View Full Version : Seal my tent?
skinnbones
07-30-2016, 18:07
My tent is brand new, never been used yet. Do I still need to seal the seams before my thru hike next spring?
It depends on the tent. Some manuafacturers seam seal tents and some don't. Look at the seams on the inside of the tent, do they look like they have a clear tape running over then? If so, then it's probably been sealed already.
Ask the folks who made it. Based on the information you provided, we are clueless.
YMMV
Wayne
Old. Slow. "Smarter than the average bear."
skinnbones
07-30-2016, 18:32
Ok, thanks.
Tipi Walter
07-30-2016, 20:12
No matter what the manufacturers do, always seam seal your tent, especially now when it is new. Use McNetts seam grip on polyester/taffeta and Silnet on silnylon. It's just a chore you have to do.
I use Hilleberg tents and they say you never need to seam seal these babies but they are wrong because I've had several leaks until I wised up and went to work. If a seam is factory taped, seam seal the other side. Set up the fly in the yard and go to work. Same with single walls. Seal the floor seams and floor corners if needed.
I bought a $60 Coleman dome tent about 20 years ago, and I sealed the seams as soon as I got it home from the store. I coated every single seam on the tent, even ones under the fly. I used it for car camping, and it survived quite a few torrential downpours with nary a drop of water leaking into the tent. I didn't even set up my ground cloth properly (I used to leave about a foot of ground cloth all around the perimeter of the tent), and it still stayed dry. I'm a big believer in seam sealing.
Tipi Walter
07-31-2016, 13:56
It's a sticky smelly chore but it comes with tent living. Doing it when the tent is new is the best. And using Gear Aid McNetts sealer!
saltysack
07-31-2016, 14:06
It dumbfounds me that ALL good tents don't come ready to withstand foul weather! I had to have Outdoor76 seam seal my solong6 as I picked up at 5pm and night hiked from standing Indian to top of Siler bald to try it out...it's like buying a NEW house and having to fix the roof......
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Tipi Walter
07-31-2016, 14:11
It dumbfounds me that ALL good tents don't come ready to withstand foul weather! I had to have Outdoor76 seam seal my solong6 as I picked up at 5pm and night hiked from standing Indian to top of Siler bald to try it out...it's like buying a NEW house and having to fix the roof......
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Even $900 Hilleberg tents suffer from this problem. What tent manufacturer is gonna spend a couple hours on each tent completely applying high quality seam sealer? Instead they slap on heated seam tape and say "This will work!" Nope. But I do the job because it's just part of having a piece of gear inside my Circle of Trust. Unimportant until the feces hits Miss Nature's big floor fan.
I'm confounded by paying $500 for a nice Mystery Ranch backpack and it's not waterproof. I wonder if the highly vaunted McHale packs are waterproof?
Offshore
08-01-2016, 08:20
Even $900 Hilleberg tents suffer from this problem...
What gets me is this apparently BS statement on Hilleberg's site: You do not need to seam seal our tents as we use a stitching method that makes the seams really strong and durable. We use a flat fell-seam in all our tents and our sewing machines employ cooling jets around the needles. This means that every stitch goes through four layers of fabric and the size of the hole is minimized by preventing heat-producing friction. The end result is a very precise, very reliable seam that has remarkable durability and water resistance.
I have a few Big Agnes tents. They are taped at the factory. I have had zero leaks. Some companies appear to be better than others.
Secondmouse
08-01-2016, 10:19
if you're going to be using this for a thru next year, I would hope that you have it out several times between then and now. it will tell you if it needs to be sealed...
Tipi Walter
08-01-2016, 10:28
What gets me is this apparently BS statement on Hilleberg's site: You do not need to seam seal our tents as we use a stitching method that makes the seams really strong and durable. We use a flat fell-seam in all our tents and our sewing machines employ cooling jets around the needles. This means that every stitch goes through four layers of fabric and the size of the hole is minimized by preventing heat-producing friction. The end result is a very precise, very reliable seam that has remarkable durability and water resistance.
They say you don't have to seam seal because their stitching method makes the seams really strong and durable. Okay, but we're not talking about strength or durability, we're talking about water proofness! And not water resistant.
