UKC

I've a Rab Summit Latok eVent tent that's leaking through the material (ie not a hole or a seam or condensation)

I bought it second hand but very much as new with the original purchaser getting it in October. I've only just been in real rain with it - pitched maybe half a dozen times previously. So it's definitely not worn or damaged and was even nikwax'd prior to this trip.

Have contacted rab who (quite fairly seeing as I bought it second hand) told me politely to do one and but also offered no advice.

Has anyone had any success waterproofing event fabric?

My thanks in anticipation,

S

In reply to Smythson:

I've got a Latok Alpine jacket which is eVent and it's always been good and waterproof. I've re-proofed it once with Nikwax wash in, only because it was getting smelly/dirty and I wanted to wash it anyway. I believe the instructions on the jacket tell you to iron it on a low heat after it's mostly dry. Water beaded off it wonderfully after this.

Have you thought about ironing the tent? Disclaimer! I have no idea if this is recommended or not I just know the eVent jacket says you should iron it.

Rab's reaction and lack of advice makes me sad. Maybe just call and ask specifically for advice? Surely they are nice enough to offer some?

In reply to Smythson:
If the material really is shot to the point that water is penetrating rather than running off then you're pretty much knackered. The treatments are only really there to rejuvenate the surface hydrophobicity so that vapour can pass through the membrane.
I have had issues with Event leaking when the inside of the material is full of grease and dirt but you say the tent is clean and new.
How did you nikwax treat it?

In reply to elliot.baker:

I've got an event jacket too that's been going a while and, no laughing, it gets the hairdryer on it. Works a treat.

I'm disappointed in the quality of the tent - it's outrageous that it should fail so early when it's allegedly designed to stand up to harsh conditions.

But... I'm also conscious that the flip side of the current swell of all sorts of litigiousness means that companies like rab are withdrawing from open discussion and problem solving with the customer base. In this instance I'm presuming they fear by offering any advice they'd be taking responsibility for what is a rather expensive bit of kit. Wandering into pub chat I fear...

In reply to gethin_allen:

So it was showered clean then sprayed with nikwax.

My only solution thus far would be getting a silicone style sealant and patiently finding all the leaks.

I'd hoped there'd be an industrial solution - ie how do they achieve the original dwr that these things come with?

In reply to Smythson:


I guess the alternative to them not wanting to get sued by offering advice is that politely saying there wasn't anything they could was just one of many tasks to do during somebody's working day?

If you asked for helpful advice you might end up getting some?

In reply to Smythson:

Fabsil( the sort you paint on) has helped to rejuvenate my 17 yr old Solar 2.
Used it in heavy rain last week and the water beaded up and ran off. The only leakage I had was when the kid leaned heavily into the inner tent to push it against the outer.
I also used it on the groundsheet which leaked badly on my wife's 40th.
The groundsheet is cured!
It's a miracle I tell thee!

In reply to Timmd:

I'm with you there - I had to use a form type of submission but pretty clear that it was only advice that I wanted, definitely avoiding trying to sound like a rant and refund type. May try giving them a call when I'm back in the UK.

In reply to Dave the Rave:

That sounds like the ticket - Fabsil Gold it is!

Many thanks,

S

In reply to Smythson:




No worries. Let us know if it works for you with Event

In reply to Dave the Rave:

Fabsil, Nikwax or any other DWR treatment are all going to help to some extent but if the membrane really is letting water in then it ain't working. The membrane should prevent water ingress without any form of treatment at all.

In reply to Smythson:

Can you tell exactly where it leaks? How much water gets in? Once the outer gets saturated, breathability is very poor and you will get moisture build up which runs down the poles and can seem like it's rain getting in. You can also get water coming up through the floor if you push down on it on boggy terrain. It's a shame but it's the only negative to my Summit Extreme (the older model before the Summit Lite and Latok). I tend to camp mostly in winter when it performs brilliantly. On the odd occasion I've had to endure heavy rain in it, I've had to keep on top of mopping up the odd blob of water here and there.
If there's not much water collecting, you'll have to live with it and mop it up as you go. Using a tarp or footprint under the floor will help.
If it's worse than that and you have pools forming, then there's something wrong somewhere and you'll have to test it in the garden with a hose to find where the problem is.
Cheers, Jamie

In reply to Siward:


Yes, but if fabsil has made my nylon fly sheet weatherproof, shouldn't it work with event?

In reply to Jamie Hageman:

Yep - there's little streams that almost look like tears running down the inside of the tent. There's enough getting in to soak thr entire foot section of my sleeping bag and wake me up in the night. I normally pitch at a slight angle to make for drainage just in case and it's running from one end to the other.

Floor's good as I've an additional groundsheet that I use with it.

Right now it's going to be a Fabsil followed by garden hose so fingers crossed!

In reply to Dave the Rave:

I guess it may do but in that case why bother with the expensive event? May as well get unproofed nylon eh?

In reply to Smythson:

Fabsil is for reproofing non breathable fabrics isn't it? Like the fly of a two skin tent. Not sure that's what you want to be using on the breathable fabric of a single skin tent

In reply to Siward:


Indeed. But if he's after a quick fix as the only option then it's worth a punt?

In reply to Smythson:

bear in mind that as its been Nikwaxed there's a fair chance that it will stop the fabsil from "sticking" to the surface of the material and god knows what the combination will do to breathability. As a generalisation I'd be cautious to mix different proofers.

Lee

In reply to Smythson:

Are you certain it's not condensation? My only experience of a single skin goretex tent was decades ago, and I found that condensation was significantly worse in heavy rain.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:


I'm with you on this I think, these tents are little more than posh bivy bags and if you sleep with your head inside a bivy bag all night you'll wake up wet. Combine this with the rain on the exterior that will increase the condensation on the inside and you're going to get wet unless there's a gale blowing to keep the air moving through the tent.

I think the best plan (before fabsil is used which will turn the tent into a glorified plastic bag) would be to pitch the tent in the garden then get in with a roll of tissue while someone hoses it down. At which point you'll know you either have a not very breathable tent, a leaky tent or if you fabsil it a totally un breathable and unusable tent.

These tents really aren't designed for normal use, they are mountain shelters for