Camping in rainy or snowy weather is never fun; it is essential to rainproof your tent before planning your camping. But how to rainproof a camping tent? Find the answer in this article.
Everyone is excited about their future trips, hoping for sunny days to relish them. But the only problem is the weather conditions. Especially those people who want to spend quality time with their family must rainproof their tent. Meanwhile, some tents are leakproof, even though no tent is fully waterproof. Leaking the tent ruins your camping.
Envisage you set up your tent, have a hot meal, and are ready for rest. Rainclouds will not bother you because you have camped in the rain afore and remain dry and cozy all the time. But this time, you wake up early because of the sound of dripping water—your tent leaks.
Now you’re thinking about stopping the water from getting in, but it’s too late to do something. But you can take some preventive measures to save yourself from this situation. In this article, you will learn how to rainproof a tent.
How to Rainproof a Camping Tent? Here Are 6 Tips and Tricks to Waterproof a Tent
There are better options than thinking about how to waterproof a tent while raining. Spending your night on a rainy day inside the tent without precautions is tragic. Waterproofing is the only solution to all these problems.
Perhaps you are roving:
What is the best time to waterproof your tent?
What to and how to coat on a tent?
Which byproducts are recommended?
These are the questions I will cover in this article. Before coating your tent, examine it thoroughly, which is the material your tent is made of. Polyester and nylon fabric is the central focus of our article. Here are six tips to keep you dry while camping.
1. Examine the Tent Thoroughly
Have a proper, thorough examination of the tent. Take your time with the final results. Otherwise, you can bear the consequences of exuding from different points. Tent clench waterproof qualities for an extended period. Check your tent frequently. You can increase your tent’s life span with water-resistant repellent. Tent can start exuding from these main points.
- Fabric
- Rainfly
- Seams
2. Have a Check on Your Tent Regularly
Before camping, examine your tent. It is a good idea, primarily if you last used it some time ago and if it exuded previously. Its proper inspection will minimize your worry. All tents are distinct, relying on experiencing harsh weather conditions and their usage.
- There are steps to examine your tent for exuding:
- In daylight, put up your pipe. Making fun with kids in the yard.
- Hold the garden pipe and change its needle to a fine spray.
Ask your children to go inside the tent and start showering the tent. Your children became your secret agents and cleaned the inner area of the tent to find any exudes across the joints or ooze along the walls; this procedure will relax you and amuse your kids as well.
Sometimes moisture spreads in the interior of the tent during camping. Due to respire and temperature of your body condensation start inside it. Because of condensation sometimes you believe your tent is exuding but it is due to raindrops.
Remember to check the fabric of the outer side of your tent as well. If you see the water rolling and beading the tent, it’s good to go.
3. One by one examine your flysheet Check your Rain Fly Separately
In case there is a separate rain fly with a tent, you should examine the tent and fly sheet separately for exuding
When you examine your tent raise the fly sheet above it. You will be extra protected from bad weather. If one fails, you will know the other is waterproof as well.
In case the net wire is the fabric of your tent, set the fly sheet above and then inspect it.
4. Go for the Correct Waterproofing
As we already discussed, that tent exudes from the following parts, the fly sheet, the fabric, and the seams.
For these parts special sealants and waterproofing are available. You must be familiar with waterproofing repellent which is best for your exude tent.
5. In Advance Cleans your Tent and then Waterproofing
Wash your tent than putting impervious sprays, especially if your tent is old. Generally, a sponge and clean water are enough for cleanliness. When you notice exfoliating things you can clean the sides with isopropyl alcohol before starting. Always see product instructions before washing it.
6. Deem to Make Your Tent Impervious to Water
It’s a general belief of people that brand new tents have imperviously applied to main areas. So waterproofing the whole tent is vital for your safety.
How to Waterproof a Tent: Seam, Floor, Fabric, and Fly Sheet
By what means you can imperviously tent joints?
The joint of the fabric is the part wherever two points meet. They are mainly in the edges of the tent, around the zippers, over the aperture, and areas where material stitches altogether. Checking for exude, you will have to check all over the tent length of every joint. Securing the joint is fast and easy and takes less than twelve hundred seconds when you are prepared.
