View Full Version : Sierra Designs Flashlight 2 leaky floor
Hi Kinda of a noob, so not sure whats what, The other day I set up my tent (never use it before) with a footprint under it. The footprint says to put shiny side up, I do that, tents up I sleep in it everything is fine. fast forward a few days (tent still set up) and its rainy out so I sleep in it that night, next day when I'm ready to pack everything up I notice the floor is wet, It wasn't a lot of water and was concentrated under my mat. Is this normal? I thought the footprint and tent floor/tub was waterproof.
Peace
skinewmexico
11-12-2011, 16:36
Spray it with the hose and make sure it's not leaking from the outside.
When I set it up it the ground was dry, the nite it rained I was in the tent, didn't see any leaks form the fly. the water is seeping in from under the mat. Not a real lot but enough so if I happened to move the bag and mat during sleep I would definitely get my bag wet somewhat if rolled over in the wet spots.
canoehead
11-12-2011, 17:01
You may have gotten some rain water in between the foot print and the tent floor and If it's an older tent you might be getting what we call pressure wicking which means you probably have a nice tent with a leaky floor. Or maybe you had the fly pulled out tight during the rain and if the fly sits up off the ground a few inches or more that will allow the rain to simply bounce back up under the fly and into the tent and you'll get wet that way.
FIX the problem- I have many tents in my programs, this is what I would do. Pay attention to how high off the ground the fly sits when you set it up. If it's raining lower the fly as low as possible. Make sure footprint is completely under the tent. I've done this with on of my tents "North face Flint 2".
Or may be it's time to upgrade. If it's a new tent you might be covered under warranty.
Echraide
11-12-2011, 17:25
If it's raining lower the fly as low as possible.
I'll never understand why manufacturers make tents with rain flys that stop 4+" above the ground. It's a very popular design flaw.
I'll never understand why manufacturers make tents with rain flys that stop 4+" above the ground. It's a very popular design flaw.
It is done to get some air flow. Air in at the bottom, air out at the top.
No air flow=condensation. Condensation =uncomfortable and cold environment in low temps or sticky warm in higher temps.
One possibility is that your groundsheet was sticking out from the tent floor collecting water.
So you have water inbetween your waterproof groundsheet and your floor. Your body weight can be enough at this stage to force water through the floor.
Franco
Echraide
11-12-2011, 18:09
It is done to get some air flow. Air in at the bottom, air out at the top.
Yes and that needs to be adjustable by the user, not stop at some fixed point so high off the ground that rain splashes in under it. You should be able to lower the rain fly all the way to the ground stormy weather - if you wish. It should be up to the inhabitant, not the manufacturer.
One possibility is that your groundsheet was sticking out from the tent floor collecting water.
So you have water inbetween your waterproof groundsheet and your floor. Your body weight can be enough at this stage to force water through the floor.
Franco
I'm thinking this too but I know for sure it wasn't sticking out more then the fly
Isn't bathtub floors supose to be waterproof ?
Sorry, just noticed that canoehead had already posted a similar comment.
(I read the first few comments ,then came back with mine when I finished my forum rounds)
All fabric is waterproof up to a point, when your pressure exceeds that the floor (or fly) will leak.
(so you may be dry sitting on a mat but have wet knees kneeling directly on the floor)
I have no technical understanding of this but I feel that the surface tension between two "waterproof" fabrics is very different than it is between fabric and soil.
Somewhat the reason why a jacket has to have a much higher waterhead than tent fabric to keep you dry under the same amount of rain .
For example I can have gallons of water inside a silnylon bag suspended in the air and it won't seep.
However it will if I rest that bag on fabric. According to my theory above it should happen faster than fabric to soil but I have not tried that yet..
Franco
How old is the tent?
Could you see any parts of the groundcloth showing with the tent pitched?
How many days was the tent set up with the mat/pad in place?
Toolshed
11-12-2011, 20:01
I'll never understand why manufacturers make tents with rain flys that stop 4+" above the ground. It's a very popular design flaw.
Hmmm... Considering that most campers that buy many tents are likely to be fair weather campers, I would think Mfgr's would get higher marks for breathability than for splashback or fly drip.....:cool:
WingedMonkey
11-12-2011, 20:05
You might find that tents in general collect more inside condensation in our wonderful humid Florida climate, even enough to puddle under a pad. With some practice you learn to allow enough ventilation without allowing rain or bugs in. It is also rare for a tent here not to be covered in dew each morning to extremes. Sometimes even inside a tent.
I find that the much desired "no-see-um" netting on modern tents can act as a barrier to letting moisture out of the tent here in the Sunshine State. Makes me sometimes wish for just a little bit more breathing space in the screen fabrics, enough to keep out bugs without being so tight.
