Restoring waterproofing of tent - worth the hassle?
Background: About 8 years ago I bought a rather cheap tent (about 100 €) for up to 4 people. It's quite large, you can stand upright in it's centre and there's an awning almost as deep as the sleeping compartment. I used it like only two times, then stored it for six years at my parents because I moved to a big city and neither had space nor need for it.
A few weeks back I had need for it and took it with me on a one-night trip. Back in the day I stored it well enough, neither mold nor musty smells to be seen/sniffed. Still, shortly after we put it up, it started to rain for a short time and the tent almost instantly was drenched and started to drip. Also, the next morning even the dew had penetrated and it dripped a little bit inside the tent.
Leading to my question: Is it worth the hassle to try to waterproof the tent again? I am aware it would be a huge amount of work. Still, I am a bit appalled by the idea to throw away an otherwise intact tent which wasn't used that much.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/q/20091. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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The OP asks our advice because
.... I am a bit appalled by the idea to throw away an otherwise intact tent which wasn't used that much.
This is really a question of how far down the trail of leaving no trace you should feel obliged to go. Throwing away the tent leaves a trace; buying a new tent -- buying anything -- leaves a trace. But still, one can carry anything to absurdity, which would be the case in re-waterproofing this tent. (The OP does not mention cost as a factor.)
I have two suggestions. (1) Give the tent to someone with the warning that it has no waterproofing. It may be fine for desert car-camping. (2) Spend time picking up litter from the roadside or some other environmental cleanup project, and/or contribute some money to an environmental fund. I am sure you can more than compensate for the discarding of the tent with your sweat and/or your checkbook.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/20093. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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