Waterproofing and seam sealing

[GodsKids27]

i bought a REI Kingdom 8 for our first adventure and was told not to worry about waterproofing or seam sealing immediately. Looking forward, what do I need to effectively waterproof/storm proof our investment?

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Waterproofing and seam sealing

i bought a REI Kingdom 8 for our first adventure and was told not to worry about waterproofing or seam sealing immediately. Looking forward, what do I need to effectively waterproof/storm proof our investment?

Look at your factory sealed seams, note how shiny the finish is and take a picture for later reference. When the seams appear to peel or lose their sheen, it's time to re-seal. Aren't smart phones useful?
How long it'll take to need this maintenance depends on how often you use the tent.


Now what to use? McNett or Kenyon make quality products for sealing and are both sold at REI. You can also make a homemade product courtesy of Mike's recipe. Link here:

http://www.campingforums.com/forum/s...1-Seam-sealing

Overtime, you'll need to waterproof the tent's and vestibule's body and again the same 2 companies come to your rescue. You'll know it's time to waterproof when the fabric billows too much and loses it's original shape. If you have a backyard, run the sprinkler over the setup tent and see if water is creeping in; you now know it's time to waterproof.
I just waterproof and seam seal about once a year after the second year of owning a new tent because it's easiest for me to do the maintenance on the camp site.

I like to add a spray on UV resistant waterproof spray to the rain fly annually because I frequently camp in a sunny locale.
This is my product of choice:

https://www.rei.com/product/850168/n...proofing-spray

No idea if the UV really works but hey it can't hurt. I have replaced my rainfly once in the ...10 years I've owned my tent; think it was around year 8.

HTH!

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Waterproofing and seam sealing

Just in case it isn't obvious from the previous post - you only need to seam seal the rainfly. I use a home-made sealer, but nothing wrong with the commercial stuff. I am skeptical of claims like "rain proof", so I like to set up a new tent at home when I know there is gonna be a really good storm. That way I know what to expect.