Sealin' Up Yer Tent

“for an overnighter this Sat. Last yr. Om gave me a tent, but I think it prolly needs some sealin' up before I head out, esp. since I'm taking Newergirl. I have several questions: A) How do I tell if it needs seam sealing? (There aren't any obvious tears or anything.) B) How do I go about seam sealing and what's the best stuff to use? C) This is mainly for Aero or Chief, Om's tent seems like a "Florida" weather type tent. Do you think it will be fine for one night in the Toothy-Tooths? I want to try that trailhead to the waterfalls that Aero mention on my swimming hole thread.”

“Heeeeeeeelllllloooo! Need help here. LOL!”

“a) When it leaks
b) the seam sealer I use is like a deodorant roll-on. wipe it over the seam slowly. your objective is to fill the needle holes. I use Seam Sealer 3, water based, a Kenyon proiduct. Some of the other stuff had nasty fumes.
c) You should practice setting it up, anyway. Put it under a lawn sprinlker, and see!”

“Set the tent up in the back yard very tight and then take the water hose to it.Get the tent as wet as you can and then open it.

No leaks no seal if it leaks seal it.

8)”

“Okay, good idea there boys. I'll try wettin' it down. I guess I had the idea that it needed to be sealed, because Jerbear told me to make sure I did so before we went on the 'Palooza. I never got it done though. In general, should you always seal them up?

Maybe I sound like a geek, but I'm new to some of this stuff, at least I'm honest and not sorry at 2 AM in the mtns.”

“NG, Basecamp will have seam sealer. Like le Subtil mentioned, it will come in a roll on applicator. If you didn't seal it last year, odds are you should this season. Have fun!”

“I used Seam Grip the last couple of times, but it did put out some fumes.

If you do need to do it, be sure the location is well-ventilated (outdoors is definitely best), and do it at least a few days before you use it so it can dry ('cure') properly and air out.

It might've been overkill, but I did mine inside and out.”

“Seam grip is the best but like le Subtil said, the fumes are pretty bad and you can make a mess in a hurry if you're not careful. The water based roll-on types work pretty well.

http://www.backpacker.com/article/0,2646,2429,00.html
has a pretty good 'how-to'.

You really need to learn to Google.”

“Tilt, I usually do my inside and out as well. Cheap insurance.”

“Sounds like you got some good advice here. Definitley do it a couple days before you go and let it air out. I made the mistake of sealing too close to a trip and just about couldn't use the tent cause the smell was so strong.

How old is newergirl now. Are you packing her in?”

“But what happens if you like that smell?????

8)”

“Brain damage, probably

oh...”

“Yes, the fumes are strong with SeamGrip, but I like the product. It dries like a sort of clear rubber cement. I seam seal the underside of my rainfly and the inside seams near the floor. I've seam sealed indoors on a rainy day because I didn't allow enough time before a trip. I recommend the outdoor route.”

“A little never hurts!


I love it!


8)”

“You also like the way denature alcohol ignites after squirting it into a fire.”

“That is so true!


8)”

“Newgirl, you have mail.”

“Thanks for all the advice everyone.

Violin, I don't Google, 'cause I got you! LOL! I want the advice of all you pros.

Indiana, she is 2 and 1/2 yrs. old. I will have a friend along and I think we will do more of a set-up camp and do a dayhike thing. I pack her all over around town, so I don't think that will be a problem.

Geezr, I will take a look at Base Camp. Thanks.”

“OK, OK, we all need to know, is this friend male or female?

Gordon may want to show up and cut the veggies for you.”

“LOL! You have mail too Chief. Gordon can't show up and cut the veggies for me. It's enough to supervise him, I can't supervise him and Newergirl!”

“Ill tell him that!!!”

“For a one nighter, forget sealin it.Yo bear!
ITS a coleman!!!!”

“PS and when you get wet come on into MY tent! Mohaaaaaaa!”

“You should change your name...to JERDOG!!!

What's happening Jer?”

