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Topic: Waterproofing polycotton tents?

Merry1973

21/5/2012 at 8:31pm
Location: North Somerset
Outfit: Kampa Filey 6 Classic

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Hi. Can anyone recommend the best way to 'waterproof' a new large polycotton tent? I have read somewhere on here that someone hosed it down; I know of others who have waited for rain and just hoped ...and others who have chucked buckets of water over it in their garden first, before taking it away. I have one week to sort how to weather it! Risk the rain I'm not sure! Or do I leave it completely and hope that it doesn't rain while we are away! All advice greatly appreciated.

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happycampers98

21/5/2012 at 8:43pm
Location: west midlands
Outfit: Outwell Maui Reef Outwell Indian Lake

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Don't worry about it, keep using it, it'll get wet one day!!

Helen Mann

22/5/2012 at 4:28pm
Location: Bloxwich Walsall
Outfit: Yukon River 6

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We were advised to weather ours first, we put it up in the garden before use and hosed it down, did it a couple of times and never experienced any problems.

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Helenmann3

mikegalagher

22/5/2012 at 5:51pm
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A new tent *should* be fine, weathered (by wetting) or not weathered. Waterproofing is a different issue and won't be needed.

If you've test pitched your tent already, I wouldn't bother wetting it. If you haven't, pitch it as a trial run in this week's good weather, and lightly hose it. Ensure it's fully dry before you pack away. But many folks wouldn't bother.

Hope the weather holds up for next week

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Mike

My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it

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Lake Annecy Aug 2017

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dmsplat

22/5/2012 at 6:47pm
Location: North West
Outfit: Obelink Familia 6; ESVO Bedouin 280

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Quote: Originally posted by mikegalagher on 22/5/2012
If you've test pitched your tent already, I wouldn't bother wetting it. If you haven't, pitch it as a trial run in this week's good weather, and lightly hose it. Ensure it's fully dry before you pack away. But many folks wouldn't bother.

Just in case anyone were to misunderstand Mike's post - many folks wouldn't bother weathering a tent - but a tent must always be fully dried prior to packing it away for longer than a day or two.

Just trying to be helpful!!

Merry1973

22/5/2012 at 9:00pm
Location: North Somerset
Outfit: Kampa Filey 6 Classic

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Thanks everyone. We have just trial pitched new tent in garden - what a whopper! (Kampa Filey Classic 6) Husband just hosing it down lightly in the hope that it will dry this coming week!

Scalextricity

22/5/2012 at 9:15pm
Location: sunny Burnley
Outfit: Wynster pegasus 5

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hi merry just a quick word of warning

when test pitching tents in gardens and leaving there for a few days make sure your garden is not frequented by any CATS.... they like nothing better than sticking their claws in the side of your new tent and climbing up it or if its a tom cat well ill leave that to your imagination lol....

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Merry1973

22/5/2012 at 9:34pm
Location: North Somerset
Outfit: Kampa Filey 6 Classic

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Oh heck! Perhaps we'd better take it down if it's fine tomorrow! Panicking now! Thankyou though. Good advice!

mikegalagher

22/5/2012 at 10:22pm
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Quote: Originally posted by dmsplat on 22/5/2012

Quote: Originally posted by mikegalagher on 22/5/2012If you've test pitched your tent already, I wouldn't bother wetting it. If you haven't, pitch it as a trial run in this week's good weather, and lightly hose it. Ensure it's fully dry before you pack away. But many folks wouldn't bother.

Just in case anyone were to misunderstand Mike's post - many folks wouldn't bother weathering a tent - but a tent must always be fully dried prior to packing it away for longer than a day or two.

Just trying to be helpful!!

Indeed, I meant "many folks wouldn't bother weathering it", not "many folks wouldn't bother drying it before packing it away".

Thanks for clarifying Dave

Gone to stand in the corner with head down

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Mike

My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it

Prague May/Jun 2017
Lake Annecy Aug 2017

Merry1973

22/5/2012 at 10:50pm
Location: North Somerset
Outfit: Kampa Filey 6 Classic

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Guess I need some cat pest stuff instead of rain then

ianclose

22/5/2012 at 11:18pm
Location: None Entered
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Our TT canvas, which we have never weathered, got its first soaking last week. We had heavy rain and even a spectacular hailstorm. We weren't in it during the hailstorm (sitting in the car at Dover castle at the time) but when we returned to the campsite our Solena was bone dry inside, even though there was some pooling on the roof, due to my sloppy pitching.

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lucyallen

06/9/2012 at 8:10pm
Location: None Entered
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Brought a second hand bear like 6 off of ebay, wasn't as good a Quality as we expected. We have cleaned it and it looks as though it has been poorly proofed (you can see patches) and also had a seam sealed. We have hosed it in garden and there is a patch that appears to leak. What should we do ( need to use it so bin isn't an option!)

Thanks

suns

23/9/2012 at 9:14am
Location: None Entered
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Did you manage to sort out the patch?

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