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quote:
Every time I went camping as a scout it rained...I soon learned to set up my tent I the rain.....and to bring a blue trap...run a high line and drape the tarp over it...when we moved to the mountains in NC I went camping in January, it snowed.



The tarp-over-tent method's the only way I ever found to keep the rain out. Good tents, bad tents, it seems like the real difference was the volume of leaking.


===
I would like to apologize to anyone I have *not* offended. Please be patient. I will get to you shortly.
 
Posts: 2161 | Location: The Sticks in Wisconsin. | Registered: September 30, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Spinnin' Chain
Picture of Expat
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If you're only camping I wouldn't worry too much over heavy rains, any tent can leak. How and where you set your gear will serve you best.

Whatever you get seal the seams or fabric. Set on a groundsheet. Choose good ground. Fly your gear. Enjoy the rain.

I can't speak to specific tents other than to say I've always been dry. Not always warm. I've enjoyed, probably a couple years total, in a wide variety of nylons such as Eureka and many brands of canvas.

Fly your gear.
 
Posts: 3272 | Location: Oregun | Registered: August 02, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Caribou gorn
Picture of YellowJacket
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I've got two 4-man domes, one is an older Coleman and one a Eureka. Can't say that either are what I'd call leaky. I got the Eureka at Goodwill for $10 and I don't think it had ever been set up.

Since we had two boys (now 6 and 3 yo) we got a big Coleman. I think it is technically an 8 man but we blow up two queen air mattresses and have 3' in between. It's the Tenaya Lake FastPitch. Big, but I can put it up by myself with a little bit of gymnastics. Two trips ago it started raining about 4 am on our last night. We got a little bit of water in one spot where water was draining towards us and hitting the "closet" built into the exterior of the tent, which we didn't put out.

If I thought it was really going to rain, I'd add a 16x24 tarp strung up over it between whatever trees I could find.



I'm gonna vote for the funniest frog with the loudest croak on the highest log.
 
Posts: 10686 | Location: Marietta, GA | Registered: February 10, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Other than purchasing a quality tent, the main factor to getting a tent to hold-up and function during any moisture event, is making sure the tent walls, rainfly and guy-lines are TIGHT . Set-up location is also a factor.

You need tension on the fabric in order to get the water to bead-up and roll-off. Besides properly cut panels, particularly along the floor (cantenary cut), (which should have an arch or, bow to them, similar to the camber of a snowboard or, skis) the guy-lines need to be properly tensioned so the rainfly does not sit against the wall of the tent. Should the rainfly, heavy with water, lay against the tent wall (uncoated fabric), that breaks the hydrostatic tension of water on the rainfly, and allows moisture to transfer to the tent body wall. Users mistakenly think this means a tent is leaking...it is not. Just tighten up the guy-lines, make sure the tent is fully staked out (no slack) and the ground cloth/footprint is not exposed allowing water to accumulate underneath; major error you see users is an exposed ground cloth. During storms or, heavy moisture, fabric in the tent and the guy-lines will expand, you'll need to constantly keep an eye-on and re-adjust all the guy-lines.

My car camping favorite is the Marmot Limestone 6. Big Agnes is good stuff, so does REI, MSR, Eureka has a bunch of good ones for their prices, even Kelty has a few good ones. They all just need to be set-up properly, all floor seams come coated, check instructions and periodically re-seal seams as needed. A quality tent will have a rainfly that not only is quality coated but, will reach ALL THE WAY to the bottom of the tent. Theoretically, expensive tents have full rainfly (you're paying for more fabric and quality pole set), whereas 'value tents' or, 'cheap tents' have partial rainfly's (less fabric/weak coatings/cheap pole-sets), which are useless; they look like jewish yarmulkes sitting on top.
 
Posts: 15256 | Location: Wine Country | Registered: September 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Raised Hands Surround Us
Three Nails To Protect Us
Picture of Black92LX
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Whatever Eureka fits your size and budget though I too suggest a 6 person if you are wanting to sleep 4.

We put a Eureka through one hell of a storm. We ended up with a having to go to a hotel as there was a tornado. It rained something crazy all night and the following day.
When we returned I actually did not even expect the tent to still be there.
It was and all of our stuff inside was bone dry!


————————————————
The world's not perfect, but it's not that bad.
If we got each other, and that's all we have.
I will be your brother, and I'll hold your hand.
You should know I'll be there for you!
 
Posts: 25906 | Registered: September 06, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I've camped with my family in our Springbar Tent for the past 40 years. I doesn't leak and has been a great investment. The tent was made by Kirkhams AAA Tent and Awning in Salt Lake City.

Kodiak makes a tent patterned after the Kirkham tent and is less expensive and has additional features. It's made in China. The quality seems equal to my tent. The floor is heavier. The poles are galvanized steel rather than aluminum.

Both Kirkham and Kodiak have an excellent warranty.


____

I'm filled with gratitude for the blessings I've received.
 
Posts: 721 | Location: So Cal | Registered: September 25, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
PopeDaddy
Picture of x0225095
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Check out Oz Tent. It may suit your needs. They are not inexpensive but they do you have a strong following. I’ve never slept in one but I have observed them in person and they seem to be all they are advertised to be and are known for incredibly easy set up.

https://www.oztent.us/


0:01
 
Posts: 4336 | Location: ALABAMA | Registered: January 05, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Just remember the first rule of tenting... Razz




 
Posts: 4756 | Registered: July 06, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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You can still find military surplus goretex bivy sacks around. Adds an extra layer of protection for when the tent does leak. I spray my tent with 2 coats of campdry per instructions.
 
Posts: 389 | Registered: March 30, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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