Found out my old tent's waterproof rating was basically a lie

I was cleaning out my gear closet and found my old 3-person tent from a big box store. I bought it maybe 8 years ago for a trip to the Adirondacks. The tag said it had a 2000mm hydrostatic head, which sounded fine. On a whim, I looked up the brand's old spec sheets online. Turns out, that rating was only for the rainfly fabric by itself, not the tent floor or the seams. The floor was rated at 800mm. I got soaked on a trip in 2019 because of a puddle under the tent, and now I know why. I always just trusted the big number on the box. Now I check the full specs for every piece. Has anyone else been burned by a misleading fabric rating?

3 comments

3 Comments

davis.olivia9d ago

My buddy's tent leaked like crazy because he only checked the rainfly rating too.

-1

wren2308d ago

My last tent was basically a colander... learned that lesson the hard way.

emmaking8d ago

Read an article that said seam sealing is just as important as the fabric rating. A lot of people skip that step and wonder why they get wet. Proper prep makes all the difference.