo road trip (yeah!) I hung up the changing bag with the AC on all night and a week later it smelled like Spring. Now I keep it folded out in the open in my den. No smell.

[Alan Gales]

I bought a cardboard box from the local UPS store for under the bed storage. The box helps keep the dust off too. Just make sure you measure everything first.

[MikeH]

I keep mine in a cloth pillowcase, folded in quarters, in my clothes closet. 6 years so far, no problem.