WARNING -Singapore Ants Eat Canvas +more!!

Last year we embarked on a trip around OZ and did the thing you do when planning on a long camping expedition - invest in a good tent. We decided on a Southern Cross 10x10 - a great looking canvas tent by all accounts - We also decided to purchase the optional awning - bringing the total cost to nearly $1400 - not too bad considering it was to be out house for then next year or so.

We might as well have flushed my money down the toilet - as all it took was one night at the Fitzroy Crossing caravan park to destroy the entire tent. We awoke in the morning to find lots of little small brown ants (similar in size to household black ants - but light brown in colour) and to our absolute horror - they had eaten no less than 30 holes in our $1400 investment! We later found out that these ants (called Singapore Ants) are a non native ant that also eat through some metals - and love to eat the wiring looms in cars.

Next time I will invest in a $100 tent and buy a new one when it wears out - rather than forking out $1400 only to have it eaten out from under me. I can hear you all saying - get the canvas tent repaired - well I would however Southern Cross Canvas's only solution for repair - replace the panels with the holes in it - a great idea - except that every panel had a hole in it!!

I have since plugged the holes with silicone - the tent is waterproof - but looks shocking. If I had bought a $100 tent - I could have changed it over 5 times over the year and still have a waterproof tent that looks great - another 6 changes of tent over the next 12 years would still see me in front.

My point here is that expensive tents can be destroyed just as quickly and easily as cheapy's. Oh - and I hate Singapore Ants!! - Has anyone else had experiences with them?

- Myfourby