My tent went from bone dry to soaked through in one season

Had a 3-year-old tent that never leaked until last spring. I didn't do any maintenance on it, just stuffed it wet after a rainy trip in April. Pulled it out in June for a trip to Lake Tahoe and woke up in a puddle. The seam tape was peeling off on the inside and the fly coating looked cracked. Pretty sure storing it damp for 2 months killed the waterproofing. Anybody had luck re-coating a fly or is it just time for a new tent?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony1277d ago

Read somewhere that Nikwax can bring old coatings back for a season or two.

hugo_jones27d ago

My first clue something was off came when my 5 year old Patagonia Torrentshell started beading water again after a wash with Nikwax Tech Wash. @anthony127 I think the key is the jacket has to be super clean first. Dirt blocks the DWR from bonding right. I spent 2 hours scrubbing mine with a soft brush before drying it on low heat for 40 minutes. Worked like a charm for one rainy season. Second time around it barely revived. So yeah, maybe two seasons max.