Does seam sealing improve strength, tear resistance, along the edge of a tarp, or is it mostly for aesthetic purposes?
Would there be a reason not to seam seal other than to reduce manufacturing costs and/or reduce weight?
Does seam sealing improve strength, tear resistance, along the edge of a tarp, or is it mostly for aesthetic purposes?
Would there be a reason not to seam seal other than to reduce manufacturing costs and/or reduce weight?
Seam Sealing is for water proofing,,unless you have a smallish hole or such say in a down jacket or quilt,,seal it up and no loss of down,,also if you tear a hole or punchr or tear a silnylon tarp,,you can patch it quickly and let it dry in a hour or 2 good to go in the field,,but really needs a longer time to dry..say over nite,,used primarily on tarps to seal the sewed edges or panel pulls on the sides. Many uses for seam sealing as I keep a smaller part of a tube in my repair kit when backpacking..Now for cuben,,its a different repair issue,,you can get cuben tape material from Zpacks, or for temp repair,,duc tape till you get back to home to repair.
2nd CAG, CAP 2-1-5 5th Marines, 1st Mar. Div.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_Action_Program
So, I have to seam seal this tarp. I know nothing about the process except for what I've read on HF. Does anyone have any tips-n-tricks? Any seam sealer recommendations?
i know that when i ordered my tarp it came with sealed seams and brian's website http://www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com/products.php still states: # Comes fully seam sealed and in a matching stuff sack so you shoyuld be good to go
No you do not have to seam seal OES tarps. The only seam that requires water proofing on any given tarp is the ridge line and the seams of the doors if you have any. and Brian does an excellent job of that on all his tarps. Also his tarps are edged with grosgrain and are strong already so it's ready to go! I have been hanging under a Macat Ultra for two years now and it is superb.
Hootenanny Hang June 11-13, 2021
Love many, trust few & always paddle your own canoe. American Proverb
Adventure is Calling... nolilearn.org
Another MacCat Ultra owner here (Spinn model) and all you have to do is pitch it over your hammock and go to sleep
Mike
"Life is a Project!"
To be clear, I ordered the tarp and now it's at my residence. It was supposed to be seam sealed. It showed up without seam sealing. I didn't want to bring it up, I didn't think it was necessary. I'll deal with it... So... any tips-n-tricks and/or seam sealer recommendations?
That sounds like a huge Oops on Brian's part. I'd contact him via e-mail to see what he might be able to do about that (ship it back for sealing, etc).
You might take a close look though. He does such a neat job it's a little hard to tell it's been sealed. When in doubt, take some closeup pics of the ridgeline seam and post them here. I'm sure one of our guys can give you a yes/no on the sealing issue.
My 4-season came sealed but still developed a slight drip where some loops were sewn on the underside of the ridgeline. A little dab of flowable silicone from the parts store and problem solved.
Good luck....
Find a room big enough to lay the tarp out in. Roll up on side or both till you are about a foot from the ridge seam. Then start on one end and work your way across to the other. Spread the sealer about a half cm on both sides of the seam all the way down. I seal the underside of the seam. Let it dry 24 hrs or so
Hootenanny Hang June 11-13, 2021
Love many, trust few & always paddle your own canoe. American Proverb
Adventure is Calling... nolilearn.org
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