I'd recommend sealing BOTH sides of the pull-outs. I've heard not-so-good stories from others who only did the one-sided sealing. Good idea on the FrogTape !
Ozias Blackwood I just came back from a backpacking trip where I used my tarp for the first time. It endured three nights of rain and didn't leak, although, I guess it wouldn't hurt to seal both sides.
Maybe the type of sealant makes a difference too. I just bought some of the 'flow-able' sealant, and will use it for my next job. Have been using the Sil-net and doing both sides with good results... Three nights with no leaks from a single side seal is amazing tho. Thanks for the feedback!
Ozias Blackwood Hey, no problem. This whole thing is a learning experience anyway. I had heard somewhere that it wasn't necessary to seal both sides so that's why I did it this way. Maybe I just "lucked out", or maybe it really does work on just one side. For what it's worth, my buddy has the same tarp and he sealed only the inside and didn't have a leak either, and he used Coghlans water-based seam sealer.
+Great Lakes Backpacker You did good. From the Warbonnet website "Apply the thinnest possible layer of silicone (your finger works well) to the stiches (to the stitches only) on the underside of each panel pull (underside of tarp only), and leave the tarp setup till dry (4-12 hours depending on temperature)."
Hi there, how strong was the smell when you moved to the garage? I'm planning to use Permatex to seam seal our 8-person tent. I'm worried the landlord will make a fuzz if I pitch a tent in front of our complex so I'm planning to do the sealing indoors in our living room with windows open. I know your video is from 2015 but your insight will be really helpful. Thank you in advance!
You're correct, it was a long time ago when I sealed my tarp, but I do not recall the odor being too bad. I would think if you do it inside on a nice day when you can have the windows open to move some air then you should be just fine. Especially since you are only doing small pieces of the tent and not coating the entire surface area.
For reference here's what they list on their website about seam sealing for the Super Fly (SF) as of today June 3, 2020... and it looks like it's been there for at least 4 years, although not sure if it was there when this video was made. Not sure if you're still reading / responding to comments on this video - but wondered if you could provide feedback on the instructions below as to whether they're not actually suitable for sealing the tarp. Sounded like you had a friend that may have tried just this with success? ---------- "All our tarps incorporate low stretch polyester edge binding on the Ridgeseam, this means the ridge does not need any seam sealer, however if your tarp has panel pulls (SF, MJ, CB, GT) then you will want to seal the 4 panel pulls. You’ll want a suitable silicone (like GE Silicone II from the hardware store). Set up the tarp where you can leave it pitched for about 8 hours or so. Apply the thinnest possible layer of silicone (your finger works well) to the stitches (to the stitches only) on the underside of each panel pull (underside of tarp only), and leave the tarp setup till dry (4-12 hours depending on temperature)."
Hi Steele, thanks for watching my video and leaving a comment / question. It has been several years since I made that video or even watched it myself, but I think the information is the same today as it was when I made the video. I believe it was never necessary to seal the ridgeline, only the panel pulls. The tarp I had in the video (and still have today) was the Warbonnet Superfly. I only sealed the side panel pulls, not the ridgeline, and I have never had a ridgeline leak. So, if this is the tarp you have then you should be okay to only seal the four panel pulls (two on each side). Hope that helps. 👍
I have a Warbonnet Ridge Runner. Just got it a month ago and I love it. It's every bit as good as I researched! I plan on getting the Superfly eventually, (expensive). My question is, why would the folks at Warbonnet not seal the seams? Not to throw rocks at Warbonnet Outdoors, like I said, I love the WBRR and love the functionality of the Superfly. Just curious.
I agree, seam sealing seems easy but I botched the seam sealing on my superfly the first time and still need to test my second attempt. Wish it was just good to go when I got it. Oh well, still a good tarp.
C & P from WB: Sorry for the inconvenience. You should only have to apply the sealer one time. We are unable to seam seal every tarp here in shop because there are certain ventilation requirements for dealing with silicone application in a work environment not to mention space for hang drying etc.
Hello, I have two questions, did you seam seal the inside and the outside? Also do you have to seam the side of the panel poles as well(where is touches the silnylon) or just the black part? Thanks for the video!
I sealed the outside but not the inside. But, when I did the sealing I also lifted up the edge of the panel pulls and used a tooth pick to apply the sealant as close to the stitching as possible. Don't know if that was necessary but that's what I did and seems to have worked for me. I just didn't want any water to get under the edge and then leak through where the stitching went through the silnylon.
