New here and have a few questions??

[chaska]

Hello all,

I've been outta the loop as far as camping goes for about ten years or so. I finally got my wife to try camping again and things went very well! I made sure all the important stuff was covered, we had rain shelter and a dry tent, and boy did we get rain!! Which leads me to my first question. Tent?? I just bought a coleman naugatuck 6 person tent and it performed great in all the rain so I bought a second to help with space (4 kids). Any reports good or bad with this model? I guess at this point it's things to watch out for.I did a search and couldn't find any.

Second, I've heard conflicting reports about sealing the tent or not to seal the tent?
If so what brand of sealant please.

This is a great place to find ALL kinds of great info, THANKS!!

[MikeB]

Re: New here and have a few questions??

I checked the tent out on the Coleman site and it is no longer listed. It apparently is a discontinued model whch doesn't make it bad but may have added to a better purchase price.
I have never sealed seams on my tents but I do rely on good quality rain flys. Since you have tried one out in the rain already and it preformed well, leave it alone. Never fix what isn't broken.

[renodesertfox]

Re: New here and have a few questions??

When tent camping it is a good policy to always make improvements on your lifestyle and improve what you have, fix things that are broken so that camping itself doesn't become a bore and a quickly forgotten pastime. Here's my take on seam sealing any tent.

When you buy a new tent the seams aren't sealed. If you use this tent without sealing the seams they will become wicks that allow water to seep into the tent. It doesn't have to rain for this to occur. Morning dew will have the same consequence. You can waterproof the tent seams very easily.

Buy a bottle of seam sealer for a few dollars at a sporting goods store.
Set your tent up outdoors on a dry sunny day.

The seam sealer comes in a bottle with an applicator top. Shake the bottle, open the cap, and apply seam sealer to all threads (inside and out) while the tent is pitched(set-up).

Allow the sealer to dry for a few hours.
Repeat the application, and allow the seams to dry thoroughly.
Don't forget to also seal the seams on your rain fly. Inside & out!

This process accomplishes two tasks. Not only does it help to waterproof your tent, but it gives you a chance to learn how to set it up. Never go camping with a new tent that has not been seam sealed, and which you have not practiced setting up. If you tent camp a lot, it's a good idea to reseal the seams every year.

Quality tents come with seams that are factory taped, which is not the same as sealed. Taped seams have a waterproof material placed between overlapped seams, which are then double stitched. This sewing technique adds to the strength of the seam and helps eliminate any gaps when the tent is stretched. These seams will be more water-resistant than normal seams, but they are not water-proof. The seams should still be sealed to ensure the best water-proof protection. Just trying to be helpful here.

Applyin seam sealer isn't rocket science and you shouldn't act like a 5 year old either and goop it on( a little bit goes a long way).

The problem with spray-ons is that you have little control over the area to cover. All you want to treat are the seams, not the tent fabric itself. So my advice is not to purchase spray-on seam sealer, even though the price will be less, so will the performance and one could damage the tent fabric beyond the seams.

Leaking Seams: Use Canvak or a tent seam sealer to stop leaking seams or purchase a full cover rain fly. Walmart has fairly good goop too. Seal inside and out and allow the tent to dry completely before storing. Seam sealing should be done once a year. Remember sometimes it's a good idea not to fix what isn't broken if there is no room for improvement. With tent camping and that lifestyle we all strive to be perfect, a little experimentation and trying to make your tent is better than not seam sealing and finding out the hard way: wet sleeping/living quarters!

Set up Location: Be aware of which trees emit resins and avoid setting up your tent under these types of trees.

I recommend: Coghlan's 703 Tent Seam Sealer Repair Kit and you can get it here:
http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/Pro...aspx?SKU=84949

[chaska]

Re: New here and have a few questions??

Thanks for the reply's. I will see how things go on the next trip in a week and a half.