I rarely, rarely get any tears in my mesh material, flying probably several hundred hours a year...
A few tips:
1. Roll the kite smoothly for storage, but not too tight.
2. Don't press fingers into the mesh when handling the kite.
3. Move your fold when storing the kite, so you don't crease the same area all the time.
4. Don't over-tighten the bunjis, tight enough to remove slack, but not enough to promote more stretching.
5. If you're a stickler, don't leave the kite sitting out in the sun for long durations of non-flight (sunlight).
Even with as much as I fly Revs, an average kite lasts me about 3-4 years... Most folks, closer to 8-10 years.
Of course, having a set of kites to rotate through (std, mid, vtd) extends life since each one is flown a little less and in ideal conditions (less stress) for each model.
Once a kite is totally blown out after hours and hours of joyful flying,you can still keep duct taping it together for others to learn on, or pass it on to some lucky youth... The gift that keeps on giving. <grin>