Camping last week, and the family tent was suffering a bit in the rain. Lots of little leaks, water pooling at the back – it was lashing it down for hours so it did ok, but signs are that it’s getting a bit tired.

Tent is a go-outdoors brand (hi gear mojave) and is about 6 years old – is this par for the course?
Wondering if a re-proof of some description might help.

My vango was just 4 years old when I retired her. Used it at a festival this year when the weather was shocking one day. 20/25 mph winds and sideways rain for a good 6 hrs. Not one leak. Starting to show signs of uv dage on the pole sleeves but that’s it. Bought an outwell as kids are just a bit too big for the old one, but that will now be our festival tent.
Don’t think 6 years old is bad personally unless you’ve only used it once/twice a year

I recently sprayed ours with this, it seems to have done the trick. The tent is now 12 years old and still going strong.

£7.00 from Millets

Thks – I’ll give that a go.

The tent could stand an upgrade, tbh, seems a bit pokey compared to the canvas stately homes you see people plonking down on campsites. Maybe a re-proof and a gazebo extension will see it right.

Used that waterproofing spray on a leaky gazebo and it did a great job

Plastic (family) tents last about 3 to 4 months use. No waterproofer is going to help uv degradation. I’ve just retired my 7 you old Montana 6, the fabric especially on the roof has gone a bit crisp packetty

Our Quecha four-man pop up is still going fine four years, three two-weekers and numerous weekends on.

Tent is a go-outdoors brand (hi gear mojave) and is about 6 years old – is this par for the course?

I had a Mojave. I threw it into the skip in a fit of pique on leaving a campsite one time. Cheap crap, which is about par for the course for Gellert / Hi Gear.

It’s a bit of a how long is a piece of string question. A nylon tent as stated is prone to UV damage and additionally wind damage. You could have it last 12 years in principle, if it is carefully maintained and only up one week a year ina shady spot and no gales. I’ve held on to an old Wynnster Shrike for 12 years which is still going but used for volunteers as temporary accommodation, the porch fly has tears, some poles have been replaced, hada quick reproof a year ago, unrepaired holes in the porch groundsheet, but it still serves its new purpose ie keeping rain and chill off occupants though won’t be winning any beauty contests. If your family tent is out two to four weeks a year in bright sun it will need uv and proofing spray to make it last longer. I try and choose a popular model/brand with a manufacturer that sell spares as normally it’s just the flysheet and/or poles that fail. Saying that our Vango Halo fly has just reached the end after only three (albeit hard) years and can’t seem to find a replacement. Will prob buy another whole tent and keep the old as spares. So many plastic tents end up landfilled it’s mind boggling/nasty.

haha cougar – i did the same once with the same tent no less…

replaced it with a decathlon pop up 4 man job.

Anyone use a canvas tent? I was thinking that it’s got to be worth the extra outlay (or just get an old one used) considering that they seem to last decades judging by some of the old 70’s styles you still see on campsites.

They’re crap for years, instead of just at the end of their life 🙂

yes, it’s brilliant. It’s been soaked and is waterproof, although it relies on expansion of the threads to form a waterproof seal, meaning that if you press against it when it’s pissing down there can be some moisture seepage into the tent as the threads move apart. However, the night that happened, when I went to the showers next morning there were 3 tents in the bins and we were dry. It’s up in around 10 minutes and i normally do it myself whilst OH gets on with, well whatever it is women do when the men are pitching the tent, probably just keeping of of the way.
It’s heavy and once wet weighs a ton and you absolutely MUST dry it properly before putting it away – leave it up for a couple of days to let it dry out. Implies you have the use of a garden with enough space to pitch it for a couple of days
I’m 6’2″ and can walk around inside it.
The walls can zip off from the top part for airing, like so

Only had it a couple of years but it feels like it’ll last forever.

EDIT – plus molgrips thinks they’re crap which is as strong a recommendation as I can think of

EDIT AGAIN – the old ’70’s styles you see on campsites are what new ones look like now, they’re probably closer to 30 odd weeks than 30 odd years old.

Replaced a big Vango with a Bell Tent and much prefer the canvas to nylon. Cooler in the heat, warmer at night, easier to erect. Used the Vango about 6 weeks in total, snapped a few poles in a bit of wind, so I replaced it. Find the bell tent much more stable in wind. Two years ago a storm came over the campsite we were in which flattened most of the nylon tents around, but left the Bell tent unscathed.
Its had about 8 weeks use in total and still looks like new, and pretty easy to send it for cleaning/re-proofing when you need to.

