is it a good idea to cover a tent with a tarp to protect for heavy rainfall?
Last summer, I went camping with my family for the first time. We bought a second hand tent, similar to the one on the picture below. We had a great time, but after a rainstorm that went on for 24 hours, the tent started leaking at the seams at the top, causing the rain to drip down at the inside and soaking our sleeping bags. More rain was coming for the next day, so we were forced to pack up our wet tent and return back home a few days earlier than planned. Back home, we discovered that the rubbery sealing of the seams had worn out, so we have repaired this, but it might not provide enough protection for heavy rainfall during a next camping trip. So I was thinking to bring a large tarpaulin and use that to cover the tent at the top. Is this a good idea ? Or might this get dangerous if heavy wind gets under the tarp ? And should I tighten the tarp directly over the tent (like this) or keep some distance using cords (like this) ?
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3 answers
I agree that tarps may be good for a short term sloution, but not for the long term. Depending on the Season or regardless of the season, I prefer a tent with a good fly and tent location is key. Higher ground, with ground sheet, and tent fly should be more of a longer term solution.
You can always treat the tent for water reproofing and then there would not be any real reason for the tarp.
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First of all
You might need to look into getting a new impregnation for your second hand tent. This can be done either yourself using sprays or wash-in-products (and in your case a probably huge washing machine) or by giving the tent for re-impregnation to professionals, i.e. your local outdoor/tent supplier (this can be expensive though). In any case it might be a good idea to get their professional opinion on if and how you could re-impregnate the tent.
As for the tarp idea
This is totally feasible and also quite cheap. The main disadvantage is the added weight and packing space. But looking at the size of your tent it seems you're likely not carrying it for any significant distance, so the additional weight of a tarp (and the needed additional tent pegs/cords) shouldn't be much of a problem.
I's also possible to just directly tighten the tarp over your tent. This will actually make the entire construction quite a bit more stable I'd guess, as there will be less area of attack for wind. Just make sure to tie the entire thing down well enough and you should have no worries.
Note:
As correctly mentioned by @mattnz draping a tarp directly onto your fly sheet can lower its life expectancy, as friction between the two (cause by wind for example) can degrade the impregnation a bit. But seeing as your fly sheet is not currently rain-proof in the first place I think you'll still be better off with an additional tarp than without: that way at least you should have a working (read: rain-proof) construction for the time being.
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Generally a tarp is a bad idea as a long term solution as it shortens the life of the tent. As they are not shaped to fit around the tent (like a rain fly), they tend to sag in the middle and touch the outer. this quickly wears of the water repellent, and rubs the water into the fabric. Before long, the tent is leaking very badly without a tarp. Most people doing this use a cheap tarp, which leaks fairly quickly and the worn tent fabric leaks, so you are back to square one. If you use a tarp, remove it as soon as possible after the rain has stopped to let the tent dry.
Experienced campers do not use tarps. Tents are maintained (as already suggested) with water proof treatment etc. Most of us have had water get in at some time, you have already learnt the importance of keeping stuff inside dry when it happens. Its possible (although difficult) to have dry sleeping bags and cloths even if the floor is awash with water. It starts with good water proof storage and putting things away.
A better, newer tent made of canvas based product is the best protection against heavy, long rain (the cotton swells when wet and seals small holes caused by stitching etc).
When tenting, there is nothing wrong with heading home early if weather and equipment conspire against you.
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