Tents

[bnb]

I have a 20 year old REI tent. The last time we used it (for the 2003 Picnic) it rained a lot and soaked through the floor (liner underneath) or sides. I’m not really sure where the water came from, but there were puddles under out mats.

I think the time has come to buy a new tent. It is my impression that the waterproofing of the tent material can wear out, but I don’t really know – I’m just assuming. I know I could reseal the seams, but I think the rain actually came through the material.

Are there any wise people out there that can educate me or direct me to a reliable source of information?

Thanks.

Ruth

[WIRACER24]

I don’t know how old some of the boy scout tents are, but we reapply waterproofing spray and seam sealer on them every other year. It seems to work for our troop. I say if the material looks in good shape, it would be worth it to try to reseal it. We also use a sheet of heavy plastic under the tent to keep water out from the floor. You just have to make sure no plastic is sticking out to catch water runoff.

[kbraband]

Regarding wet floors in tents, a technique I learned a few years ago at a camping seminar is to buy a 4 mil roll of plastic, cut a sheet the size of your tent floor plus an extra 6 to 9 inches on each side, and put the plastic INSIDE your tent, not underneath. This puts a moisture barrier between your sleeping bag and whatever wetness might ooze in.

Regarding rainproofing, a quality tent with a good rain fly should shed the rain without the need to apply rainproofing. I’ve been using the same tent (Eureka Timberline) for nearly 20 years and it doesn’t leak.

[GrouseTales]

My guess is that your tent is made of a nylon material and not canvas. Almost all tents are made of nylon type material these days.

To achieve waterproofness, the manufactures apply a coating of urethane to the material. This coating is somewhat like a rubber coating, but it’s really more of a plastic.

Often the sewn seams in the floor are the weakest link. The sewing needle punches thousands of holes in this waterproof material. To mend these holes, the manufactures usually apply a coating of “seam seal.” This is a liquid plastic that is rubbed onto the seam with an applicator, like a big magic marker.

Over time this plastic coatings (both seam seal and the urethane on the fabric) tend to get stiff, brittle, and then crack. My guess is that your floor’s urethane coating may have microscopic cracks which are allowing the moisture in. If not the entire floor, it may be that the seems have failed and need to be resealed.

Seam seal can be bought at most sporting good stores and is easy to apply. If your seems look cracked or “peely”, you might get by by resealing all the seams. If the entire floor is bad, you might consider a product called Tentsure. This is a product that is designed to be applied to the whole floor to keep out leaks.

I’ve purchased tents which included a bottle of seam seal. The purchaser needed to seal the floor seams before the tent’s initial use. Newer tents are coming with “hot taped” seals. Manufactures are trying to completely eliminate any seams in the floor altogether, but if a seem is necessary, they are hot taped.

This is basically a plastic tape which is melted and bonded across the length of the seam. Hot taped seams are a bonus in my book. Floors are also being made with thicker coatings of urethane. Another innovation is what is called “bath tub floors”. This basically means that tent floor is much like a tub. The floor seams are actually up on the sides of the tent. The floors often times extend up to a foot up side of the tent. This way all the seems are above the water line, hopefully .

If your tent is in good shape and you like it, I’d suggest trying to apply a new waterproof coating on the floor and seams. It doesn’t sound like you have anything to lose, besides about 15 bucks, and maybe a few brain cells from the fumes.

Ken has a good recommendation about sleeping with plastic inside your tent. If your tent is prone to leaking, it may help keep your sleeping bag dry. This is important on longer trips where you don’t have the ability to dry out the bag.

Personally, I put a piece of thick plastic under my tent. You need to be VERY CAREFUL and make sure the plastic is smaller then the tent. You do not want the plastic visible from the outside of the tent. If the plastic does extend beyond the floor, it will act as a funnel and may make matters worse. I do a lot of camping in the spring when the ground is muddy and the weather is rainy. I put the plastic underneath soley to keep my tent from getting all muddy. Many times I’ve had to take my tent down in a pouring rain, which really sucks. It’s nice to have a clean spot to roll it up so the tent doesnt get all muddy.

I’m with Ken that a good rain fly is important. When selecting a tent, look for one with a rain fly that comes to within a few inches of the ground. Some more affordable tents have a small fly that only covers the mesh on the top of the tent. While these tents are nice in hot weather, they don’t hold up as well when it rains. A good rain fly will keep you completely dry on the inside of the tent, and you don’t need to worry about touching the sides.

Man I love camping

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“There are two kinds of hunting: ordinary hunting and grouse hunting.”
-Aldo Leopold, A sand county Almanac

Brian
WGA President
Grousetales at wi-geocaching dot com
KC9GMW

[This message has been edited by GrouseTales (edited 02-03-2005).]

[bnb]

Thanks for all your feedback!

My current tent does have a complete rainfly that covers the entire tent, so that isn’t the problem. I did have a tarp underneath, but it isn’t designed for the tent so it is possible that a bit was sticking out. I do suspect the tent may have lost some of its waterproofness, although I haven’t noticed any flaking.

I have ordered some Tentsure and Seamsure (along with gobs of other stuff). Now I just have to convince my spouse that he’s really the one that wants to apply it because I have the small tent I bought last year that I could sleep in and not worry about rain. 🙂

For those that use the plastic *inside* the tent as Ken suggested, how to you keep it from getting all messed up with the moving around that goes on in the tent? I’m camping with kids, so I suspect a certain level of activity.

Thanks, again, for saving me some money. (Although, I do really like lots of the features of the new tents.)

Ruth

[kbraband]

quote:

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Originally posted by bnb:

For those that use the plastic *inside* the tent as Ken suggested, how to you keep it from getting all messed up with the moving around that goes on in the tent? I’m camping with kids, so I suspect a certain level of activity.

Ruth

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That can be a problem, but if you cut the plastic so you have extra on all sides, it’s easier to pull up one side when it slide out of place. I’m a big believer in this system. The problem with placing a tarp or plastic under your tent is that even if it does not stick out beyond the sides, rain and dew may run down the sides of the tent and may flow under, getting between the tent floor and the tarp.

For this and other sage camping advice, I recommend these books by Cliff Jacobson: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0762704276/qid=1107620950/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/104-9932285-5091156?v=glance&s=books
and http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0762703911/qid=1107620950/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-9932285-5091156?v=glance&s=books

[Ray]

There is a lot to keeping dry while camping. This is why we leave it to the Pros at the Hampton Inn.. Trudy camping.

[Cathunter]

Being dry is over-rated.

Your body does not care if it is wet or dry, it’s all in your mind.

[Author]

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