Tent waterproofness

[mercalia]

well I stayed on in York until the Thursday after when i came back. So I got 2 1/2 days of continuous rain on my tent. Though I didnt get wet and nothing dripped from the inside it was getting rather wet from condensation and I think rain soaking thru - it seemed the material was water logged by the end.

Kelty Range Tarp, really only a tarp

The waterproofness isnt of the highest spec - 40 D Sil Nylon, 1800 mm
I got mine off Ebay for just £50 so cant complain

it isnt a full blown 4 season tent


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kelty-Range-Tarp-Size-Green/dp/B00G6KUUSU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498925113&sr=8-2&keywords=kelty+tarp


just wondering what level of water proofness do you need for 2-3 days of continuous moderate rain spending most of the time inside? how would a normal tent behave?

I am thinking of reproofing with Fabsil Gold that is supposed to be the best proofing agent ( use it also on my Karrimor panniers )


I also noted that it was getting a bit cold inside - I think the strong winds at the time with the condensation inside was turning it into a fridge due to evaporation. Has any one experienced this ? By Wednesday night I recorded about 11C inside

[Gattonero]

A stated HH rating of 1800mm may well be 1500mm when new and fall dramatically after several times folded, going down to 1000mm.
Though you want a minimum of 3000mm HH for the flysheet and floor, you have to trust the values the manufacturer's gives.

Adding Fabsil may only improve the water beading off but after hours the water will soak the fabric nevertheless.
Backpacking tents are not really meant to stay up for days, they are lightweight in the fabrics right because one is constantly on the move.
If planning to stay longer, I would look for ticker fabrics like 60D or over, and especially a solid fabric double-wall.

[nirakaro]

I stayed in my tent through two solid days of rain last year in Switzerland. Or was it Austria? Big Agnes Seedhouse, which only claims 1200mm HH, but of course does have two layers. There was one spot right at the top that developed a slow but annoying drip, but otherwise I stayed perfectly dry – I guess that comes of having an inner and a flysheet.
BTW, I don't think you were any colder than elsewhere – 11C was about right for Yorkshire on Wednesday night!

[foxyrider]

Personally I only feel rain safe with a HH of 5000 plus - both my Vaude tents have this with 10000 for the floor bucket. Both tents are under 2kg. Both have managed to keep me dry in some heavy wet even when put up wet.

[mercalia]

on another matter, are silicone coatred tents as sensitive to uv as pu coated ones?

[Gattonero]

No, that is one advantage of silicone impregnated fabrics.
OTOH, no offence but there isn't a lot of sun in this country!

[mercalia]

No, that is one advantage of silicone impregnated fabrics.
OTOH, no offence but there isn't a lot of sun in this country!

maybe but I keep my tents for decades - my old Conquest/polycotton/vango Force 10 is atleast 20 years old. My Vaude Mk2 is 10 I think.

The Fabsil Gold by the way is supposed to have 5 times the amount of silicon in it than the standard version and I understand is recommended for tarps and sails that are out in all weathers all the time, it seems that car owners with softtops recommend it to proof the top

question do you proof just the outside or also the inside of silicon impregnated tent?

I certainly like my Kelty Tarp tent is really massive inside

[Gattonero]

No, that is one advantage of silicone impregnated fabrics.
OTOH, no offence but there isn't a lot of sun in this country!

maybe but I keep my tents for decades - my old Conquest/polycotton/vango Force 10 is atleast 20 years old. My Vaude Mk2 is 10 I think.

The Fabsil Gold by the way is supposed to have 5 times the amount of silicon in it than the standard version and I understand is recommended for tarps that are out in all weathers all the time, it seems that car owners with softtops recommend it to proof the top

question do you proof just the outside or also the inside of silicon impregnated tent?

On a long term it makes more sense, though in this country is not paramount for backpacking tents, as they don.t stay pitched for long.
You see, I come from a country where is sunny 300 days a year, and is summer for almost 5 solid months. And when is peak summer is nearly 40ºc with strong sun. That means UV are so high that red cars used to turn orange in a couple of years, and you can't laquer wood outdoors as the paint will fail miserably after a short while, and fabrics lose their colour and fall apart quick.
In those conditions you really want fabrics that are stabilized for UV protection, still you avoid to pitch in direct sun (you'll boil inside the tent!)

[dlv13]

ive used this and think its good, water repellent and helps with uv , it was easy to apply water based , and definitely works with the water repel , only time will tell about the uv
http://www.nikwax.co.uk/en-gb/products/ ... abricid=-1

[crazydave789]

If a tent is getting tired then you can reproof it or seal it afresh with a solution of white spirit and clear silicone sealant.

get a old food jar and put white spirit and 10-20% sealant and mix throughly until it is lump free. make sure itens are clean then apply with a brush or sponge then wipe off any surplus and stretch out to dry.

it works on nylon and cotton, is good for sealing leaky groundsheets, seam sealing/repairs, fabric panniers or luggage, rucksacks, clothing and even converting worn out goretex into a simple waterproof.

that manky dandruff that used to flake off the inside of your old school bag is silicone.

a similar method replacing siicone with linseed oil makes oil skins.

the mixture doesn't keep very well and the silicone will stick to the jar in a few days.

[Gattonero]

It's a good idea to use odourless white spirit, and it takes a little while to mix it well. Usually I do a 4:1 spirit to silicone, does add a bit of weight but it's bombproof and reduces the fraying on the fabric

[crazydave789]

It's a good idea to use odourless white spirit, and it takes a little while to mix it well. Usually I do a 4:1 spirit to silicone, does add a bit of weight but it's bombproof and reduces the fraying on the fabric

if there such a thing? it all stinks. worth it to keep good kit going though or up spec some fabric panniers,

[Gattonero]

It's a good idea to use odourless white spirit, and it takes a little while to mix it well. Usually I do a 4:1 spirit to silicone, does add a bit of weight but it's bombproof and reduces the fraying on the fabric

if there such a thing? it all stinks. worth it to keep good kit going though or up spec some fabric panniers,

They call it "odourless", though still smells a bit it's a lot less -and especially it goes away a lot quicker- than normal White spirit:
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk ... 0ml-450261


Still to be used in well ventilated areas!

[crazydave789]

It's a good idea to use odourless white spirit, and it takes a little while to mix it well. Usually I do a 4:1 spirit to silicone, does add a bit of weight but it's bombproof and reduces the fraying on the fabric

if there such a thing? it all stinks. worth it to keep good kit going though or up spec some fabric panniers,

They call it "odourless", though still smells a bit it's a lot less -and especially it goes away a lot quicker- than normal White spirit:
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk ... 0ml-450261


Still to be used in well ventilated areas!

I get the big bottles from morrisons, usually a lot cheaper.

[Tangled Metal]

Check out backpackinglight site from America. It might be behind a pay wall member's area but there's a lot of test results on sil-nylon tarp HH over long term exposure. Also plenty of threads in their forum which I believe is visible for all.

Your required answers will be found on that site. Ppl very much more knowledgeable than the general camper on there. Obsessives who carry out tests on materials and tarps over year or more. Things like pitching a range of sil-nylon tarps from common US manufacturers in their garden over a long time without moving it. Then cutting out pieces after certain time periods to test in professional, industrial standard, HH test equipment. You're talking ppl with deep pockets to own such equipment (or in the trade), but at least a truly obsessive mindset.