You've just purchased a brand new tent, but hey wait! What's that big ugly patch on the bottom of it? Have I been sold a dud!?

Why is there a patch on the base of my brand new tent groundsheet?

A common question we are often asked here at Outdoor World Direct, is why there is a patch on the base of the sewn-in groundsheet of any family tent, regardless of the brand. The patch is usually in the centre of the tent's sewn-in groundsheet, and annoyingly looks like a repair. Therefore this patch is often mistaken for a fault and a repair, when in actual fact - it is meant to be there.

Pretty much all sewn-in groundsheets have this patch in the middle.

Here's Why?

The simple answer really, the inner tents inside the bedrooms clip into the groundsheet inside the tent, to make them more secure. Therefore, during manufacture a hole is made in the groundsheet to accommodate this, and then it is patched from the underside of the tent. The patch is also a strengthener for their inner tent clip, stopping it from coming away.

There's a bit of Tape coming away from the Patch

Again, a totally normal experience. When the groundsheet patch is applied, they use an excess of material to secure the square patch. It's not uncommon for there to be a little excess after it's been patched. You can trim this away if it really gets on your nerves. It is also common to have small holes in the patch.