Warning: My old tent zipper kept sticking until I tried a pencil.
The slider on my main door was a pain, especially in the cold. Rubbed a normal graphite pencil tip along the teeth a few times. Anyone know a better fix for this, or is this the go-to trick?
Nice, that's the classic fix for a reason. Graphite is a dry lubricant so it works great in cold weather when wet stuff freezes. You can also try a tiny bit of candle wax in a pinch.
Yeah, the "in a pinch" part is key with candle wax. Your buddy found out the hard way that it's a temporary fix and can actually make things worse once the weather changes. One thing nobody's brought up is that wax can also attract dust and grime over time, which basically turns it into a sticky paste that clogs up the tracks even more. Graphite stays clean and doesn't have that problem. I've seen people use silicone spray too, which is fine but you gotta be careful not to get it on anything you don't want slicked up, like the floor or your hands.