Rocket Jones
11-12-2011, 20:08
Beeobee: I'm thinking this too but I know for sure it wasn't sticking out more then the fly
Isn't bathtub floors supose to be waterproof ?
Wait. The footprint should not stick out more than the tent floor, not the fly. Any splashes or driving rain that makes it under the edge of the fly will still collect on the footprint and make its way under the tent itself.
Bathtub floor is a design style where the sides come up a bit from the ground. All modern tent floors are water resistant to some degree.
How old is the tent?
Could you see any parts of the groundcloth showing with the tent pitched?
How many days was the tent set up with the mat/pad in place?
Tent is 2011 model
not sure if any footprint was showing but am sure it wasn't sticking out past the fly. the footprint is same MFG. so it should fit under the main body of the tent
the tent was set up for 5 days or so. pad and sleeping bag was in there for 2 days
Thank everyone for the replies. Iguess I'll figure it out over time.
canoehead
11-13-2011, 18:38
If it's a 2011 SD bring it back and they should replace it.
Echraide
11-15-2011, 22:52
Hmmm... Considering that most campers that buy many tents are likely to be fair weather campers
I was referring to hiking tents.
I have a Sierra Designs Lightning and it's SD footprint. The tent is nice but the footprint was a mistake to buy and a piece of crap. If I pull it out as designed and put the polls through the intended grommets, the footprint definitely sticks out beyond the edges of the tent. So I used it a couple of years not attaching it and folding about 6" both lengthwise and widthwise. Then I began to experience what OP mentioned, water seeping through the footprint and tent floor, particularly where my ground pad is.
Solve the problem cheaply. Trash the footprint. Get a roll of 2 mil plastic at Walmart (paint section) and cut piece to the deminsions of your tent, less 6" each direction. Done properly, the tent should extend beyond the plastic ground sheet by 3" on all sides (you should have enough to cut two sheets from one roll, so go ahead and make the second one and save it). Enjoy moisture-free sleeping in your tent! 2 mil plastic is better than 1 mil that Walmart also sells, but even the 2 mil, over time is likely to get a hole or two poked in it. No problem, replace it with the second one. They are so cheap you can replace them fairly often (as needed).
A strong wind can blow rain between the tent floor and the footprint. The footprint doesn't need to be any bigger than the area inside the tent actually taken up by the occupants. It protects the floor against punctures that way. The floor itself should be waterproof, but, as someone else said, the weight of your body on your sleeping mat can actually exceed the psi limits of the coating. For years I used a 4 mil. plastic footprint which was at least 6" from the outside of the floor all around and I never had a problem (except the few times when I pitched the tent in the dark, in the middle of a runoff area - no floor or groundsheet will prevent water from getting inside then).
Are we talking puddles here or just dampness? If the water is under your sleeping pad its probably from condensation.
Did you pitch it taught. I was with a trail crew all summer and they all used Sierra Designs tents. Well, I did too, but my tent was a palace compared to their tents...benefits of having a dedicated car camping horse packing tent. Anyway, one of the guys on the crew did a piss poor job of pitching the tent. There was a LOT of condensation that night, and because his loose fly was touching netting, all that condensation poured into his tent.
Waiting for it to rain to test again.
used it this past Friday & Sat. (Woody gap to gooch gap shelter) no problems
There was a LOT of condensation that night, and because his loose fly was touching netting, all that condensation poured into his tent.
The simplest explanation is often the correct one...
Reading that I remembered that something like that happened to me.
I test my tents on my condensation factory lawn at the back of the house.
Having pitched one of those Flashlites (the inner of mine had a green bottom with a white fabric(or was that white mesh?) top , maybe 15 years ago...) I did notice small puddles forming on the floor.
That was indeed caused by the wet (underneath) fabric touching the inner and then dripping down and onto the floor, without me being inside..
I sold it because I found it too claustrophobic for me. (it was the 2 person version)
In the case of Beeobee, I would imagine that it was wet under the mat simply because the drips were directed towards it .
So my suggestion (now...) Beeobee is to give it plenty of air flow, IE lift the sides , leave some of the door open and possibly don't pitch on grass or near a river
Franco
I am now looking for my memory pills. I know that I have put them somewhere safe.
Pedaling Fool
11-21-2011, 17:29
Tents are not waterproof, they're water resistant. It's normal to see water on the bottom, especially under the mat where you were laying, since your body weight helps force water through the fabric. Doubt it was condensation, if it were you should have also seen it on the walls.
I don't know about footprints since I've never really looked at them, but I'd imagine that they are also only water resistant, unless they are made out of plastic. If your footprint is plastic then that means water got in between the the footprint and the tent floor.