Seam sealer/ Silicone spray

[ec.hiker]

My manufacturer dos not say weather or not the seams have been sealed it being a lower end tent I am guessing they have not my question is should I seal the seams before or after I spray with silicone spray? I bought atsko silicone water gaurd not sure if I should seal seams before or after I spray with this also is it cool to seal the sea,s on my pack as well?

[4eyedbuzzard]

Check to see if the seams are taped first - generally a very thin transparent tape on the inside of the fly or any tent portion exposed to the elements. If not taped, definitely seam seal all seams on the rain fly and floor (including bathtub section), but not any tent seams that are covered by a rain fly - it's not needed. If taped you can still seam seal the threads on the other side. Some folks do, some don't. DO NOT seam seal zipper seams or get the stuff on or near the zippers - it'll mess them up bad! Most recommend McNetts brand.

As far as spraying it with silicone like Camp Dry or something like that, I never did that to any tent. Tent fabrics should already be waterproof. But if you do, I'd say afterwards so the seam seal can work its way into the threads first.

[ec.hiker]

One more thing Ive read about all the people using silicone diluted with mineral spirits. Is that generally better than colemans seam sealer?

[niners]

IMO seal the seams before you spray. Use Seam Grip, by far the best seam sealer. Take your time and be sure to let it dry completely before you pack the tent away. I sealed the seams on my pack, and on everything else I expect to be water proof.

As a side note, seam grip is also a great repair tool. I have used it on boots, therma-rests, mosquito netting, and more.

[10-K]

Or... you can get some Permatex FLOWABLE silicone windshield and glass sealer and use that - no diluting required - works great.

[LoneRidgeRunner]

One more thing Ive read about all the people using silicone diluted with mineral spirits. Is that generally better than colemans seam sealer?

I've never tried the Coleman's seam sealer but the only one I have used that worked was the McNetts ..as far as sprayong with silicon spray goes..I've never used any kind of spray on any tent ..On my Mountain Hardwear Trango tent I think I sealed the main floor seam with McNetts and have never did anything else with that tent except sleep in it and stay dry. (I know,,someone on here will see that's overkill because it weighs more than 2 or 3 pounds....lol...But I can set it up in any conditions and know it's not gonna blow away or fall down unless a big tree falls on it or a bear rips it open...) And I can get my butt and all my gear inside escept bear and rat attractants ..

[4eyedbuzzard]

One more thing Ive read about all the people using silicone diluted with mineral spirits. Is that generally better than colemans seam sealer?
I think the seam sealer you buy in a tube is essentially that (RTV silicone sealant and a thinner) from a chemical standpoint. I've never done it, but from what I've read you mix the silicone in equal parts with mineral spirits and then brush it on just like the pre-mixed stuff with a small flux brush or stiff paint brush.

[Iceaxe]

I had a chance to re-seal the fabric of a tent on my last long trail. The fabric in qeustion was silicone impregnated spinnaker fabric.
What i did was buy oil based silicone product and mineral spirits from the hardware store.
I diluted the silicone with the mineral spirits at a ratio of 6:1. That is 6 parts mineral spirits to 1 part silicone.
Then I sent up my shelter in the gravel parking lot of a local buisiness in the resupply town i was in (Darby Montana) and painted the mixture on my tent with a foam brush.
I tried a standard paint brush but it was difficult to get a smooth finish.
I think a sponge could do in a pinch but the ideal thing is foam.
Much to the delight of the onlooking locals I painted the entire tent with the silicone/mineral spirits and let it dry for 2 hours while I had a beer.. or two.
It was sunny and warm so the tent was dry enough after 2 hours that none of the silicone was wet to the touch but the fabric was still tacky.
To eliminate the tackiness i dusted the tent with baby powder before I stowed it back in my pack and waddled back to the trail.
It worked like a charm however it did add several ounces to my tent.
One thing to be careful of is that you get oil based silicone. The stuff they use for caulking/ plumbing is usually water based. Check the label, sometimes you can figure out which it is by the recommended clean up methods of the product.
Oil based silicone will be diluteable with mineral spirits.

On those spray on silicone treatements: I tried the nik wax silicone spray a few town stops prior to my ultimate repair with the painted silicone/mineral spirits.
The spray on stuff only lasted a few "pack stuffings". It abraded off the fabric and the tent began to wet out quickly.
YMMV

[Rocket Jones]

Does the manufacturer of your tent and/or pack give a recommendation? Some suggest different products and methods because of different materials.