A huge tent thing like that might be ok when you can be sure you’ll be well away from the walls. You wouldn’t be shielded from insects and/or animals after your food though, but this may not bother you.

How much are they? Don’t be comparing cheap crap nylon with expensive canvas – expensive nylon is also available.

A huge tent thing like that might be ok when you can be sure you’ll be well away from the walls

4m in diameter, that’s not hard to arrange, unless you have some serious depth perception issues

You wouldn’t be shielded from insects and/or animals after your food though,

mesh on the windows seems to do the job inside the tent. I rarely eat inside the tent and I don’t really see why insects or other animals would be deterred by what kind of tent you’re sitting outside.

How much are they?

Not cheap, but on a par with Go Outdoors expensive own brand, so not expensive for a quality product likely to last as long as you’re prepared to look after it.

5m here Molgrips…. Seperate groundsheet seals with large rubber skirt attached to tent walls. More than enough room for Me (6’2″) and mrscarbon, carbonjunior and carbonbaby with travel cot!

I believe the tent was £340 new in 2011, but has got a bit more pricey since!

There are a few 2nd hand on Fleabay, worth considering as the clean and reproof is very reasomable.

Don’t you keep food in your tent then?

Find the bell tent much more stable in wind.

Ah yes, however being taller there is a bit more wind resistance and i do recall running around at 3 AM in boxers and t shirt driving tent pegs back in in what seemed to be a force 7 wind. If you’re going to ignore the weather forecast when gales are mentioned and camp on an exposed headland, think about getting a handful of screw in tent pegs. Otherwiswe you might never hear the end of the phrase
“It’s the BBC, honey, they never get it right” 😳

What brands do you guys have? Wondering about weight and packed size.

Don’t you keep food in your tent then?

Cool boxes and tupperware. Awesome inventions, take it neither is available round your way?

Soulpad 4000, can’t remember the model. ordered and paid for the hybrid, but they were sold out so sent me another more expensive model which is fitted for a woodburning stove, oh yeah, try that in a nylon tent. I’ve never tried it myself as carting a cast iron stove plus logs seems a bit of faff but am well tempted.
Bl00dy hell, they aren’t cheap, I’ve just clocked the price, I’m sure I was at least £100 cheaper.

a woodburning stove, oh yeah, try that in a nylon tent.

Lol.. I think your definition of camping is not the same as mine!

Cool boxes and tupperware. Awesome inventions, take it neither is available round your way?

Doesn’t stop animals smelling it and coming in for a rummage and a chew. Ask me how I know.

That soulpad weighs 15kg, that’s not bad. Although I wonder how long you’d keep little kids from touching the sides in the rain…

wasn’t there a link to some modern type of belltent last time this was discussed? they looked good…

We also have the Mojave 5. Its stood up to Lake District wind and rain and Flanders rain for 5 days. NO leaks.

Its only two years old though!

Doesn’t stop animals smelling it and coming in for a rummage and a chew. Ask me how I know.

I can guess. I close the door, same as I do on my lightweight hiking tent. Not aware that animals know the difference between canvas and nylon tents, unless they know that people with canvas tents just have better taste so there’s likely to be more quality food on offer.

Kids – it needs to be chucking it down for the seepage to come through and it’s more moisture than water, if you know what I mean. I’d have thought getting some cold and wet on themselves would be a discouragement. Pressing the canvas out once or twice isn’t going to flood the tent. Apparently, when it happened to us, almost the average rainfall for that month fell overnight, so it’s not going to be a regular occurrence. However, there are vents at the top of the tent. they’re covered bu there was such strong wind that the water which was collecting on the canvas surface was pushed up the canvas wall and in through the vent. Again, exceptional circumstances and I’d have thought anyone with kids would be a bit more circumspect about their camping locations than I was.
EDIT and if I’m gong to be completely honest, playing with the new toy was a bit higher priority than listening to the weather forecast.

