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klpicktown
04-23-2010, 11:05
Just got my new TT Moment (love it) but just wanted to hear from some of you that have seam-sealed. obviously I want to follow the suggestions that came with the tent, but I am just looking for tips, pointer, etc since I have never done it before and don't want to f it up.
Anyone ever tried the seam sealer mix on the tub to stop your sleeping pad from sliding around like the directions suggest? Did you just spread a few lines or cover it or what?
Thanks for any help

garlic08
04-23-2010, 11:30
I suggest trying the floor first before smearing the stuff on it. You may not have a problem sliding around. Of the four or five close friends I hike with who use a silnylon floor, only one has problems sliding around. I think it depends on how restless you are when you sleep. Why add a couple of ounces if not needed? The stuff also makes it more difficult to sweep out the tent.

Less is more when applying the goop. A thin coat is better than a thick coat. Good luck and enjoy the Moment, so to speak. It looks like a great tent.

garlic08
04-23-2010, 11:32
Oh yeah, if you do need stuff on the floor, I heard dots are better than lines, for the reason of making it easier to sweep it out.

Roland
04-23-2010, 11:37
I agree with garlic.

Don't paint the floor with seam sealer. It will attract dust and dirt. If your pad slides, paint a few lines on the bottom of your pad instead. Position these lines under the pressure points of your body; shoulders, hips, etc.

Thin your sealant enough so it will flow into the needle holes. This not only enhances the waterproofing qualities of the tent, but it also reinforces the stress points in the seams. Sealant which is globbed on top of the seam may help waterproof your tent, but it won't add strength to the stress points.

Highstepper
04-23-2010, 18:01
Pay special attention to the point where top vent opening arches contact the main body of the tent . I put 2 coats of sealer on mine then tested it in the rain. It leaked at 2 of these points. I noticed that there were 2 needle holes at end of the each seam that was allowing water through. I put a very small amount of undiluted silcone (probably could have used a diluted mix) on the holes from the inside...worked great.

I sealed my entire floor with a very thin mixture. My prolite pad slid without it.

I am very pleased with my Moment!

Lyle
04-23-2010, 18:15
For silnylon, instead of buying expensive seam sealer and thinning it down, just go to an auto parts store and buy "flowable" silicon windshield sealant. Works GREAT, easy to apply, flows into all the needle holes, and is CHEAP. I paid about a dollar and a half per tube. I bought two, used one to seal two tents. That was about 4 years ago and they haven't leaked yet.

RayBan
04-23-2010, 22:25
Henry would've seam sealed yours for $15 if you'd asked (I did), not that it matters now of course.

butts0989
04-23-2010, 23:25
use silnet, used it on my contrail and sublite, works great

papa john
04-24-2010, 07:19
Permatex 81730 Flowable Silicone Windshield & Glass Sealer


This stuff is the best for seam sealing. It will wick down into the threads. No diluting required.

Roland
04-24-2010, 08:25
For silnylon, instead of buying expensive seam sealer and thinning it down, just go to an auto parts store and buy "flowable" silicon windshield sealant. Works GREAT, easy to apply, flows into all the needle holes, and is CHEAP. I paid about a dollar and a half per tube. I bought two, used one to seal two tents. That was about 4 years ago and they haven't leaked yet.


Permatex 81730 Flowable Silicone Windshield & Glass Sealer


This stuff is the best for seam sealing. It will wick down into the threads. No diluting required.

I've never used this product, but it sounds like it would work great for the occasional user.

The most common mistake I've noticed from DIY seam seal jobs, is the sealant is not thinned sufficiently. This results in sealant that sits on the surface of the seam, rather than penetrating into the threads and needle holes. The product you recommend is already thinned, and is packaged with an applicator nozzle.

The only suggestion I would add is to be careful when cutting the tip of nozzle. Smaller is better.

skinewmexico
04-24-2010, 13:28
I thought the Permatex went on way too thick, and was too slow. I just did it Henry's way. Fast and simple.

Roland
04-24-2010, 17:07
I thought the Permatex went on way too thick, and was too slow. I just did it Henry's way. Fast and simple.

Permatex makes lots of different products, including automotive silicone caulk (RTV). If you used RTV, I agree; it is too thick to be used as seam sealer.

The flowable product, mentioned above, is much thinner than RTV, or the GE Silicone II caulk that Henry Shires recommends.

klpicktown
04-24-2010, 17:32
thanks for all thew great info. I am going to give the windshield and glass sealer a go.

Franco
04-24-2010, 21:13
I shot a video of it, just for you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYjOkxR4sgc&feature=related
Franco

klpicktown
04-24-2010, 22:01
awesome video. thanks for posting.

skinewmexico
04-25-2010, 00:05
I was using Permatex Flowable Winshield sealer, FWIW.

Migrating Bird
04-25-2010, 08:28
Franco, thanks for the great video, I ordered a new Moment and your video sure will help me seal it. Thanks for taking the time to shoot it.

Franco
04-26-2010, 00:42
BTW, in the video you see me sealing all of the stitches. I do it because I like doing it, however you really only need to do the top ones.
Also note that I use a paint brush. I have tried the syringe and the finger version before but ended up eventually with the brush. However the Tarptent recommended way is with a sponge brush.
I will try that the next time.
There is also a video on mixing the silant and one on setting up the Moment ...

