That $45 'rain fly' was just a tarp with extra seams

Picked up an off-brand rain fly for my tent from a discount outdoor store last month. First night out at Lake Lanier, it started misting around 2am and my sleeping bag was damp by morning. The seams weren't sealed at all and the material felt like a cheap shower curtain. Has anyone else had luck waterproofing one of these yourself or is it better to just buy the name brand?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant1554d ago

Did you try seam sealing it yourself before that trip? Most of those cheap rain flies come unsealed from the factory and need a coat of sealant on the stitching. I've had good luck with a tube of Gear Aid seam sealer on my old budget fly, just paint it on the inside seams where the needle holes are and let it dry overnight. But honestly if the material felt like a shower curtain it might not hold up long term even with sealing... the cheap stuff tends to get brittle after a few seasons in the sun. For $45 you're probably better off just biting the bullet on something name brand next time.

val_ramirez4d ago

Respectfully, I gotta push back on the "biting the bullet on something name brand" part. Name brand doesn't always mean better. I've seen $200 flys delaminate after one season just as fast. A lot of that cheap stuff is the same 20D nylon or polyester the expensive guys use. It's all coming from the same few factories in Vietnam anyway. The real trick is checking the hydrostatic head rating and seam tape quality, not the logo. I'd rather buy three $45 flies and keep one in the car as backup than cry over one $200 fly that got a pinhole on day two.

fiona_hunt714d ago

Totally agree, I had the same luck with Gear Aid on a cheap fly and it held up great for two seasons before the material gave out.