There are the things you will need to do
- Arid location to work
- Paintbrush, if your sealant has no applicator
- Good quality sealant
- Gloves, if needed
How to secure the joints of Your Tent
- Choose an area where you can dry your tent easily; if you have space you can perform it in the interior.
- Confirm that seams are arid and washed. If there is any dirt, use a wet towel to clean it
- Apply lamina of sealant over the joints
- Allow it to arid for 8-12 hours
- Most people secure the joints at the inner side, others secure them from the outer side, and others fill from both sides. It depends on you; validate it from the product instructions.
Ways of Waterproofing Your Tent Floor
Most of your tent’s floor is introduced as a hot tub or bucket since that part generally accrues to the walls. It remains the seams above and gives protection against running water and combining two or more things on the floor. Protecting this area is complex; keep all your equipment above the ground.
Here are the things you need for this.
The arid clean site to work
Mask and gloves
Sponge or scourer to clean the area
Material of choice
These are the steps to waterproof your tent floor.
1. Put a tent in an arid site.
2. According to product direction, clean the joints and the ground of tent if they are stain.
3. Secure the joints of the tent ground after cleansing.
4. When joints are secured, mark the remaining parts of the tent floor.
5. Let’s wait to arid, suggested by product direction.
How You Can Waterproof Your Tent
The fabric is the central part of your tent. A distinct kind of fabric is used in making up your tent; a few impart seclusion and resistance as opposed to the components, while others, like a network of wires, do not.
It is significant to know about the fabric of your tent since there is a distinct type of fabric for divergent types of sealing material. Sometimes, we neglect the tent because we anticipate that the fly will protect us.
Relying on the wind’s direction and water straps on the fly, it is able to strike the top of a tent and create trouble.
It’s splendid to impervious your fabric beside as you are always beware. Whatever you consider watching exists as water in the shape of beads and runs through the camp.
You can google the fabric of your tent if you need clarification on the fabric of your tent. Look at Tent Company’s website. It takes three minutes instead of wasting time and money on invalid material.
Man-made fabric is our main concern, which is the often happening fabric.
There are the things you will need.
- Spotless arid area
- Swab
- Sealant according to your tent fabric
- Mitten and veil for cleaning purposes
It is easy to apply sealant, and it takes 30 minutes if things are all set.
How to Waterproof the Fabric of Your Tent
Here is the instruction you can use to waterproof your tent’s fabric.
- Erect your tent on a bright sunny day.
- Damp your tent.
- Put in the lamina of sealant, heed to the seams, avoiding the snare parts of the tent. Remove surplus products with the help of a sponge.
- Before packing it again, please leave it to dry.
How to Waterproof Your Fly sheet
Rainfly is a separate piece of fabric that stretches on top of your tent. It lies under harsh weather, so it needs to be coated regularly. Most importantly, seal the seam of your rainfly. So, it will help in preventing further damage.
Waterproofing your rain fly is similar to waterproofing your camp. Here are some instructions to waterproof your rain fly.
- When your tent is impervious and arid, you can place your fly sheet aloft over it.
- Cleanse fly sheet by a swab and leave out to dry as dust if it is filthy.
- Drench the fly sheet by the outlet.
- Spray sealant over the rainfly uniformly. Subsequently, sponge off surplus sealant; therefore, it can be withered in a single smooth coat.
- Leave to arid for a couple of hours.
Read More: How to clean tent mold?
Frequently Asked Questions: How to Rainproof A Camping Tent
1. How often should I waterproof my tent?
Answer: If your tent is entirely secure and waterproof, that will last in such a way for ages. Generally, fixing your tent seams is a former, permanent seal. Except if you are traveling in a rough condition for several months, you will have to reseal the seams once every 8-10 years.
2. Should I use DWR spray on my backpack, sleeping bag, etc.?
Answer: Yes, you can use a waterproof spray on your backpack, although it will not make your bag impenetrable. Waterproofing spray will make your gear waterproof. The preferable choice for waterproofing your bag is to attach the trash bag or a purpose-made box to the inner side of your bag.
3. What seems sealer and DWR spray should I use?
Answer: Heavy-duty silicon waterproofer Sof sole Spray is best for tents. Another good option is Gear aid seam grip WP. Mostly all brands use the same material. Folks prefer to use Nikwax brand items because of their excellent quality and well-established fame in a backpacking community.
Watch the video of REI About How to Rainproof A Tent.