“Maybe Om knows if the tent fly's seams needs sealed or not, did you ask her???

If you do need to seal the seams...
-setup the tent and put on the rainfly upside down, then all the seams should be easily reached.
-when the sealer is dry, dab some talcum powder on the sealer to keep the sealer from sticking to portions of the fly while in packed for storage.”

“it is a coleman peak cobra....I took it to the winds and it rained and winded..and llamarama and sierras and lots and lots and lots of rain at cumberland island and several smokies trips and that tent never, ever leaked a drop. i loved it.

...but i never, ever sealed the seams ...maybe time to do it...i dont know...:) i never think about that stuff...:)”

“Don't Coleman tents come factory sealed? Some do ya know....

I haven't seam sealed a tent yet. Haven't gotten wet either. I have a thing about paying $300 for something and having to finish the manufacturing at home. I don't like it. (No, I haven't gotten wet yet either...those factory sealed seams seem to stay sealed forever)

Newgirl, I sure do wish you and Newergirl could magically transport yourselves to MI for a weekend!”

“sassafras, you are right, it comes factory sealed. like a strip of tape or something. I never felt the need to mess with it....
the ole cliche...if it aint broke...~~~~
newgirl, enjoy and be careful, for the first time with newergirl...dont go so far that you cant get out easily if you need to....but you probably know that already...:)”

“"a "Florida" weather type tent"

It rains alot more in Florida than you might think.

I got a Peak 1 Cobra also. You'll be fine if you make sure the fly is tight. But you might want to get something to "hoop" it up at the feet. That's the only place of concern when it's raining.”

“What type of pack/carrier do you use for newergirl?”

“LOL! I think we should call him Jerdog too!!!!

Thanks Buddur, you gave the most specific instructions. That helps me alot.

Om, sounds like you been in plenty 'o rain w/ it and since you never worried about, maybe I don't need to either. It'd be a heck of alot easier to just go and not sit out in the yard sealing for hrs., days ahead of time. And I will be careful w/ Newergirl. We've done plenty of dayhiking in the woods and lots of city trekking, so that isn't a worry. The area we want to check out isn't a long hike at all. We'll be able to get out very quick, should the need arise.

Sass, I wish we could magicly appear out in MI too. I'm not going to make it to "All About The Kids." New job sched. and not enough moolah.

Walkindude, by "Florida" weather I was refering to the overnight temps here, but I don't think that will be an issue either. It's freakin' hot up here right now! And Om said she used it in the Winds too.

Indiana, we have a Kelty Backcountry. I got it for Mother's Day when she was about 1 yr. old. Up to that pt. I had one of those front, soft carriers that aren't really meant for bping. We really like it. She can get into herself now, it adjusts in every way you can imagine, it is comfortable, etc. One really good pt., you can move the straps up and down to adjust for torso length (I don't know the specific name of the doo-dad that does it or whatever). That's nice, because I can have it adjusted for myself or Newergirl's dad can adjust it for himself. She loves it, she call's it her piggy (as in piggy back). She calls bping, piggy backin'! It also has a rainfly and a little storage space. I think they can be spendy, but I got mine of sale.”

“You should check it out on the Kelty site. They have the whole low down on it. Some of that info. doesn't mean anything to me, but it might help you.”

“Thanks newgirl. We've looked at one of the Keltys already and I see on their site that they have a few models to choose from.

I've also heard good reviews on the Caravan, by Madden Moutaineering. But wow, on the price!

I also found some on E-Bay while doing a search. I should check there first for one in good condition.”

“No prob. Indiana. How old is your child?”

“LOL! I have three and half months till he/she gets here. I'm just excited and planning ahead.

Figured I'd do some of this kind of research now while I still have time.”

“LOL! Good job Indiana! I did alot of "research" ahead of the game too, but I think I researched some of the more "pressing" things. LOL! You are going to be a great dad!”

