Waterproofing a tent?

[stinkwheel]

I got myself an old canvas Vango Force 10 tent for £30 off ebay.

Now, I'm going to be using it next month for a rally. At some point before then (if I get a dry, still day) I need to put it up to check for any damage, learn how it goes up and to make some guy ropes.

It would make sense to give it a once over with some waterproofing agent while I have it up. Now on my old canvas tents (some time ago) you used to get a powder you mixed up with water and sponged/brushed onto the tent. The important thing being this stuff had an antifungal in it that prevented mildew and stopped the stitching rotting.

Looking round I can only find silicone based sprays and high-tech treatments for gore-tex and suchlike. Not really ideal for my use and I don't think they have an antifungal in them (you'd need about six cans of spray to do the whole tent and previous experience showed it to be not very good).

Anyone got any recommendations or even a product name so I can try and find it on the net.

[phantomtek]

I'm not too sure about antifungal but Teflon is good for keeping things waterproof, and is good for material, maybe consider that?

[TheShaggyDA]

I've used Fabsil in the past for reproofing, but it's not an anti fungal. Any mould can be cleared up with hydrogen peroxide.

Here's a handy "advertorial".
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[Lone-Wolf]

Wotcha.

Fabsil gets my vote too.
Works on my Khyam igloo and Lichfield Chalenger Five.
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[Whosthedaddy]

Not sure of any names or brands, but the parents were always rewaterproofing their tents and trailer tent with various sprays bought at Camping & General and other camping stores.

You apply in the dry (hopefully sunny ) and then let it dry and Bobs your uncle until next year.
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[Annabella]

I used the Fabsil liquid that you stick in the washing machine. It worked a treat cleaning and waterproofing my berghaus jacket.
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[divuk83]

Nikwax is great for textile bike jackets, tents etc. Great stuff. Can be had from camping stores and most bike stores. Failing that Hein Gericke's own brand textile cleaner should do just as good a job.

https://www.nikwax.co.uk

Dave

[Teaman]

Fabsil.
Ive always used it on my tents and waterproofs.
Ive found the best way to put it on is to set the tent up and then fill a spray bottle with it , go round squirting evenly a panel at a time then either leave it alone or gently brush the seams with a clean brush then leave it to dry.
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[Mjolnir]

Nikwax for me too. I bought some terra nova stuff a while ago for my tents. Cost a bit more and seems to be essentially the same stuff.

I'd use this stuff:
https://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdoor/ProductList.aspx?cat=Nikwax&language=en-GB

[stinkwheel]

Hurrah. We have a winner.

https://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdoor/images/product/fall05/medium/nik_cotton.jpg

That looks like just the job, it is a cotton canvas flysheet.

Cheers guys.

[thx1138]

soak it in used engine oil, and leave it out to dry on a washing line*


*I have no idea if this will work, I just got in from the pub a short while ago, and my dartboard just fell off the wall too.

[old bob]

Most tent suppliers will have Fabsil which is specifically designed for proofing tents it can be bought in aerosol cans for doing small areas. For proofing whole tents then you normlly buy a in liquid which can be brushed on or sprayed with a seperate sprayer.

I have proofed a six birth frame tent with 5 litres of the stuff and found that brushing it onto the tent erected is the best way of applying it.

I have seen reports that a cheaper alternative is Thomspns Water seal available from most DIY places is very good, check the tin for being suitable for canvas, not sure if there is more than one vrsion. This recommendation comes from a camping and caranvaning web site, but I have not tried it myself.

[veeeffarr]

I use Nikwax on my leathers (Makes them waterproof) but if you go into Millets or the like you will find they do a full range of Nikwax for all kinds of applications (tents, etc)

T

[Lone-Wolf]

[stinkwheel]

It's ok. The pub dog down my local wont come within ten feet of me ever since I did an operation on it.

[Tarmacsurfer]

Nikwax is good stuff. If it's a decent grade of canvas, and you have some patience then I'd also recommend the older beeswax/turps(NON mineral!) method, see THIS LINK for more info. It's pretty close to the method I used to use on a plain canvas tent, as long is it's a good thickness and done once every year or so then it works a charm. Another trick I was given, although I'll admit to never using it, is a good quality (ie non-petrol/oil based) clear shoe polish on the inside of the flysheet. Takes a while to brush it in apparently, and can also be a little prone to cracking if the tent is folded hard but isn't too bad if it's rolled. Watched something that had apparently been treated like that survive comfortably over a three day torrential downpour.
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[stemc]

When I had a trailer tent a few years back we used brick/masonry sealer which worked just as well as fabsil.

Theres always

www.tentrepairs.com

[bigedyant]

Word of advice from the voice of experience. Don't leave the empty bottle lying around, decide to refill it with soapy water for cleaning paint spills, then 6 months later, try to waterproof your new cordura trousers with soapy water before going to Oulton in a monsoon. Then find out you have no change of trousers and have to borrow a pair of shorts off a mate who is two sizes smaller.
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[feef]

fabsil is silicone based, which is completely wrong for the canvas/cotton tent that Stinkwheel is talking about.

The other downside of Silicone based treatments, is that the silicone never completely 'dries' meaning it can attract dirt, and actually increase wear/degradation of the fabrics, as the dirt particles rub away at the fabrics. As a result, Fabsil proofed tents should be washed and re-proofed more often.

the Nikwax products which don't use silicone based waterproofers are much better.

a
(used to be a mountain sports technician as a student)
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[stinkwheel]

Ah well. In the end I got some stuff from an old fashioned saddlers for reproofing canvas horse rugs (he makes it up himself, reckons it would be perfect for the job). The drying room at work now reeks of white spirit.

It's as well I did, took 1.5 litres to do the whole tent, that would have cost a fortune if I'd have bought the 'proper' stuff

[colin1]

as long as you dont touch the sides, and the tent is set up right, it doesnt need to be waterproof, as the water will just run off.
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[stinkwheel]