So my dads jumping into camping with both feet and I couldn't be happier! He's just got a new tent and wants to waterproof it so great, lets go get some scotch guard. But no. He wants 'the best' 'cause there's gotta be 'something better'. So what's better than scotch guard, where can I get it, and what's silnylon treated with?
You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common: they don't alter their views to fit the facts; they alter the facts to fit their views. - The Fourth Doctor
You say it's a new tent and it's made of silnylon? If so, I can't imagine that's it's not as waterproof as it's ever going to get.
Do you mean "seam sealing"? Where you put silicone over the seams so they're waterproof?
It's not silnylon, just wonder with what/how sil is treated. Or rather a better explanation than I could give dad. And he want's to waterproof it with "the best stuff we can get!" I told him scotch guard will be fine, but he's a go big or go home kinda guy. Basically he wants the best of everything now that the camping bug bit him.
You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common: they don't alter their views to fit the facts; they alter the facts to fit their views. - The Fourth Doctor
A tent or it's rainfly should be waterproof except for seam sealing. The correct seam sealer is dependent on the tent floor and rainfly material.
Silnylon is impregnated with silicone.
What tent did he get. Got a link?
as a gear junkie with 4 tents, and 4 hammocks, my tents have never leaked with the rainfly on. and that was untreated. after a few years I have treated them. most higher end tents have their seams taped. the bottom of tent should be taped to make "bathtub" bottom, and al seams on fly as well. as for tarps for hammock, seam sealer on the seams of tie outs or/and ridgeline..
what tent?
The material for the waterproof parts of the tent are covered with a layer of polyurethane on one side. There is no waterproofing one can do other than seam sealing.
Silnylon is nylon impregnated with a silicone rubber gel. Uses different seam sealer than PU.
Both materials can be damaged by using the wrong solvents/coating sprays so the best bet is to seam seal if the seams are not taped and stop there.
YMMV
HYOH
Free advice worth what you paid for it. ;-)
Gear aid "silnet" is one brand, it comes in a tube with applicator brush. I recommend your father go easy on it, a little goes a long way. After MANY camping trips and a lot of pecan sap or whatever has been washed off of a tent rain fly or tarp you "might" want to spay some silicone to re-coated it but this is not necessary for most people. You can search here at HF for people who have been somewhat successfully mixing a tube of hardware store silicone with mineral spirits and treated ripstop nylon with that, but PLEASE do NOT do that to a new tent or tarp it will most likely ruin it. Just my personal opinions your experience and experimentation may vary.
Edit: are you asking about the rain fly or the "bathtub" floor of the tent? There are many different floor types so like gmcttr asked what is model and brand of tent, I may prefer hammocks but own many tents as well.
Last edited by ntxkayakr; 07-28-2014 at 08:02.
It's a large Coleman something or other. i haven't seen it yet. I'm trying to tell him that all we have to do is seam seal it, but he's convinced it's got to be treated, the whole thing, beyond what it is and that Scotch Guard won't do it.
You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common: they don't alter their views to fit the facts; they alter the facts to fit their views. - The Fourth Doctor
Contact Coleman and get their input...Maybe he'll believe them.
I've been using tents since ~1960 and I have yet to see one that was meant for the end user to waterproof.
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