I've bought an uber-cheap small 4man tent from tesco to use for this year's music festivals, am too worried about my decent tent getting trashed.
It claims to be waterproof but I don't believe it.

I've used a nikwax proofing spray before with mixed results, does anyone have other recommendations to waterproof it? I will be doing all the seams with sealer – was half tempted to do the whole tent in it TBH!

Is it double skinned? If not, then you'll get wet. Even if it doesn't rain.

A 4-man Quechua "2 seconds" is only £50.

Indeed, but this Tesco Value (honestly!) one was only £7.50 – classy.

It is single-ply, but does have vents & mesh on the door.
It's big enough that hopefully we won't be affected by condensation running down as we will be far enough away from the material.

Just wondering if some of the water repellent sprays work better than others?

buy a tarp or a decent sheet of plastic but a better tent may be more practical esp if windy

– looking like a **** is more fun than being wet, remember plastic bags to keep stuff inside tent dry …………….

So, let's say there's 2 of you in it. You are both into the tent for £3.75. You are then going to spend, say, £10 or so on waterproofing, so you'll both be into it for £8.75.

Come the first morning in it, wet, you'd gladly shell out £16.25 each to be dry. Obviously, if the water repellent is dearer, or there are more of you then the sums add up slightly differently.

Friends of ours were next to us at T in the park last year in a single-skinned cheap tent. Their take on it was "never again".

Our expensive tent leaked in the single skin porch bit, where something touched the outer skin overnight. If we had been in that bit, we would have been soaked – and that's a 'proper' waterproof tent.

Your call.

Bah, where's your sense of adventure?!

If the weather's going to be cack i'll take my Force Ten instead, I should've just titled this thread "please recommend me a tent proofing spray"!
We're going to try it out on a mild night sometime to see how it fairs without rain, if it's THAT bad then nothing much is lost.

Ahhh, well, if you'd said that – use this!

I've tried that one before (on the FT), it's ok but i wondered if a Grangers or other brand is any better.
Any thoughts… anyone? ❓