The worst leaks I have on my Hilleberg Keron are thru the end vent seams and down into the vestibule. I can never seem to fix these with sealer---
https://photos.smugmug.com/Backpack-2016-Trips-171/21-Days-in-January/i-sNLGFVQ/0/XL/TRIP%20171%20292-XL.jpg
In a hard rain the corners of the vents leak water.
Offshore
08-01-2016, 10:56
They say you don't have to seam seal because their stitching method makes the seams really strong and durable. Okay, but we're not talking about strength or durability, we're talking about water proofness! And not water resistant.
The worst leaks I have on my Hilleberg Keron are thru the end vent seams and down into the vestibule. I can never seem to fix these with sealer---
In a hard rain the corners of the vents leak water.
I realize exactly what they are saying, it just strikes me as a line of BS to explain away why they neglect to do something that "lesser" manufacturers do as a matter of course. If I'm dropping $700 - $900 on a tent, I think its fair to expect that it's fit for its intended purposes without me having to finish the manufacturing process.
Tipi Walter
08-01-2016, 12:05
I realize exactly what they are saying, it just strikes me as a line of BS to explain away why they neglect to do something that "lesser" manufacturers do as a matter of course. If I'm dropping $700 - $900 on a tent, I think its fair to expect that it's fit for its intended purposes without me having to finish the manufacturing process.
No tent is perfect. Read some good reviews of Big Agnes and their use of thin denier floors and flies. My buddy Patman has been thru 3 Big Agnes tents while I'm still working on my one Hilleberg. The "lesser" manufacturers make tents that are almost disposable when compared to Hillies. As much crap as I have to say against Hillebergs, they are outstanding tents and are always inside my Circle of Trust.
When push comes to shove and you're out in the middle of nowhere with your butt in a sling and Miss Nature breathing hard down your neck, all you want is a place to go to stay dry, stay alive, stay warm and wake up to another day. The best choice for me is Hilleberg.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Backpacking2012/Tipi-Walter-in-Snowbirds/i-5sctBJh/0/L/TRIP%20129%20040-L.jpg
saltysack
08-01-2016, 12:22
Tipi...love your phrases and word choices!! No [emoji202][emoji90]!!!![emoji106]
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Offshore
08-01-2016, 13:38
No tent is perfect. Read some good reviews of Big Agnes and their use of thin denier floors and flies. My buddy Patman has been thru 3 Big Agnes tents while I'm still working on my one Hilleberg. The "lesser" manufacturers make tents that are almost disposable when compared to Hillies. As much crap as I have to say against Hillebergs, they are outstanding tents and are always inside my Circle of Trust....etc.
"Circle of Trust" or Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval or whatever. If it works for you, that's great but makes no difference. Hilleberg is misrepresenting their product by making the definitive statement "You do not need to seam seal our tents..." when empirical data shows that not to be the case. So the answer to the OP is that if their tent is a Hilleberg, ignore the marketing BS and seal the seams.
Tipi Walter
08-01-2016, 14:12
"Circle of Trust" or Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval or whatever. If it works for you, that's great but makes no difference. Hilleberg is misrepresenting their product by making the definitive statement "You do not need to seam seal our tents..." when empirical data shows that not to be the case. So the answer to the OP is that if their tent is a Hilleberg, ignore the marketing BS and seal the seams.
What I've been saying all along. And not just for Hillies but for all tents.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wARB3Ljv404
FamilyGuy
08-01-2016, 18:48
My tent is brand new, never been used yet. Do I still need to seal the seams before my thru hike next spring?
If it is seam taped, you do not have to seam seal the seams. If not, then you should.
Note: Hilleberg does not seam tape their seams and instead triple stich the seams. I have never had any of my 3 Hillebergs leak in any sort of weather. Condensation magnets yes, but no leaks.
UL_Packer
08-08-2016, 22:24
If I were you i would just reach out to the manufacturer and ask them for info on the production. If it isn't seam sealed and you have to do it don't sweat it. It is time consuming but patience is key. Also make sure you give it a good rinse and check for leaks. Better to find out in your yard than in the middle of night in the middle of nowhere.