Awesome video! I just picked up some permatex today to seam seal a new tarp that I just got from Oware. Like you, I had read about using permatex on hammock forums as well :) Just found your video tonight and found it very helpful. How did the baby powder work out? Cool tip! Thanks for sharing man! -Lochlainn
+Moss Stone Woodlore I'm glad to hear that it was helpful for you. I was hoping that my experience and the video would be useful to someone else. The baby powder worked like a charm. After I rubbed the baby powder onto the sealed area it retained the white powdery look. However, I just took a damp wash cloth and wiped off the excess powder. The finished product looks nice and is not even the slightest bit tacky. I would also suggest leaving the painters tape in place until after you use the baby powder. The baby powder ended up on my tarp as well. And, while I was able to get it off after repeated wiping with the cloth, it was a little more difficult. Just leave the tape in place and use the baby powder sparingly, rub it in with your finger and remove the tape when you are completely finished. Good luck with the actual process and thanks for watching!
Ya I am going to be working on it shortly (if the weather cooperates hehe). Good to know about masking it off before applying the powder as well. Thanks again for the tips. Happy trails! -Lochlainn
I still have to do my Super Fly tarp so thanks for the info. I noticed part of the end was loose by the way they sewed it. Did you put some sealer under that part to hold it down? Did you do two coats? I am going to try your painters tape idea. Mine came with a small tube of sealant, but I think I am going to thin it down. Another video thinned it on to one. Thanks for the video. Bruce from the City of orange in Orange county California.
+Bruce Ferguson Bruce, I did end up putting a little sealant under the area of the pull-out where there was excess material. It may not have been necessary since I covered the stitches themselves but I did put some under the loose material just in case. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment and posting your question. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Well time marches on it is February 2018 and I just hung up my superfly. I tried your painter tape and it did not work for me. Must be in the coating on the tarp. I tried blue tape and when I cut the tape for the V area the whole thing just rolled up and fell off. Warbonnet gave me a tube of sealent but I like the one you used with the nozzle. Going to Home Depot tomorrow to see if they have something like that. Thanks again for the video. Bruce from the ciity of orange in orange county calif.
+Bruce Ferguson. Bruce, I'm sorry to hear that the painters tape didn't work for you. I just had to touch up my tarp because I missed a spot the first time I sealed it and the tape worked for me. Hopefully, you find the sealant at Home Depot. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Tried the link you provided to hammock forums and someone said try an auto store. Just got home with the Permetex in my hand. As Murphy would have it, it was the last row ha ha. Tomorrow I will try it with the small hole like you suggested. Thanks again.
Yes it has. After several years I still do not have any leaks. That's not to imply that I may never need to do it again, but so far I've had no issues.
This is only my two cents regarding your question. First, before I sealed mine, I watched several videos and read several write-ups about sealing the tarp. All the stuff I saw suggested sealing it from the outside so that's why I chose to do it that way. Second, I could have used less silicone even on the outside if I had tried to only cover the thread but I ended up just covering the entire thing. In regard to treating the inside as opposed to the outside.....I don't know if that would work. Sure, I may cover the thread on the inside, but once moisture and water make it through the holes where the thread came through it could soak through somewhere else along that material. It may keep it from coming through the thread hole but it may just soak the rest of the material and then run out along the edges. Just my thoughts and nothing else.
+jackkoo1234 Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad it helped. Allowing my tarp to hang in the garage to dry was my way of making sure that pets and people didn't disturb it before it had dried completely. It worked out well.
From everything that I've seen, the ridgeline is waterproof but the side panel pulls are not. It rained a couple of nights the first time I used my tarp during a trip and the ridgeline never leaked, even though I didn't seal it.
Great, informative video Brian! I'm looking forward to your trip video and learning how well the tarp performed!
featheredprop Thanks, Dane. Hopefully we have dry weather so my camera doesn't have to stayed buried in my backpack.
Nice video. Thanks for sharing! It will help me
Awesome! I'm glad to hear that it was helpful.
I'd recommend sealing BOTH sides of the pull-outs. I've heard not-so-good stories from others who only did the one-sided sealing. Good idea on the FrogTape !
Ozias Blackwood I just came back from a backpacking trip where I used my tarp for the first time. It endured three nights of rain and didn't leak, although, I guess it wouldn't hurt to seal both sides.
