Tents are a great way to protect you from the elements while you are out camping.
That is unless it starts to rain and your tent isn’t waterproof!
Unfortunately, even tents that are waterproof when you originally purchase them can lose some of those properties when they are worn down.
So, how do you waterproof a tent? To waterproof a tent, you’ll want to first make sure your tent is clean and clear of any rips or tears. Next, you’ll want to seal all the seams around your tent, apply a fresh urethane coat, and then a DWR (durable water repellant) coating. Once your tent dries it will be waterproof!
Read on for a more detailed look at how to waterproof your tent, why you should even worry about waterproofing, and more!
Do Tents Need To Be Waterproofed?
In general, the need for tent waterproofing depends on the elements you’ll encounter while out camping.
If there’s no chance of rain, there’s probably no reason for you to add waterproofing.
Some tents even come with a full-mesh roof, so waterproofing them would be pointless (unless you covered the top with a rainfly or tarp).
However, if you are planning to camp in rain or snow, or even if there is a chance of either, I’d recommend bringing along a tent that can keep water out.
How To Waterproof A Tent
The first step in waterproofing your tent is to inspect for any rips in the fabric or tears in the seams.
It doesn’t matter how strong your water repellant is, water can easily get through holes in the fabric.
Fixing Pinhole Tears
If the hole in the fabric is very tiny, you can use a seam sealer (such as Seam Grip WP or McNett’s Seam Grip Repair) to patch it.
Simply brush over the hole and ¼” around the hole with the seam sealer and allow it to dry.
Addressing Larger Tears
If your tent fabric has been ripped too large to repair with just a seam sealer, tape will work just fine.
GearAid’s Tenacious Tape is a great option as it’s made for repairing tent material.
When using tape to repair your tent, you’ll want to:
- Cut a piece of tape that is ¼” to ½” longer on each side of the tear
- Round the edges of the tape using scissors (this makes it harder for the tape to snag on anything and come off)
- Place the tape over the tear and smooth out with your hands
- Optional: apply seam sealer to the edges of the tape to further secure it (allow to cure for 6 hours in the shade before moving)
Waterproofing Your Tent
Once you’ve addressed any rips or tears in your tent, it’s time to move on to adding waterproofing.
There are 3 main areas that you’ll want to focus on in order to make sure your tent is waterproof: sealing seams, adding a urethane coating, and finally adding a Durable Water Repellant (DWR).
How To Seal Tent Seams
Over time, tent seals can wear out and lose their waterproofing properties.
Here’s how to refresh them:
Materials Needed
- Rag
- Rubbing alcohol
- Seam sealer (most tents use polyurethane-coated materials, so a seam sealer that works with polyurethane is best. However, check with your tent manufacturer before purchasing as some tents use silicone-coated materials that won’t work well with a polyurethane sealer)
Instructions
- Set your rainfly on a flat surface, or put it on your tent inside out (we will be sealing the seams from the underside of the rainfly and on the inner side of the tent body)
- Look for any areas where the seam tape is coming loose and gently peel off those sections. Leave any tape that is still intact.
- Pour rubbing alcohol into the rag to get it damp, then gently scrub the seams to clean them.
- Apply seam sealer to the seams.
- Repeat this process for all seams (if one seam’s waterproofing is failing, it’s likely the others are nearing failure as well) on the underside of the rainfly and inside of the tent body.
- Allow seam sealer to fully dry before storing or using.
Adding A Urethane Coating To Your Tent
If you’ve started to notice flakes falling off of the inside of your rainfly or your tent floor, it may be time to add a fresh coat of tent sealant.
The urethane works alongside the seam sealer to help keep water out.
Here’s how you can add/refresh your tent’s urethane coating:
Materials Needed
- A sponge (you’ll need one that is half abrasive, half spongey material)
- Rubbing alcohol
- Tent sealant (similar to seam sealer, you’ll want to get the correct type for your tent’s material. Check with the manufacturer to be sure.)
Instructions
- Lay your rainfly or tent floor on a flat surface where you can access all of the flaking material
- Add some rubbing alcohol to your sponge and gently scrub off the flaking material
- Apply the tent sealant where you just removed the material (you can also apply it to the entire fly or floor to ensure the other parts of the tent remain sealed). Refer to the bottle of tent sealant for specific instructions on how to apply
- Allow your tent to dry out for 24 hours before storing or using
You’ll want to wash your hands after applying the tent sealant to remove any chemicals from your hands.
Refreshing Durable Water Repellant (DWR)
If you’ve noticed that water is no longer beading on the outer layer of your tent or your rainfly, it may be time to refresh the DWR layer.
This is very similar to applying Rain-X to your windshield, except you’ll want to use a DWR that is meant for your tent’s material.
Refreshing this layer is as simple as:
Materials Needed
- Your choice of water-repellent spray
- A rag
- Spray bottle filled with water
Instructions
- Set up your tent (including rainfly)
- Get the outside of your tent wet with the spray bottle and water
- Apply your water-repellent spray evenly over the rainfly
- Wait a few minutes for the spray to soak in, then dampen your rag and wipe the excess coating off of the rainfly
- Allow your tent and rainfly to dry before storing or using
Why Does Tent Waterproofing Need To Be Refreshed?
After using your tent for a while, you may start to notice that your ‘waterproof’ tent starts to act more ‘water-resistant’ and even starts to fail at that.
A good example of how this can happen is by washing your tent in a washing machine.
While TECHNICALLY you can wash your tent in a front loading washing machine, it is still rough on the seams and fabric.
After a couple of cycles, the fabric and seams will have been agitated enough that it will start to remove the waterproofing layers.
That is why the best way to clean a tent is by hand.
However, you can still experience these problems even without throwing your tent in a washing machine.
When you first purchase a tent, you’ll likely be able to tell that the seams have been sealed to keep water out.
However, over time those seals will begin to erode and water will start to funnel into your tent.
The same thing can happen to your rainfly and tent floor when the urethane coating wears off.
It’s a good idea to inspect your tent before taking it out on a trip, especially if your waterproofing is over a year old or you use your tent frequently.
However, there are plenty of ways you could get water in your tent even if it’s waterproof!