Tent supplier and makers

[traveller]

Hi all, I was recently given a 3 person dome tent but it's fly or outer shell is missing. I rang a few outdoor supply stores and eBay sellers, but none of them sell the tent fly on it's own.
Does anyone have any contacts with tent suppliers or makers that I can contact?
It's a standard 3 person dome tent with floor measuring 2x2 meters.
Thanks :thumbsup:
Bo

[Omaroo]

Bo

You'll find that one-off bespoke canvas or rip-stop nylon work is expensive in this country. For example, a simple rectangular 2.8m x 3m double-stitched 10oz canvas fly cost me over $250 to have knocked up recently. I hate to think what a dome-shape with zippable entry would have been worth to manufacture. Not worth thinking about.

Give some of the camping stores like Ray's a call - but don't talk to the front counter staff - talk to the store manager. Maybe one of them may have damaged or returned stock from which they might separate a nylon fly of an appropriate size for you. You want nylon and not canvas - it's lighter and will let light through - important in a small tent like yours. Some of these smaller tents are cheap as chips - so maybe it just isn't worth the effort you're making here.

Failing that, just use a square 4m x 4m light weight poly tarp and peg it down on the corners and stick a vertical pole through a central eyelet at the front edge to create a vestibule. All you want is to keep the rain out.

Also, try the surprise bins at Aldi - they amaze me sometimes.

[jenchris]

Chris is right, the cost of a new tent from BCF is less than the cost of rip stop off the roll

[traveller]

Sigh, I think I need to accept the inevitable that a spare nylon fly will cost more than a new dome tent. I tried a number of tent wholesalers as well, no luck!
Such a shame, as the tent was only used twice, so virtually brand new.
Will talk to Aussise disposal and Rays ad Chris suggested and see how I go, but not holding out much hope.
with 99% of the tents made in china nowadays, no one is prepared to part with a tent fly unless the tent itself is broken or missing.
Bo :sadeyes:

[spearo]

In case these are of interest:

seems to have small quantities available
http://www.boddingtons-ltd.com/acatalog/Insect-Mesh.html

and industrial quality for about 100$ (sems to be the smallest quantity you can bring in...)
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/474577017/Factory_Supply_nylon_window_screen_ insect.html

frank

[Alex_M]

Hey Bo - Have you tried searching on AliExpress.com? I work for Alibaba.com (full disclosure :) which is where wholesale suppliers sell their products like Frank has posted above, but AliExpress has far lower minimum quantities if you're searching for fly/mosquito screens. Might be worth trying?

Hope that helps, best of luck!