Seam sealing an Etowah tarp

So I just picked up an 8x10 1.1 yard green sil etowah tarp. 13 oz seems pretty sweet compared to my old hex tarp which weighed 16 oz and I didn't fit under. I like the loops instead of grommets even though I wish I had line locs. I'm assuming this will give me good practice with knot tying. Also I'm going to add some shock cord to the tie outs to keep it from going slack and having to restake or tension.

My question is the proper way to seam seal. The seam looks like it's folded over on itself leaving kind of a large ridge or maybe it's just me. I can post pictures tm if it sounds confusing. Any info is great. I've ordered some silnet and have plenty of brushes and paint thinner.


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On this thought. how long does it take a silicon caulk/mineral spirits blend to dry. I just did a repair which is not drying quickly at all.

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Originally Posted by Feral Bill

On this thought. how long does it take a silicon caulk/mineral spirits blend to dry. I just did a repair which is not drying quickly at all.

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This is kind of my worry. When I use silicone caulk I clean up with water. If cleaning up within a minute of use with the best brand if found, your hands wipe clean. In my experience it seems paint thinner wouldn't help but I haven't tried either

I was told by Etowah that it wasn't necessary and so far so good. 3 rainy nights...no leaks. YMMV.

I've seam sealed a couple of tarps and tents. I mix mineral spirits and 100% silicone caulk in a glass wide mouth jar. I start out with a 1:1 ratio, then add more mineral spirits until it is pretty runny. I'll have the tent already set up and stretched tight, and paint it on using a 1" foam brush. I keep some paper towels handy for any drips, and use the brush to work the silicone into the seam stitching. Sometimes I paint both sides of ridgeline seams. Don't forget to put several stripes on the floor of tents to stop your sleeping pad from sliding. I've even painted stripes on a sleeping pad for the same reason.

I use a GE brand caulk.... Something II....which has a 2hr dry time and low V.O.C. I'll let it dry in the sun for a couple hours, add a second thin coat, and leave it up overnight. Any chemical odors go away by the time it's dry.

Etowah call me personally and explained their seams don't leak. Made sense. I feel though after tying out the tarp now I'm concerned about the loops pulling out. The stitching is pretty stout but idk.

With this set up how much rain will stay out?

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My wife and I fit in here pretty good. I plan to try a 2.5 or 3 mil Poly bathtub floor or tyvek. I see a waterproof advantage to the plastic but haven't heard of many trying it. Also any info on attaching mitten hooks or something to the inside of the tent to hold up the bathtub sides if need be.


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Linelocs are easy to add: http://www.yamamountaingear.com/tie-outs/

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Originally Posted by Maui Rhino

I've seam sealed a couple of tarps and tents. I mix mineral spirits and 100% silicone caulk in a glass wide mouth jar. I start out with a 1:1 ratio, then add more mineral spirits until it is pretty runny. I'll have the tent already set up and stretched tight, and paint it on using a 1" foam brush. I keep some paper towels handy for any drips, and use the brush to work the silicone into the seam stitching. Sometimes I paint both sides of ridgeline seams. Don't forget to put several stripes on the floor of tents to stop your sleeping pad from sliding. I've even painted stripes on a sleeping pad for the same reason.

I use a GE brand caulk.... Something II....which has a 2hr dry time and low V.O.C. I'll let it dry in the sun for a couple hours, add a second thin coat, and leave it up overnight. Any chemical odors go away by the time it's dry.

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It would appear my caulk was somehow degraded. Doesn't dry at all. New tarp is on order.

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Well I made a bath tub out of 2mil poly. It works but it weighs 8.5 oz. with this and the tarp I'm past the weight of my duplex by about an oz. It was a fun project but if I can't keep my tarp and cloth at 18oz there's no point in having it so I'll just use it without a bathtub floor.


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Originally Posted by sethd513

Well I made a bath tub out of 2mil poly. It works but it weighs 8.5 oz. with this and the tarp I'm past the weight of my duplex by about an oz. It was a fun project but if I can't keep my tarp and cloth at 18oz there's no point in having it so I'll just use it without a bathtub floor.
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Whooh, Whooh, stop the clock. You have a Duplex already? What was your goal here, and why did you go this route?

Well I bought the tarp bc my father in law is going to start section hiking with my wife and I. So I figured if we were out in the rain it would give us all a good common area away from shelters to cook and whatnot and stay dry. Then I started messing around with it and felt that it would add longevity to my duplex if I used it when there were no bugs. Also my winter tent weighs like 6 or 7 pounds and I didn't know of winter tarping would work.


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