Ok…so I thought I was supposed to seal the seams to my tent no matter what. But in my MSR Zoid 1 owner’s manuel, it say, “Superior fabrics and construction make MSR tents extremely waterproof. The rainfly and floor are factory seam taped, so seam sealing is not recommended. If problems develop, seam seal the specific area only. Blah blah blah.” Not recommended as opposed to not necessary. Would it actually be a bad thing to seal this tent? Should I even bother?
C-Giddy
Well, me and my girlfriend did some training camping last weekend at Big Sur, and to our delight (we wanted to test as much gear as possible) it started to rain like heck right after we’d set up tent. This tent - a Eureka Zeus EXO - came with its seams needing sealing. And come seven or so in the morning this lacking was obvious. There were puddles near our feet and light droplets were erupting from the seams.
It hadn’t been horrible - the water that seeped in hadn’t kept us from having a great night’s sleep, and it had got nowhere’s near soaking through our sleeping bags. But, for serious usage on the AT this year, it’ll definitely need its seams to be sealed shut.
This could just be the specifics for this tent tho. Your mileage may vary.
Regardless, thanks for asking this question. It reminded me to haul out the tent and set it up so it can dry out.
Whoa
Chris, I didn’t bother seam sealing my Microzoid and it works just fine, survived the tailend of a hurricane in 2002 and is still good. I’ve never once water proofed it and its seen some pretty wet nights, never had a problem, always cozy, warm and dry.
Ross
Ross
I seam sealed my Walrus Zoid the winter before my 02 hike. I don’t think there’s any reason you shouldn’t and I certainly would, as it’s easier done now at home rather than later in the field. I have had a problem with one area on this tent: on the inside of the vestibule the tie off thingy (that is used to roll up the vestibule) tends to collect water (rain) which then drips down through the screen of the door since the tent walls angle out. I can’t adequately describe this probably and I don’t know what one could do about it and I don’t even know if the MSR version is identical in this area. I probably should give it another seal before this summer’s adventure.
Bluebearee
I’ve spent the last couple of evenings in the basement seam sealing my new MegaLight. I can’t set it up outside, so I have to spread it out on the floor and do one portion at a time. I’ve been trying to explain what I’m doing to my wife, and she keeps asking questions like:
So you bought a tent that leaks? You knew and expected this? You mean you have to take a brand new tent and fix it before you can use it? And this is considered normal? Isn’t that like buying a new car then having to buy and install brake pads before you can drive it? You paid how much for this new, leaky tent?
Some things are hard to explain, especially when she’s right. What other products do we buy expecting them to arrive unfinished?
Dances with Mice
The factory sealed the seams with waterproof tape. Unless the
tape peels off you don’t have to seal the seams. You should be
able to see the tape on the inside of all the seams.
In my tent there are a couple ‘high stress’ areas where the tape
peeled off, but only after months on the trail in '02.
Seam sealer available at any outfitter solves that problem.
Scamp
Scamp
I have to ask this question concerning seam-sealing.
Do you apply seam sealer to both sides of the seam on the tent and fly?
frogge
I seem to always seal the inside of a tent. Probably because
the directions say so. It’s really easy but necessary, unless the
seams are factory sealed with tape. Let it dry fully before
getting the tent wet.
Scamp
Scamp