PSA: Don't spend $180 on a 'waterproof' tent without testing it in actual rain first

Set up my new four season tent in the backyard, sprayed it with a hose for 10 minutes, and it leaked through the seams like a colander. The manufacturer's warranty won't cover 'field damage' they say, so I'm out the full price and two weekends of trip planning. Anyone else trust a dry test over a wet one and regret it?

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lisa_wilson8712d ago

Man, that sucks. But here's the thing nobody mentions: those "waterproof" ratings are tested in a lab with clean water and controlled pressure. A hose from five feet away hits way harder than most rain ever will, so a leak there might not mean it fails in a real storm. You basically did a stress test, not a rain test. Yeah, it's still frustrating it leaked at all, but you might've dodged a worse situation if the seams gave out on a mountain. Look up "seam sealing" before you give up on it, that's a cheap fix that most tent makers don't do well from the factory. And always do a bucket test where you fill the inside with a few inches of water and check for drips from the outside, that tells you more about the fabric than a hose ever will.