I have a second hand Outwell Carolina M I acquired early last year. I don't use it much, and I've mainly been lucky with the weather (just as well, as I'm not a natural camper ;) ), but the last trip was one of the weeks it rained a LOT, and unfortunately the tent started to drip in heavily from multiple points all over the roof.
At least I'd packed plenty of teatowels... ;)
Now, I like the tent a lot and I didn't pay much for it (came with a load of extras, too), so I don't mind spending some time and cash if it can be salvaged, but reproofing is new territory for me and I'm clueless as to a) if it can be done with this make/model, and b) how to go about it if so.
Anyone able to offer advice? :)
~Jes :)
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I guess the first thing to say is that when it's rainy and humid polyester tents can suffer from ridiculous amounts of condensation inside, so it might not have been a leak. the best way to check this is to set it up on a dry day and soak it with a hose. Alternatively you could check it when you're camping after you've been out all day and see how much water there is as soon as you get back.
If it IS leaking, it's probably the seams. Some seam sealant, applied when the tent is dry , should seal the holes caused by the stitching (I have a tent sitting under an armchair that I need to pull out and do this on).
Finally, if the tent is leaking through the fabric itself, you can use fabsil, however that's a bit of a stop-gap measure and it might be time to look for a new tent.
Unfortunately it's definitely not just condensation - I spent long enough watching it/getting dripped on/mopping up the puddles to know the fabric itself is leaking through in places. I'm pretty sure the seams need TLC too.
I won't be camping again until next year now, and I really do generally only use a tent one week a year - it's just a shame that the week this year coincided with monsoon season! If Fabsil and seam sealing will get me a few more years use out of it at a resonable cost, then I'm up for giving it a bash rather than having to buy yet another tent so soon.
Quote: Originally posted by Jesthar on 18/8/2017
Unfortunately it's definitely not just condensation - I spent long enough watching it/getting dripped on/mopping up the puddles to know the fabric itself is leaking through in places. I'm pretty sure the seams need TLC too.
I won't be camping again until next year now, and I really do generally only use a tent one week a year - it's just a shame that the week this year coincided with monsoon season! If Fabsil and seam sealing will get me a few more years use out of it at a resonable cost, then I'm up for giving it a bash rather than having to buy yet another tent so soon.
Take a look at this first before deciding whether to spend money on waterproofing.
In my opinion it is highly unlikely that a tent will leak directly through the material if the material isn't showing any signs of damage/wear. In some cases the tape on seams may fail after a few years of use and water will then run down the seams and pool on the groundsheet. From there it could run in any direction. Seam sealant will resolve this problem if you can ascertain where the seam is actually leaking from.
Your tent is likely to take around 3 x 600ml cans of Fabsil spray at between £7.00 - £11.00 a can depending on where you buy it. Seam sealant isn't particularly cheap either.
Fabsil is not a waterproofer. The waterproofing of a tent is the material itself. Fabsil is a silicon treatment which causes rain to bead and run off the flysheet. This aids waterproofing but won't cure leaks.
If the material is leaking it's time for a new tent.
Post last edited on 18/08/2017 22:33:53
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In my opinion it is highly unlikely that a tent will leak directly through the material if the material isn't showing any signs of damage/wear. In some cases the tape on seams may fail after a few years of use and water will then run down the seams and pool on the groundsheet. From there it could run in any direction. Seam sealant will resolve this problem if you can ascertain where the seam is actually leaking from.
Your tent is likely to take around 3 x 600ml cans of Fabsil spray at between £7.00 - £11.00 a can depending on where you buy it. Seam sealant isn't particularly cheap either.
Fabsil is not a waterproofer. The waterproofing of a tent is the material itself. Fabsil is a silicon treatment which causes rain to bead and run off the flysheet. This aids waterproofing but won't cure leaks.
If the material is leaking it's time for a new tent.
Post last edited on 18/08/2017 22:33:53
Well, I may have learned something...
Could it really be the case that the combination of rain, near constant high humidity (between 70% and 90% most of the time, I was checking the weather constantly!) and cool nights could cause that much indoor 'rain'? As I said, it was my first really wet week in a smaller modern tent, so it may be I just have to learn how to handle that. I am pretty sure some seams need re-sealing (one by the sleeping compartment is definitely dodgy), but I couldn't see any damage or wear to the roof fabric (checked before going, and spent plenty of time staring at it during the week!).
My friends (family of 4 plus dog) who borrowed my old Ontario 8 didn't have any real problems with internal drips (although we did have to bail it out initially after being forced to put it up in truly horrible weather - no letup all day!), but they spent a lot more time in and out of that tent than I did mine, I was only really in the Carolina at night as I was working at the event, so it was shut up most of the time - all vents deployed, of course. Plus, the Ontario is a tunnel tent, so a lot more domed than the Carolina, so drips are more likely to have run down the walls I guess. The rain wasn't beading and running off the Carolina like it does the Ontario, which is why I thought it needed reproofing, but maybe that's a difference in the tents themselves?
Meh, I feel like such a noob! Again... ;) All advice still welcome :)
If the rain wasn't beading and running off the tent then yes, it would benefit from a spray with Fabsil. Halfords usually sell it at around £7 for a 600ml can. I would suggest you might need 3 of them for your tent...better to buy too much and have some left over to waterproof your anorak than get half way through and run out.
If the rain isn't running off the tent then it soaks into the outer layer of the polyester. The tent doesn't leak because the waterproofing layer, polyurethane, is on the inside. That is why the inside of a polyester tent feels slightly smooth and 'rubbery' whereas the outside feels more rough.
The consequence of the rain soaking into the outside and staying there is that it is colder than the air inside even if you are not in it. Voila...condensation!
Under the circumstances you have described I would certainly give it a go with Fabsil. You will need to erect the tent to spray it and it might be beneficial to disconnect the lower section of legs so that you can reach the roof and then refit and pin the legs so you can do the rest. Follow the instructions on the can.
I strongly advise using a face mask or you will waterproof your lungs! It might harm your lawn too, apparently, although on my lawn I was only left with a slight mark of discoloured grass where the tent had been, but it soon recovered.
Make sure the tent is perfectly dry after spraying before putting it away or it will stick to itself, and just in case you were not aware, seam sealant is applied to the 'inside' and Fabsil to the 'outside'.
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Topic: Reproofing a leaky Outwell Carolina?
All advice still welcome :)
