Cheap tent?

[HobbesOnTour]

Done it on a few. Big & small.
It's effective.

The thing to watch is making certain you have the correct proofer for the material.

Thanks.
Have you done it as a preventative measure or did you do it in response to wet patches or leaks?

 

[classic33]

Done as a "repair" on older tents.

Every guyline removed, placed the flysheet in the washer. Extra rinse given then used the waterproofer once dry.

There's one cleaner and reproofer, "Green is clean, Purple is proof" that I've used on similar materials in coats.

 

[classic33]

Has no-one else ever reproofed the flysheet of their tent?

Done it myself, Ultimate Tadpole(2 man), upto an Vango Icelandic(11 man). I thought nothing of doing it having assumed that more would be doing the same thing. Now I'm wondering.

 

[Gravity Aided]

"SteepAndCheap is no longer available outside the US"
Care to say what it is?

ALPS Mountaineering Mystique, It was 44 dollars, but has gone up to 71 dollars since yesterday evening, when I was still on the fence as to whether I needed a new tent or not. I believe my decision has been made for me.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Has no-one else ever reproofed the flysheet of their tent?

Done it myself, Ultimate Tadpole(2 man), upto an Vango Icelandic(11 man). I thought nothing of doing it having assumed that more would be doing the same thing. Now I'm wondering.

I haven't needed to do it... yet.
I appreciate your information, thanks.

I remember when I was a kid, tents were heavy and were expected to last a lifetime. Repairs on material were relatively easy - I think one of our family tents was cotton! It was downright impossible to break a pole!

I think these days, there's a lot of pressure to have the newest/lightest/bestest so use and replace is common. And of course, lots of people have several tents to use in different circumstances, so their overall life is extended by virtue of being used less.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Very true. I have one that must be 30+ years old, from Montgomery Ward, no less. Too heavy for anything but car camping.

 

[Vantage]

Has no-one else ever reproofed the flysheet of their tent?

Done it myself, Ultimate Tadpole(2 man), upto an Vango Icelandic(11 man). I thought nothing of doing it having assumed that more would be doing the same thing. Now I'm wondering.

I have! It failed!
My Coastline 3+ has a habit of letting a fine mist of wetness seep through the air in heavy rain. Stuck some Fabsil (?) on it and it still misted through. Oh well.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I have! It failed!
My Coastline 3+ has a habit of letting a fine mist of wetness seep through the air in heavy rain. Stuck some Fabsil (?) on it and it still misted through. Oh well.

That's a pity. I had a Coastline 3 too and I loved that tent! Simple yet tough. I had no idea about tents when I bought it - I just wanted to go camping.
It did me proud on a 3 month trip to Spain and back. And several trips along the Rhine as well as lots of weekend tours.
I only got a new tent because the porch was too exposed for cooking in bad weather and the Coastline is gone to a good home.
It's a pity that yours isn't waterproof anymore. I feel your pain.

 

[Vantage]

Oh it still does the job
Too heavy for cycle touring so it's used when the other half and I decide to camp 'light' with the car.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Oh it still does the job
Too heavy for cycle touring so it's used when the other half and I decide to camp 'light' with the car.

Too heavy for cycle touring????
I carried mine over the Pyrenees and the Alps..... twice!

I agree it's heavy, but for starting out I loved it. Easy (all-in-one) pitch. Strong. Lots of space. No need for a groundsheet/footprint.
Also.... the easiest way to manage the weight was to get it off me, not the tent!

 

[Blue Hills]

Out of interest, how heavy was/is that tent?

Must admit to liking coleman tents in general. Have the idea that they tend towards the tough no nonsense.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Out of interest, how heavy was/is that tent?

Must admit to liking coleman tents in general. Have the idea that they tend towards the tough no nonsense.

Mine was the compact. I didn't weigh anything back then. (I've only started weighing things this year when I got an Extrawheel trailer - weights must be balanced).
If I remember correctly, it was 4.2, 4.3 kg. Heavy, certainly, but that includes a full complement of pegs and like I said, the floor was tough as old boots - no footprint necessary and it covered the porch too. A godsend in wet weather. The poles themselves (fibreglass) were the guts of 1 kg. They'd be half that if replaced with aluminium.

It's a bugbear of mine looking at tent weights. So many exclude pegs, or only include the absolute minimum, same with guylines. Then there's the fact that most new tents need a groundsheet/footprint because the floors are so thin, or the porch has no floor. More weight to be calculated.
I'm not a weight weenie, but I'd like practical, usable information.

I found it to be a tough, no nonsense tent. It stood up to some severe storms. Used it in winter down to -8C and in Spain up to 40C. No fancy bells and whistles. Just a simple, stable tent. The front was a bit leaky in heavy wind and rain, but that was at the edge - the sleeping area was a long way from there. Bathtub floor too. That came in very handy during a massive rainstorm in Italy. Very comfortable for 2 and luxurious for 1. Crappy zip on the bag, though.

I think I paid Euro 48 for mine. I broke a pole after 18 months and Amazon sent me a whole new tent! A bargain if ever there was one!

I'd recommend it to anyone starting out for it's simplicity and strength and price/quality ratio. Of course, many will jump on my head at the weight. I certainly got the value out of it.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Have you done this?
Is it effective?
Thanks!

Came close. But to reproof and tape the groundsheet on a favourite 2 man tent was more expensive than a new tent. Throw away society winds me up no end.

The fly is in perfect nick so I’ll reuse that as a bike tarp or cut it up into a footprint or something. Bag maybe. The poles could be for a flag or tarp support maybe. The inner which is self standing can be a beach/shade shelter.

 

[Vantage]

Too heavy for cycle touring????
I carried mine over the Pyrenees and the Alps..... twice!

I agree it's heavy, but for starting out I loved it. Easy (all-in-one) pitch. Strong. Lots of space. No need for a groundsheet/footprint.
Also.... the easiest way to manage the weight was to get it off me, not the tent!

Ah I think we're describing two different tents. Mine is the 3+ and weighs a quoted 7.3kg. In its bag its the width of a door.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I've looked at the Hooligan in the Coleman line. It looks like a good hiking tent, but it weighs about 12 pounds.