Pack size – as its never quite re-packed the same after its first use approx 1.3metres long, 30 cm diametr , 35lbs ish weight? A fair bit easier to handle packed than the Vango we had.
Home made tealight chandelier type thingy hanging on the central pole makes it very cosy at night!
Food and all camping stuff in large (discarded NHS) storage boxes that double as chairs/tables when inside!
Would like a smaller one fitted with a stove for spring/autumn camping trips with Carbonjunior and the bikes

I close the door, same as I do on my lightweight hiking tent. Not aware that animals know the difference between canvas and nylon tents

Well, animals find it easier to get in a tent that doesn’t have a sewn in groundsheet.

Pressing the canvas out once or twice isn’t going to flood the tent

No but if any items are near the sides, or end up being pushed near the sides, they can get wet. And if it rains hard enough it can spray in, as with any single skin.

You do know I’m talking from actual experience of canvas, don’t you? Yours may be superior, I dunno, but I am not just hypothesising here 🙂

Well, animals find it easier to get in a tent that doesn’t have a sewn in groundsheet.

Mine does. So how come a canvas tent with a sewn in groundsheet is more insect prone than a nylon one?

To get seepage in you need to press the canvas out to stretch it to break the waterproofing created by the threads expanding when they absorb water. Things being “near” the tent walls don’t affect it’s waterproofness. Again the tent is 4M in diameter, it’s big enough that things don’t get pushed around.
I’ve had two nights of exceptionally heavy rain and neither one of these has caused “spray” inside the tent. Only once has there been actual water ingress and this was in winds that the BBC described as gale force and was caused by wind pushing drops of water up the tent and in through one of the vents (one the windward side). I’d call that exceptional circumstances. And as I do own and use one of these tents, I’m also speaking from actual experience, albeit of one specific brand. There are cheaper canvas tents and I can’t comment on what they’re like.

You do know I’m talking from actual experience of canvas, don’t you?

Actually no. None of your comments reflect anything like my experience. Canvas tents are more insect prone than nylon ones for example. Or something being “near” the tent wall encourages water ingress.

molgrips – looks like a lot of these newer/modern canvas tents all have zipped or similarly attached groundsheets now so no worries on that front, that’s one of the things that had previously put me off too!

So how come a canvas tent with a sewn in groundsheet is more insect prone than a nylon one?

Stop being an arse, I thought the canvas ones didn’t have sewn in groundsheets, but I’m wrong – great.

As for things being near the walls – this in itself is not a problem but when I’ve stayed under canvas things have ended up being moved around and ended up touching the sides. Not touching the sides became a ballache. However as I said those big tents look much better for this due to space.

Actually no. None of your comments reflect anything like my experience.

So I’m definitely wrong then?

Molgrips the bell tents are available with a seperate ground sheet (best option IMO) A zip in groundsheet, or a sen in groundsheet. Have had no hassles with mine ast the rubber skirt tucks in under the grounsheet a good distance and its and easy option to fold up the walls and use the tent as a huge tarp. The door is the only issue I could find with it – its low, have to bend double to get in and out. Also Im not sure if the sewn in, or zipped in groundsheets are the ‘bathtub’ style at the doorway?

i think what you want is a caravan – or even a house molgrips.

my food lives outside in the coolbox/tupperwear in the non tub part of the tent. never been an issue.

what animals in the uk are coming to get your food ?

Hedgehog and fox at different times.

and these hedgehogs and foxes opened your tupperwear and ate your food ? my local fox struggles to work tearing the fur off to get the meat but is good fun to watch.

FOR ****’S SAKE THIS IS **** RIDICULOUS

All I said was, if you have a tent without a sewn in groundsheet, animals can sometimes get in, because this happened to me. That’s it.

You can say you don’t believe me, fine, whatever, I don’t really give a shit.

Molgrips, you get this reaction because the way you write implies you think you know everything about everything (which obviously you don’t). Obviously this is a limitation of the medium. If you care, try appearing to be more humble, less arrogant, people will hate you less.

FOR ****’S SAKE THIS IS **** RIDICULOUS

All I said was, if you have a tent without a sewn in groundsheet, animals can sometimes get in, because this happened to me. That’s it.

You can say you don’t believe me, fine, whatever, I don’t really give a shit.

Yep, definitely looks like you don’t give a shit

If you care, try appearing to be more humble, less arrogant, people will hate you less.

I do try, quite hard. BBSB was the first one with a snarky comment I think.