Last Saturday my tent flooded at 3am and I learned why silicone sealant matters

I was camping at Lake Allatoona and woke up to water pooling under my sleeping pad. Turns out the seam tape on my old REI tent had peeled off maybe 6 months ago and I just ignored it. That night taught me more about tent maintenance than any YouTube video ever did. Anyone else ever skip checking their gear before a trip and pay for it?

2 comments

2 Comments

danielk8411d ago

I used a cheap 3M seam sealer from walmart on my old kelty tent after a rainy trip in the smokies ruined a dry bag full of clothes. That gooey stuff worked way better than the factory tape ever did. I just painted it on a sunny afternoon with a foam brush, let it dry for 24 hours, and the tent was bone dry through a whole week of storms at jekyll island last fall. The trick is to really push it into the seams, not just swipe it on top. Cost me like 8 bucks and saved me from buying a new tent. Now I do a quick seam check every spring before the first trip out.

alex8209d ago

Oh man, that's SOLID advice right there. I actually read a similar tip from a guy who used to work at a gear shop, he said the factory tape is basically just a scam for most budget tents. He swore by that same 3M stuff for the same reason you do, @danielk84, because you can really work it into the stitching instead of just hoping the tape sticks. I've been meaning to try it on my old REI tent because the tape is starting to peel in a few spots. Your story about Jekyll Island storms is exactly the kind of test that makes me trust a cheap fix over an expensive new tent. I'm definitely doing that spring seam check now too, just to avoid getting soaked like you did in the Smokies.