You don't actually need a HH anything like that. Rain would never exert that much pressure on the fabric, and in any case the seams and zips would almost certainly leak first.
------------- Bernie
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Not so long ago (five years??) 1500mm was regarded as the standard, now it`s 2000mm. I don`t recall 1500mm tents leaking any more than modern ones...possibly less, given that they were far simpler designs. As Bernie says, it`s not usually the flysheet that leaks but the seams and zips. The more complex the design, with more flaps, vents and doors, the more holes (stitch holes!!) and the more potential for leakage.
Yep my 2000 hh as had as much rain as my 5000hh......neither have leaked!!!
I think manufacturers use it now as 1 upmanship.........like razor blades! 2 blades on a razor then 3,4 now 5!!!.......but now i have 5 cut marks instead of 1..!!
Hydrostatic Head is like country miles, one manufacturers 1500mm is another companies 3000mm.
Also it depends upon what the tent is made of. Mine is made of a technical fabric and even though the HH number is low I'll stay dry what ever the weather. If I remember to shut the windows!!!
------------- Love a lot. Trust a few. But ALWAYS paddle your own canoe!!
Minds are like parachutes:- They only function when they are open!!!
Those who talk don't know.
Those who know don't talk.
My son recently got caught in a downpour whilest sleeping in a small dome tent with an 800mm HH and he actually stayed drier than his mate in his 2000mm tunnel tent (but it was actaully the seams that leaked rather than the flysheet)
We had a 1500hh eurohike and it leaked like a sieve! Not just at the seems but right through the material ,it was more of a water filtration device than a tent!
3000mm HH is more than enough. If you look at mountain tents from Terra Nova, Mountain Hardwear etc the HH's are all in the 2000-3000mm zone. I've used a Coleman with a 5000mm HH and another Coleman with a 3000HH and both have stood up too winter and autumn in the lakes and scotland. As another posting has pointed out, seams are likely to go first and zips will leak. Condensation may be more of a problem, so a well ventilated tent is a must. Another point on HH's, the better the HH, the more resilient the flysheet is to UV which can degrade the HH.
------------- Walking and climbing Tim
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We had a 1500hh eurohike and it leaked like a sieve! Not just at the seems but right through the material ,it was more of a water filtration device than a tent!
3000mm hh should be fine in the uk
I remember camping in a tent like that. If you looked up when it was raining you could actually see a thin veil of drizzle above you when you were in the tent
3000mm is fine. Like other have said it is the stitching on seams and zips that will leak first. So any tent needs to be tested when you buy it, and taken back if there is a substantial problem.