“Indiana John, I ended up getting a Kelty Kids Expedition Carrier. It's got all the bells and whistles. It's yours for $170 plus shipping. Been used maybe four times. Has 3000 cu storage, detachable daypack, rain and sun cover, mosquito net, kickstand, adjustable everything. Email me if you're interested. My baby is 30 lbs now and too big.”

“Sass, I think we have 10 lbs to go in the Kelty we got. It says up to 40 lbs., and the carrier part is adjustable for her too. We'll see if I ever make it there. Daddy can use it anyway.”

“Yeah, ours carries sixty pounds total but Abby's so big that it's not comfortable for anyone, the carrier or the kid. I end up kicked because she wants to get down and check everything out. Plus, she's newly potty trained and we've gotta be able to act fast when she announces it's potty time, lol.”

“Good tent sealing info!”

“They require special treatment! The maker of ours recommended GE silicone 2 clear sealant (in a caulking tube) mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits, painted over all the seams. For the floored varieties of tarptents, make the goop a little thicker and paint squiggly lines all over the floor so it's nonslip.
First off the goop mixture dries VERY quickly. Second it's messy and looks a little funny, but it seems to work. Painting the floor is a challenge, because the floor slides around under you and likes to bunch up and stick to you while you're painting nice neat lines. ARGH!”

“Mineral spirits??”

“this is what I used on my silnylon tarp and it works great:

http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/accessdetail.cfm?PRODUCTS__ProductID=MCN1100

ok, I'm not an html guru :)”

“Yep, regular old low odor mineral spirits from the home depot, mixed with the silicone sealant from GE. Nice quick-drying super sticky industrial snot.”

“Well, we post-poned the trip for next wkend due to the heat. The place we wanted to go to is on the other side of Beartooth Pass, according to Chief's directions (thanks Chief) and my car has been having some overheating issues. We decided that it might not be so smart to try and get the car to drag up the Pass in over a 100 degree weather. Plus, I got off work at 2:30A on Fri. night and it was still 81 degrees. I know the mtns. will be cooler, but I decided it might end up just being a miserable trip. So, we will give it another shot next wkend, maybe look for an area that won't be so hard on the car getting there. This will also give us a chance to seal the tent and let it get plenty aired out before hand. Thanks for all the good info. peeps.”

“Seam seal your rainfly inside and out very carefully in a well ventilated area. If the tub part of the main tent isn't sealed with tape, seal it also. Let it dry for several days before you pack it so it doesn't get all balled up in the stuff sack and stuck together.

If you want to test it under a sprinkler, go ahead.

I did a sloppy job on seam sealing my last new tent. Got caught in a summer storm in Mammoth and it leaked several places. As I scurried to react I vowed I would always seam seal my tents carefully in the future.

Better to be safe than sorry.”

“I hear you there, Phil. Been there, done that! Duct tape to the rescue!”

“I saw something last week that made me think of Newgirl.

I was at an evening baseball game and once it started to get dark, people were taking off their sunglasses and wearing them in various trendy ways. Some guys stuck them on the front of their baseball caps; some would just fold them up and hook then to the front of their shirts...

But this One Guy....

He was sort of a chubby person with buzzcut hair and he was wearing his sunglasses backwards -- with the earpieces on top of his ears and all... only backwards -- and the front of the glasses resting on a big roll of NECK FAT the size of a knockwurst at the back of his head.

I laughed so hard, I nearly fell outta the damn bleachers.”

“Oh My Gawd! I am so glad I caught this Tilt. That is the funniest crap I've ever heard. Neck fat is just so obviously wrong. I mean, seriously, the sweet Father above never intended for men to sport neck fat. Awful!”

“I wsn't sure what was worse.... neck fat in the front, under the chin? Or neck fat out back?


This isn't a 'neck fat story' per se, but ANYway....

I remember this lady comedian talking about how she was watching CNN back when Reagan was president. They were showing a bill signing ceremony in the Rose Garden. It was a pretty windy day because she could see the rose bushes were waving
all around, and not a single hair
moved on Reagan's head...

But his neck was flapping in the breeze!”