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Best Tent Waterproofing

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Loyalist Dave

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Otter Wax is very good, but takes a bit of elbow grease. It's beeswax based. There is a bar product, and then there's a canned product that you melt in a double boiler.

Other than that there are products like DryGuy that are good and specifically made for canvas tents. DryGuy seems like less work than the Otter Wax.

Stuff like Thompson Water Seal and Bear are not "good", while they do repel water, they are not made for use on a shelter, and I wonder what the fumes from that stuff does to the folks inside the tent, eh?

LD
 

Jaeger

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If you recently bought this tent and think you need to waterproof it, do a little research before doing it. If it's a good quality canvas tent, you don't have to do anything to it. I bought a used wedge tent made of an average weight of canvas, and I was skeptical about it being waterproof. I need not have worried. I have had it remain standing and bone-dry inside after a thunderstorm with strong winds and horizontal rain!
 
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As Jaeger stated, tent manufactures don't recommend waterproofing a new tent, the canvas will seal itself after it gets wet and shrinks to size, also most waterproofing materials are made for tarps not tents, when used on a tent it will no longer breath and cause condensation, you can waterproof the seams but not the main body
 

R I Jerolmon

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Can-Vac set up the tent get a pump-up bug sprayer, put the Can-Vac in the sprayer and spray it on the tent, let dry well.
Can-Vek seems to be "out of stock" and I was told that they are changing the fomular to meet regs. Does anyone have experience with Starbrite or Dryguy?
 
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Have you actually contacted the manufacturer (Panther Primitives etc.) and asked them about waterproofing?

I am in the, new canvas does not need waterproofing, camp.

I have been in some heavy down pours in a tent with no waterproofing and like others have said, as long as you did not touch the sides it never leaked a drop.

Waterproofing adds weight (if that matters to you, packing in etc.) and it does not breath.
 
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nit wit

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Mine is an older Panther P wall tent. It was treated for waterproofing and flame retardant by panther. A new untreated tent material will shrink up and usually not leak. I had one of RK lodges last tents made and it always misted in rain storms. A friend just talked with Panther(why didn't I think of that?) and was told that a treated tent would need a silicone based Snoseal product called ATSKO silicone water guard.
Thanks
Nit Wit
 

nit wit

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If you recently bought this tent and think you need to waterproof it, do a little research before doing it. If it's a good quality canvas tent, you don't have to do anything to it. I bought a used wedge tent made of an average weight of canvas, and I was skeptical about it being waterproof. I need not have worried. I have had it remain standing and bone-dry inside after a thunderstorm with strong winds and horizontal rain!
It's an old Panther Primitive.
NW
 
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Speaking of Tents, I recently came across a WW2 Pup Tent shelter half that had never been used; mint, pure white rope loops, and dated 1941! Many kids had surplus tent halves in the 1950's, I know I did. Wonder whatever happened to it?
 

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