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/7248563/18899600

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWZQKivY2SA
Franco

q-tip
07-16-2010, 11:43
I have a TT Cloudburst-the easiest way I found was to get a syringe-fill it with the seam sealer, shoot a thin bead and then and spread with your finger along the seam.. It has lasted three years -no problem- for the floor-heavy -it wore out very quickly and I still do dome slippin' and slidin'---Good Luck!!

Rick500
07-16-2010, 12:08
I used clear silicone caulk (GE II) thinned with mineral spirits, and applied it with a sponge brush.

I painted 3"-diameter dots on the floor (instead of stripes) to prevent my sleeping pad from sliding.

Worked like a charm.

phobos
07-17-2010, 11:33
I used clear silicone caulk (GE II) thinned with mineral spirits, and applied it with a sponge brush.

I painted 3"-diameter dots on the floor (instead of stripes) to prevent my sleeping pad from sliding.

Worked like a charm.

I have an contrail, you think the dots work better than stripes? I have neither but will need something to keep me from sliding around.

Rick500
07-17-2010, 15:54
The dots are a tip I picked up from someone here. Dots make it easier to sweep out the tent than it would be with stripes.

Franco
07-17-2010, 19:10
That someone would be me...
I used to stripe the floor but because we (in Australia) often camp on dirt or sand the dirt would stick inbetween the stripes when trying to sweep it out in the morning. You can of course turn the tent inside out but that is a bit of a pain and not practical if wanting to clean out the floor before going to sleep.
On one tent I did the all floor and that was a big mistake because of course I have a rubbery surface that just collects debris.
So I eventually switched to the dots. I "sweep" the floor using the same kitchen cloth that I use to wipe the tent down with.
I have stripes on the bottom of a Thermarest Pro Lite , the Neo Air seems to be OK as it is
Franco

Ol Mole
07-18-2010, 06:43
Just got my new TT Moment (love it) but just wanted to hear from some of you that have seam-sealed. obviously I want to follow the suggestions that came with the tent, but I am just looking for tips, pointer, etc since I have never done it before and don't want to f it up.
Anyone ever tried the seam sealer mix on the tub to stop your sleeping pad from sliding around like the directions suggest? Did you just spread a few lines or cover it or what?
Thanks for any help


I carry a spider mat to put either under the sleep pad or between the sleep pad and sleeping bag to keep it from sliding around. It weighs 3 oz and is 5 feet long. Got it at WalMart.

Daydream Believer
08-04-2010, 22:03
Has anyone ever tried Camp Dry to help seal up a silnylon tent or tarp? I've used it on Nylon horse blankets to restore the water repellency or water proofing and it works really well.

I got my Moment too late after my section hike in May but I will be taking it out in October. I still have to do the seams on it.

Franco
08-04-2010, 23:12
Camp Dry is a spray.
That may work to add some waterproofing on certain items but it is not designed for seam sealing.
The idea of seam sealing is to impregnate the seams so that the small holes and or gaps on the fabric are filled in.
This is why it is important to do it over the fabric and to be liquid enough to penetrate not just coat.
There are many ways of applying the silicone. Some use syringes, others their thumb , I use a small brush , TT recommends a sponge brush.
BTW, I experimented with the McNett version of the silicone spray, it just makes a mess and the coating is too thin for the intended purpose.
Franco

Daydream Believer
08-05-2010, 07:36
Franco...I guess I wasn't clear what I meant but thanks for the answer. I was planning to seal the seams by the manufacturers directives but I wondered if the Camp Dry spray would help the silnylon with some of the misting issues it has when it rains very very hard.

Franco
08-07-2010, 22:47
I see... now
I did some experiments using the McNett spray (I guess it is very similar to yours) and painting some diluted silicone on some test patches.
The spray increased the waterhead somewhat but apparently (according to one guy at BPL) it wears off (rubs off) rather easily. Hence you need to re-apply.
Painting on a 5:1 (5 parts of mineral spirits and one of silicone) did increase the waterhead on my test patch to between 1500 and 2000mm (from around 1200-1300mm)
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e389/Francophoto/odds/Waterhead-test-1.jpg
For the test i used a 2" wide pipe 10" long. I started with 500mm of water column and increased gradually to 2000mm.
At that there was some slippage but not continuous dripping.
I calculated that coating the top of a solo shelter would add 2-3 oz of weight to it.
I will not do that on my shelters because even under prolonged heavy rain I have only had very minor misting, not enough to compromise my sleeping bag (down)
Franco
BTW , this is not a "scientific" test at all, just good enough for me.
As it is with food,water, sleeping bag and mat ratings, I take close enough to be good enough. There are too many other variables when actually hiking to get bogged down with numbers (IMHO)
So for example I have no real clue of how many calories I need or consume. All I know is that if I lose weight I should have had a bit more food and the converse is true also, for me...

Daydream Believer
08-08-2010, 10:07
Franco,

Thanks for your answer and the great information. Sounds like I'm worrying for nothing on the misting issue. Looks like I'll get to try my Moment this Fall. I'm really looking forward to it!