Sticky tent

[Ridgewalker]

I have an EMS Moonshadow used this past week and noticed that the material was sticky, but not stuck together. I seem sealed it about
six years ago when I got it. How does one go about removing the stickiness?

Cheers,

Ridgewalker

 

[Tom_Murphy]

I would try baby powder or corn starch. Might wear a mask if in a confined space.

 

[peakbagger]

In the old days, a sticky tent was the good sign that the tent was on its way out. On occasion I have seen folks get new tents due to a breakdown of the waterproofing which is usually predicted by the tent gettign sticky. On the other hand, folsk who have sil nylon tents go to a great lengths to make their floors sticky as otherwise they slide around.

 

[John H Swanson]

I reco unscented talc powder and NOT corn starch because of potential to rot with moisture. My expereince with one tarp and one tent were good, however, it does add a little weight. I found that using a wallpaper brush (cheap at home deopt) to spread it around works well. I was surprised how much powder was used.

 

[Chip]

In the old days, a sticky tent was the good sign that the tent was on its way out. On occasion I have seen folks get new tents due to a breakdown of the waterproofing which is usually predicted by the tent gettign sticky.

Agree. You can try cleaning and resealing/treating, but that stickiness and any unpleasant smell usually means it's unfortunately time to stick a fork in it.

 

[skiguy]

Agree. You can try cleaning and resealing/treating, but that stickiness and any unpleasant smell usually means it's unfortunately time to stick a fork in it.

Sounds like you have a tent probably made out of nylon or polyester that had a weatherproof coating. These older tents had the coating applied to the underside of the fly and the inside of the tent walls. Over time this coating can break down and separate from the fabric. Changes in heat and humidity can turn it into a partial liquid state, which accounts for the stickiness.
Today tents are made of better materials that breathe and thus require no weatherproof coatings. You won't find this problem occurring in newer tents.

My suggestion: pitch it and get a new tent. The time and effort, not to mention cost, to restore your old tent out weigh the cost of buying a new one. Eureka has some great dome tents in the $150 range and less, but there are lots of good tents out there today. Shop around!

 

[Remix]

Not to hijack, the thread, but what are some great ways to make sil-nylon sticky. If I am not sleeping on an absolutely flat spot, me and my thermarest ice-skate over to the wall of the tent. Even if I am on a flat spot, it doesnt feel right tossing and turning.

The best technique, I have learned, is to dig a slightly concave pit under the tent. This is not always possible, and I hesistate to try it in the rain, waterproof sil-nylon or not.

 

[John H Swanson]

Get some bath silicone sealant (It comes in a small tube at the depot - clear reco'd) , mix it with mineral spirits (also at the depot) to thin it out. A popsicle stick and a metal can work great. At first is looks like it is lumpy and not compatible, but with some stirring it becomes a thin homoginous mixture. Of course you need to balance the mixture to get the desired viscosity. Then paint narrow stripes about 6" apart on the bottom of your tent's floor (the inside) A 1/2 or 1" brush works well. Buy a sponge one because it is one use only.

Keep in mind that it adds weight because after the mineral spirits evaporate the silicone is still there and silicone is not light, So the trick is to make as few stripes as necessary. The stripes have higher friction than the base material.

Of course you should use proper PPE and do this in a well ventilated area - read=outside. Without exageration I did the inside stripes while holding my breathe. Paint a few go out and breath, repeat.

This same mixture works well for sealing the seams.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Thanks for the helpful replies and advice for my query. I'm surprised to hear that my tent might be on its last legs. I have to ask, with some explanation, I had my tent stored in a stuff sack, stuffed for about four years. Would this cause any problems since I did not use it? Other than that, I will certainly see about a solution to the problem.

Cheers,

Ridgewalker

 

[Jay H]

Not to hijack, the thread, but what are some great ways to make sil-nylon sticky. If I am not sleeping on an absolutely flat spot, me and my thermarest ice-skate over to the wall of the tent. Even if I am on a flat spot, it doesnt feel right tossing and turning.

The best technique, I have learned, is to dig a slightly concave pit under the tent. This is not always possible, and I hesistate to try it in the rain, waterproof sil-nylon or not.

I used just plain ole seam sealer in a pattern on the floor of a Henry Shires tarptent before.. Just apply it and let it dry and it gives it texture that should help a little with Silnylon..

Jay

 

[JoeCedar]

Thanks for the helpful replies and advice for my query. I'm surprised to hear that my tent might be on its last legs. I have to ask, with some explanation, I had my tent stored in a stuff sack, stuffed for about four years. Would this cause any problems since I did not use it? Other than that, I will certainly see about a solution to the problem.

Cheers,

Ridgewalker

It is likely chemical degradation of the interior waterproof coating. If you stored the tent in moderate conditions of heat, moisture, and light then it is not your fault, it is a bad coating. I doubt that tent manufacturers or fabric supplies do much in the way of stability studies on their products. You might consider contacting the manufacturer and ask what they can do for you, since you got a product which was defective in material or workmanship (according to the warranty).

I had a Osprey pack which I used a lot as a winter day pack. The coating on the inside of the fabric began to peel off and disintegrate (in areas which were not subject to my use/abuse). I sent it back to Osprey and they sent me a new one. They knew it was bad material.

 

[John H Swanson]

It is likely chemical degradation of the interior waterproof coating. If you stored the tent in moderate conditions of heat, moisture, and light then it is not your fault, it is a bad coating. I doubt that tent manufacturers or fabric supplies do much in the way of stability studies on their products. You might consider contacting the manufacturer and ask what they can do for you, since you got a product which was defective in material or workmanship (according to the warranty).

I had a Osprey pack which I used a lot as a winter day pack. The coating on the inside of the fabric began to peel off and disintegrate (in areas which were not subject to my use/abuse). I sent it back to Osprey and they sent me a new one. They knew it was bad material.

I agree that the cause may be defective material and it is likely that the material in question has limited stability studies. If the condition is occuring when the tent is young, it is likely defective material. However we should consider there is a finite life for the material used in tents. The plastisizers in the urethane coating on the fabric that keep it flexible will not stay in the urethane forever. They migrate out with time. So we could consider what is the expected useful life of a tent.....As my tent and tarp were over 15 years old when it occured I did not look to return them. In general my expectation for fabric gear life (packs, tents, etc) when used frequently is 10 years, and I'm happy to get 15. That said I have 20+ year old gear too.

I did the talc treatment about 1 yr ago and it still seems to be working.

 

[Peaks]

Thanks for the helpful replies and advice for my query. I'm surprised to hear that my tent might be on its last legs. I have to ask, with some explanation, I had my tent stored in a stuff sack, stuffed for about four years. Would this cause any problems since I did not use it? Other than that, I will certainly see about a solution to the problem.

Cheers,

Ridgewalker

Can't say why the waterproofing broke down. I had it happen to one of my tents several years ago for no apparent reason. If it's an EMS product, you might see if EMS will give you credit towards a replacement.

 

[DougPaul]

Can't say why the waterproofing broke down. I had it happen to one of my tents several years ago for no apparent reason.

As John stated, the polyurethane coating (the waterproofing) doesn't last forever--it breaks down simply due to age.

Doug