Maybe the type of sealant makes a difference too. I just bought some of the 'flow-able' sealant, and will use it for my next job. Have been using the Sil-net and doing both sides with good results... Three nights with no leaks from a single side seal is amazing tho. Thanks for the feedback!
Ozias Blackwood Hey, no problem. This whole thing is a learning experience anyway. I had heard somewhere that it wasn't necessary to seal both sides so that's why I did it this way. Maybe I just "lucked out", or maybe it really does work on just one side. For what it's worth, my buddy has the same tarp and he sealed only the inside and didn't have a leak either, and he used Coghlans water-based seam sealer.
+Great Lakes Backpacker You did good. From the Warbonnet website "Apply the thinnest possible layer of silicone (your finger works well) to the stiches (to the stitches only) on the underside of each panel pull (underside of tarp only), and leave the tarp setup till dry (4-12 hours depending on temperature)."
+Bobby Harper Thanks!
Hi there, how strong was the smell when you moved to the garage? I'm planning to use Permatex to seam seal our 8-person tent. I'm worried the landlord will make a fuzz if I pitch a tent in front of our complex so I'm planning to do the sealing indoors in our living room with windows open. I know your video is from 2015 but your insight will be really helpful. Thank you in advance!
You're correct, it was a long time ago when I sealed my tarp, but I do not recall the odor being too bad. I would think if you do it inside on a nice day when you can have the windows open to move some air then you should be just fine. Especially since you are only doing small pieces of the tent and not coating the entire surface area.
I appreciate the instruction, thanks
+Brandon Downey I'm happy it helped, Brandon. Thank you for watching and commenting!
For reference here's what they list on their website about seam sealing for the Super Fly (SF) as of today June 3, 2020... and it looks like it's been there for at least 4 years, although not sure if it was there when this video was made. Not sure if you're still reading / responding to comments on this video - but wondered if you could provide feedback on the instructions below as to whether they're not actually suitable for sealing the tarp. Sounded like you had a friend that may have tried just this with success?
----------
"All our tarps incorporate low stretch polyester edge binding on the Ridgeseam, this means the ridge does not need any seam sealer, however if your tarp has panel pulls (SF, MJ, CB, GT) then you will want to seal the 4 panel pulls. You’ll want a suitable silicone (like GE Silicone II from the hardware store). Set up the tarp where you can leave it pitched for about 8 hours or so. Apply the thinnest possible layer of silicone (your finger works well) to the stitches (to the stitches only) on the underside of each panel pull (underside of tarp only), and leave the tarp setup till dry (4-12 hours depending on temperature)."
Hi Steele, thanks for watching my video and leaving a comment / question. It has been several years since I made that video or even watched it myself, but I think the information is the same today as it was when I made the video. I believe it was never necessary to seal the ridgeline, only the panel pulls. The tarp I had in the video (and still have today) was the Warbonnet Superfly. I only sealed the side panel pulls, not the ridgeline, and I have never had a ridgeline leak. So, if this is the tarp you have then you should be okay to only seal the four panel pulls (two on each side). Hope that helps. 👍
Thank you. Very helpful
You're welcome. I'm glad it was helpful.
I have a Warbonnet Ridge Runner. Just got it a month ago and I love it. It's every bit as good as I researched! I plan on getting the Superfly eventually, (expensive). My question is, why would the folks at Warbonnet not seal the seams? Not to throw rocks at Warbonnet Outdoors, like I said, I love the WBRR and love the functionality of the Superfly. Just curious.
I have no idea. It's a good question, though, and one I have often had.
I agree, seam sealing seems easy but I botched the seam sealing on my superfly the first time and still need to test my second attempt. Wish it was just good to go when I got it. Oh well, still a good tarp.
It would add cost
C & P from WB: Sorry for the inconvenience. You should only have to apply the sealer one time. We are unable to seam seal every tarp here in shop because there are certain ventilation requirements for dealing with silicone application in a work environment not to mention space for hang drying etc.
Hello, I have two questions, did you seam seal the inside and the outside? Also do you have to seam the side of the panel poles as well(where is touches the silnylon) or just the black part?
Thanks for the video!
I sealed the outside but not the inside. But, when I did the sealing I also lifted up the edge of the panel pulls and used a tooth pick to apply the sealant as close to the stitching as possible. Don't know if that was necessary but that's what I did and seems to have worked for me. I just didn't want any water to get under the edge and then leak through where the stitching went through the silnylon.
excellent sir..thanks a bunch
Thanks so much for watching, I hoped it helped.
