tents and rain - what to expect?

JMSE

Hi folks, just wondering what we should expect as fairly normal when you get rain like we've had this weekend in munster/leinster.

We bought a 7man from there a few weeks ago and got good weather when we were using it. But yesterday we set it up again and with the rain that followed yesterday and very heavy thru the night it was too, theres been lots of probs during the night with water dripping from above and water pooling in certain spots on the floor. Its got a separate footprint which we used, and then the tent goes on top of this. The tent has a fully stictched bathtub floor, stitched to the walls.

We're fairly disappointed with this given the price we paid, but am wondering if this is just normal seen as we havent been campers before this year....

Anyone got a bit of advice??

Canis Lupus

Depends on what tent you bought really. What's the make and model?

JMSE

its a royal montreal 5+2

Canis Lupus

From what I can see online it's got a flysheet rated at 3000mm which should have kept you dry. Did you have the tent guyed out so the fly sheet was nice and taut? ie no saggy bits to allow water to collect?

You've said you've used the tent before. Can you see any damage that might have been caused to the flysheet with packing/unpacking? Any holes or damaged seams?

Basically the weather rating for that tent should have kept you dry.

EDIT: although I suppose I should qualify the above by saying that it still depends on the quality of the manufacture. Shoddy seams etc will be where the leaks mostly come in regardless of the HH rating. I'm not familiar with that tent manufacturer either and it doesn't seem that easy to get info on them.

JMSE

Thanks CL, have been out for the last while just emptying it and trying to dry it out. It seem to be a condensation thing only as the whole roof area (long tunnel tent shape) is totally wet i.e. if you tap it it rains inside, so thats what I've been at to dry it out. No damage visible, its perfect to be honest. We had the tent up in the back garden for the kids to have a sleepover so although I guyed it out all around, I was coming down at a steeper angle with each one than I would have preferred due to lack of width in the garden.

Have heard you need to weather a tent to waterproof it, dont know if this applied to ours, its polyester 185t for whatever thats worth . So as its dry sunny and windy at the minute, I hope to dry it out and go again tonight ......... :rolleyes:

Canis Lupus

How many were in the tent and was everything shut up? If it was a packed tent I suppose it could have been condensation. I'm not familiar with what happens to large family tents.

JMSE

8no 13 year olds canis. I've got it dry, guyed out a lot further now, tighter, and opened all the vents fully, just in time for todays 1st downpour. Have everybody out so its not sweating from the inside, and lets wait and see now.....

Canis Lupus

So did it hold up without people?

JMSE

Thanks again Canis, yes it did really well, no dampness inside all day at all here in Meath where we had torrential downpours thru the day. So the dripping roof is down to condensation and with sleepover #2 underway now with all vents wide open etc, I'll have a better idea tomorrow. On the small puddles on the floor, we did find 2 leaks where the bathtub floor joins the flysheet, slow drips coming in but pooling on the waterproof floor over an hour or two. Will have to find how to approach that one........

Canis Lupus

JMSE wrote: »

Thanks again Canis, yes it did really well, no dampness inside all day at all here in Meath where we had torrential downpours thru the day. So the dripping roof is down to condensation and with sleepover #2 underway now with all vents wide open etc, I'll have a better idea tomorrow. On the small puddles on the floor, we did find 2 leaks where the bathtub floor joins the flysheet, slow drips coming in but pooling on the waterproof floor over an hour or two. Will have to find how to approach that one........

You can buy tent patches online. I doubt a bicycle puncture repair patch would hurt it either and should work just as well if they're small simple holes. If it's the seams then the vulcanising glue might do the job at just sealing it up.

Pat Mustard

Sometimes it helps condensation issues if the zip is not fully closed, so as to allow more ventilation.

Also sometimes a few tent patches come with the tent. if so, maybe they are stowed away somewhere?