leaky tent?

[pjclinch]

Not actually that bad since we adopted the sproggen, only one of whom turns out to like that sort of thing.

We have a Spacepacker, Hubba HP, Hubba Hubba HP, Kaitum 3, Tarra and a Primus Birfrost Y6 family tent. There's a leaky old Sierra Designs one my wife is emotionally attached to, and I've previously owned a Saunders Snowcat and a Force 10 mk 3.

The "+1" is awaiting someone making it. Sort of an "Aktwo"... The Tarptent Scarp 2 is very close, but the porches are too wee for my liking and it's not available in red. By being ridiculously fussy one can cut expenditure considerably!

Pete.

[Gattonero]

Though I like to try new stuff, I'm picky about tents so don't just "buy" them.
Been quite happy withe the current one, Trekkertent Stealth, a simple A-Frame that can be setup as flysheet only, or choice between mesh and full-DWR fabric inner.
Will use it for a while, maybe one day will pull the trigger on a Tarptent, just because they are very good quality and use a wise design, they pitch easy with only a few pegs required.

[Tangled Metal]

Our tent purchases have all been to a need. Our needs have changed over the years so new tents were bought. However we bought some because the existing tent wasn't quite right.

For example we bought a large family car camping tent. It worked but was too much work to pitch. So a smaller tent was bought, with the extension and other extras in a deal. It wad quicker but if the extension was used, needed for longer 2 week holidays, it didn't save much time. Without extension it's a reasonable weekend tent.

Then we went back to a lightweight car camping tent (vango beta 360 IIRC) bought years before because it took 8 minutes not 40 minutes to pitch.

Then we started cycle touring too so new tent. Then a tent even better suited to our car camping needs was bought. It's a larger version of the beta 350 in some ways and doesn't take much.longer to pitch. It's easy to make the mistake that ease and speed of pitching are key features of a tent.

Basically each purchase was for a new use or an improvement on existing features to make the camp easier/more enjoyable. No frivolous purchases here, honest!

[Gattonero]

I understand.

Not having those needs, as I travel alone and sometimes I "have to" wild camp, fast and no-fuss pitching together with minimum weight is paramount for me. And because I'm a bit nostalgic/geek in some ways, the simple A-Frames work well for me.

[crazydave789]

I put this on another reference but you can never have too much of a good thing...

as winter time is fast approaching and a good time to service kit then anyone with leaky gear should have a look at DIY silicone proofing. I've a couple of barely used tents with peeling seam tape which annoys me when the north face tapole mk1 I have and sealed myself is perfect despite 10x the use.

simple clear silicone sealant mixed with varying amounts of white spirit does the job nicely. apply sparingly with a brush or sponge wiping off any run off. add a second coat if you want before it dries.

1:1 for replacing white seam tape where the PU coating comes away with the tape, fabric tapes age and fall off making more of a mess so painting the outside might work better.

1:2 to 1:4 sealant to spirit for groundsheets (underside) and

1:4 to 1:6 for fabrics like flysheets, ponchos, tarps, panniers and rucsacks just brush away the dead stuff or wash the bag inside out.

hang out in the sun and a light breeze or under cover. the more spirit the longer it takes to dry but the silicone seals the fabric by soaking into the fibres making it totally waterproof and flexible. you can use it to make silnylon anything. even worn out failing so called breathable waterproofs. some even use vacuum bags to squeeze it all together.

works on cotton as well if you are into stalking and don't want rustling waterproofs.