Awesome video! I just picked up some permatex today to seam seal a new tarp that I just got from Oware. Like you, I had read about using permatex on hammock forums as well :) Just found your video tonight and found it very helpful. How did the baby powder work out? Cool tip! Thanks for sharing man! -Lochlainn
+Moss Stone Woodlore I'm glad to hear that it was helpful for you. I was hoping that my experience and the video would be useful to someone else. The baby powder worked like a charm. After I rubbed the baby powder onto the sealed area it retained the white powdery look. However, I just took a damp wash cloth and wiped off the excess powder. The finished product looks nice and is not even the slightest bit tacky. I would also suggest leaving the painters tape in place until after you use the baby powder. The baby powder ended up on my tarp as well. And, while I was able to get it off after repeated wiping with the cloth, it was a little more difficult. Just leave the tape in place and use the baby powder sparingly, rub it in with your finger and remove the tape when you are completely finished. Good luck with the actual process and thanks for watching!
Ya I am going to be working on it shortly (if the weather cooperates hehe). Good to know about masking it off before applying the powder as well. Thanks again for the tips. Happy trails! -Lochlainn
I still have to do my Super Fly tarp so thanks for the info. I noticed part of the end was loose by the way they sewed it. Did you put some sealer under that part to hold it down? Did you do two coats? I am going to try your painters tape idea. Mine came with a small tube of sealant, but I think I am going to thin it down. Another video thinned it on to one. Thanks for the video. Bruce from the City of orange in Orange county California.
+Bruce Ferguson Bruce, I did end up putting a little sealant under the area of the pull-out where there was excess material. It may not have been necessary since I covered the stitches themselves but I did put some under the loose material just in case. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment and posting your question. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Well time marches on it is February 2018 and I just hung up my superfly. I tried your painter tape and it did not work for me. Must be in the coating on the tarp. I tried blue tape and when I cut the tape for the V area the whole thing just rolled up and fell off. Warbonnet gave me a tube of sealent but I like the one you used with the nozzle. Going to Home Depot tomorrow to see if they have something like that. Thanks again for the video. Bruce from the ciity of orange in orange county calif.
+Bruce Ferguson. Bruce, I'm sorry to hear that the painters tape didn't work for you. I just had to touch up my tarp because I missed a spot the first time I sealed it and the tape worked for me. Hopefully, you find the sealant at Home Depot. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Tried the link you provided to hammock forums and someone said try an auto store. Just got home with the Permetex in my hand. As Murphy would have it, it was the last row ha ha. Tomorrow I will try it with the small hole like you suggested. Thanks again.
+Bruce Ferguson You're welcome. Actually, I got mine at an auto store as well.
has this sealant held up well all this time?
Yes it has. After several years I still do not have any leaks. That's not to imply that I may never need to do it again, but so far I've had no issues.
@@GreatLakesBackpacker nice. ill get some of that then.. thanks man
👍
Thank you for watching a posting a question that may help someone else. Good luck with the sealing.
Why wouldn't you seal it from the inside? Inside has small holes the size of thread. Would use a lot less silicon to sell it.
This is only my two cents regarding your question. First, before I sealed mine, I watched several videos and read several write-ups about sealing the tarp. All the stuff I saw suggested sealing it from the outside so that's why I chose to do it that way. Second, I could have used less silicone even on the outside if I had tried to only cover the thread but I ended up just covering the entire thing. In regard to treating the inside as opposed to the outside.....I don't know if that would work. Sure, I may cover the thread on the inside, but once moisture and water make it through the holes where the thread came through it could soak through somewhere else along that material. It may keep it from coming through the thread hole but it may just soak the rest of the material and then run out along the edges. Just my thoughts and nothing else.
Great Lakes Backpacker thanks
thanks
You're welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Sir,
I was able to seal my tarps with your help-- now I am just letting them dry in my garage just like you did!
+jackkoo1234 Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad it helped. Allowing my tarp to hang in the garage to dry was my way of making sure that pets and people didn't disturb it before it had dried completely. It worked out well.
you mean the war-bonnet tarp isn't seam sealed by the manufacturer? wow..
From everything that I've seen, the ridgeline is waterproof but the side panel pulls are not. It rained a couple of nights the first time I used my tarp during a trip and the ridgeline never leaked, even though I didn't seal it.