Guide Gear Tarp

[Kerflop]

I have a diamond GG tarp I bought a few years back. I had it on a trip where it rained on both nights. by the second night, the material was so saturated that it dripped on me all night long. It was raining very heavily and the drops were small... But I still did not enjoy it all that much.

[Silverpalm2x]

i have 2 guide gear tarps and both have leaked on me and one would have had we stayed under it last weekend. I am not sure if seam sealing will fix these tarps.

[Gravity]

I just finished an additional application of sealant to the ridgeline, and after testing in the rain, I am satisfied that it is leak-proof. I think there were two problems, and both were due to my poor craftsmanship. The first issue was that in the previous applications of sealant, I missed a lot of the actual small perforations where the thread goes through. The second issue was that I applied the sealant with the tarp flat on the floor. This time I made sure to apply the sealant to all the small perforations, and I did that with the tarp hung taut. This is now a pretty good tarp, although still a tad heavy for long hikes.

[Michelle the Camper]

Well, the 11'x11' tarp is enormous! It was used this weekend by someone else, so I actually did not put it up or see it much. There was no rain, but it looked pretty wet from dew the morning I looked at it. The water was forming droplets, but it just seemed like it would not have performed well had it rained. i plan to seal the seams and maybe chop it up some to make it easier to hang and carry. It is definitely a car camper. And what the heck is up with the loooong, skinny bag it came in? I immediately put it in a different bag, since I don"t want to roll anything that huge.

[Gravity]

Well, the 11'x11' tarp is enormous!... it just seemed like it would not have performed well had it rained... i plan to seal the seams...

I learned a few important things from a recent project:

- It is best to seal the tarp while it is hanging. This opens up the seams and allows the silicone to penetrate as much as possible.
- Make sure to apply the silicone on the small holes through which the thread penetrates the fabric (aka "the seam").
- It is only necessary to seal the inside. This protects the sealant from the sun's UV rays, so it will last longer.
- Use Permatex or VersaChem flowable silicone. This is sold in auto-parts stores to seal windshields. It costs about five bucks.
- Keep the tarp hung for 24 hours, at which point the sealant will be fully cured (per the package instructions)

[Olydog09]

Thanks for the heads up guys. I got one of these for a elk hunting trip that will likely have rain. I will seal it again with windshield sealer and while hanging to be sure it is all good

[L.D. Cakes]

i have 2 guide gear tarps and both have leaked on me and one would have had we stayed under it last weekend. I am not sure if seam sealing will fix these tarps.

When did you order yours? They had a bad batch of these about a year or year and half ago that was a nightmare for some folks. But seeing these recent posts from folks who are having good results it looks like they fixed the problem.

[Silverpalm2x]

thanks Cakes but about a year ago.

When did you order yours? They had a bad batch of these about a year or year and half ago that was a nightmare for some folks. But seeing these recent posts from folks who are having good results it looks like they fixed the problem.

[Fixxr5]

When did you order yours? They had a bad batch of these about a year or year and half ago that was a nightmare for some folks. But seeing these recent posts from folks who are having good results it looks like they fixed the problem.

After reading the posts about them, I purchased a few of these. I sealed the entire tarp with the 3:1 silicone concoction, used squeegee method, not a leak. Worked the mixture into the fabric well, no problem. yeh, I heard the "dont use silicone on poly " well it hasn't peeled yet, when it does I'll clean as well as I can and re-apply silicone.

[Highway61]

So I now have a Guide Gear 8 1/2 X 8 1/2 tarp:





I'm reading more and more about how they leak like a sieve if not sealed. Could I apply something like this?:



Or do I need some other product?

Thanks.