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Topic: Polycotton less waterproof than polyester

mully

08/9/2013 at 7:10pm
Location: Essex
Outfit: Kauai Reef Coleman Galileo various

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Hello everyone

We recently purchased a polycotton Kauai reef 2013 model. We thought that it would be more waterproof than our Montana which did now have a few leaks here and there (although had done its good service). We'd previously camped in a canvas tent from the 80s belonging to my parents and it was incredibly waterproof in the heaviest of storms although we Fabsilled it regularly.

However, I noticed this on the website of the company we bought it from -
I]Which tent material is best? Listed below are some advantages and disadvantages:
Polyester tents: Advantages - Price, weight, ease of care and waterproofness. Disadvantages - Life span, condensation and noise.
Polycotton tents: Advantages - Life span, breathability, lower noise. Disadvantages - Price, less waterproof, weight and size.
Extra Information for polycotton tents: Polycotton tents may need their seams sealed before and after use. Polycotton tents are not as waterproof as polyester tents and water may penetrate in heavy rain.

That's the opposite to what we thought as regards waterproofness. Can we and should we fabsil our Kauai reef?
Many thanks for your thoughts.

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Michelle

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Katieep

08/9/2013 at 7:49pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Xplore 422

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STEP AWAY FROM THE FABSIL

We find ourselves a lot drier in our kauai reef than in any polyester we've ever owned. Had a day of torrential rain in France this year and a little came in at 2 seams where you could see a tiny hole where the needle went in which some seam sealant dealt with.

The lack of condensation is what makes it a lot drier, even our pop-up with more ventilation gets condensation, the kauai suffered a little on the plastic windows but nothing that made any of our stuff damp.

Eventually I guess you might need to fabsil but surely not for a good many years, other polycotton owners Im sure can advise.

Basichendo

08/9/2013 at 8:40pm
Location: Essex & Suffolk border
Outfit: Holtkamper Aero & Karsten 300

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My previous tent, bear lake 6, stood up to torrential rain in Norfolk in may. I doubt you need to do anything to a new tent.

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Hendo
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Karsten 300 + CA, RA

JimCall

08/9/2013 at 9:04pm
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Dont do anything to your tent. Its made from a mix of cotton and polyester and is designed in a completely different way to polyester. You cant compare for example the hydrostatic head and indeed you wont find a figure for yours.

Any leaks should fix themselves after a few soakings as the material and stitching start to work together. Any manufacturing defects like a small needle hole could at a push be repaired with seam sealer but give it a few wet pitches first. The more you use it the more waterproof it will become.

My new trout lake has had a baptism of fire in Glencoe for 5 days and it performed brilliantly straight out of the box.

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Jim

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mikegalagher

08/9/2013 at 9:32pm
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I've never heard of a camping retailer stating that, intrinsically, polycotton tents are less waterproof than the polyester equivalent. Nor have I ever heard that "Polycotton tents may need their seams sealed before and after use."

There is a view that "weathering" a new cotton/polycotton tent with water will help speed up the cotton fibres swelling and closing, but it'll get wet anyway.

No new tent of any sort should need any synthetic treatment.

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Mike

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Prague May/Jun 2017
Lake Annecy Aug 2017

mully

08/9/2013 at 10:11pm
Location: Essex
Outfit: Kauai Reef Coleman Galileo various

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Hooray! I feel much relieved! Certainly I thought cotton was more waterproof than polyester. Polycotton is a new thing to me.

We never used seam sealant on the canvas tent. Only the fabsil! And we naively thought that it needed doing every year! ....That tent was sooooo waterproof!

Looking forward to pitching the Kauai reef next weekend to check it over.

Thanks for all your reassurance.

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Michelle

shaun 123

08/9/2013 at 10:19pm
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just listen to the last posts mully, I have the outwell Yosemite falls 100% ripstop cotton and I never weathered mine just let it get wet with the british weather . never had one drop inside and done 18 days this year in it , just leave it and don't bother worrying about any treatment at all , the company involved should have more sense than to mention it in the first place enjoy it and don't worry for along time yet- shaun

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yosemite shaun

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duffs54

09/9/2013 at 7:42am
Location: Cambs
Outfit: Ford Duetto Autosleeper

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yes I agree, we camped in our biscaya twice last year in the wettest British summer on record, not one drop came in the tent, the ground under the ground sheet was very spongy tho due to the amount of rain we had.

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Duffs54

hankakampa

09/9/2013 at 8:35am
Location: uk
Outfit: Karsten - sun storm - doesnt matter!

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My little trout lake 4 polycotton got a thorough 1st soaking this weekend in northern Scotland and only a few dropslets were on the floor on the 1st drenching, but then the cotton dried in the sun and on the 2nd drenching, not a single drop came in.

And it was so quiet in the wind - no crisp packet rustling!

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Living the Dutch Dream - Karsten 300 pod + extns in Sea Green and Pure Cotton

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Outwell Brandon 4e

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mully

12/9/2013 at 5:48pm
Location: Essex
Outfit: Kauai Reef Coleman Galileo various

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Thank you all. We're so excited! Can't wait to use it.

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Michelle

Babywhale

12/9/2013 at 6:07pm
Location: Scotland
Outfit: Yellowstone Falls and Vango F10 MK4

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We have a cotton tent but have had the pure luck of good weather. Only once did it cop a 20 minute deluge and it stood up to it no problems. We didn't weather it beforehand and would be wary of applying any kind of spray as it could reduce breath ability. I understand that outwell pre treat their cotton and polycottons anyway to encourage initial beading until the fibres swell?

Polyester, when brand new, will be waterproof BUT it deteriorates as it ages (UV exposure) and the quality of the stitching and seams are often not up to the job on cheaper varieties. Coupled with condensation issues a polyester tent is less waterproof and more damp-promoting.

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MAY 2017 - Loch Ken, Scotland
JUNE 2017 - Sango Sands, Durness, Scotland
AUGUST 2017 - Balloch O Dee, Galloway and Invergarry
SEPTEMBER 2017 - three brief trips
OCTOBER 2017 - hopefully one final trip before Halloween

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