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Can a tarp be re-waterproofed?

Mowog73

Mowog73

Paddler
Joined
Apr 27, 2021
Messages
107
Location
SW Ontario
A couple weekends ago my wife and I were out on our first backcountry adventure of the season and I discovered that my 20+ yr old Serratus guide tarp isn't as waterproof as it once was. The waterproof coating on the underside of the tarp is 'sticker' than I remember it being. Is it possible to re-waterproof a tarp? What product would be recommended?
 
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This guy says that a sticky fly or tarp can be mitigated and he gives some suggestions:

laidbackcamping.com

Why A Tent Gets Sticky and How To Fix It | Life On Route

Having a sticky tent or rain fly can be quite frustrating to set up. Whether you are working on your own or with help of a fellow camper, having to pull apart the panels because they are tacky and stuck together is a pain. This makes the whole process a lot more complicated and time consuming...
laidbackcamping.com laidbackcamping.com

Those old Serratus tarps were workhorses. I've got three that are likely the same vintage as yours and they are just starting to feel tacky. I get drops here and there, but they probably have a few years left in them.

My MEC Supertarp is newer (maybe 10 years old) but already it is tackier than the Serratus tarps. I think that is likely because it is so huge that it is hard to store loosely folded.

If you are looking for a replacement, I have several DD Hammocks 3x3 tarps that I love:

www.ddhammocks.com

DD Tarp 3x3 | DD Hammocks

DD Tarp 3x3. Ultralight, tough and extremely versatile tarp with 19 attachment points.
www.ddhammocks.com www.ddhammocks.com

Cheers,
Andrew
 
Thanks Andrew for that link, that's great information. I'm going to give the waterproof suggestion a try on the Serratus trap, give it a new lease on life.

Mark
 
I have the same problem now with my Serratus Guide Tarp. I was meaning to try something that I used on my tents. You can try silicon waterproofing for synthetic tarps, not for canvas tarp. Do read the can. I used UVX-1 by World Famous but there are other brands, such as Woods. Just make certain that it is not for canvas.

Set up the tarp and brush it on the top, not the underside where the old waterproofing is peeling. Test it with a water hose after it dries. Good luck.
 
Serratus guides tarp, wow that’s going back a bit. I loved my Serratus gear and had lots of it. I had the guides tarp and the scout tarp. I threw both out a few years ago when they turned to sticky fly paper. Just this month threw out a brand new MSR single person tent never used from 2016, so stuck together I could barely pull it apart, it was a yucky mess and smelled horrible, also a silicone tarp with the same issue. I wonder if spraying a coating like Varathane or Rustoleum clear ultra cover on the tacky surface would take the stickiness away, it says it sticks to plastic. I think they are polyurethane sprays. Perhaps I will have to experiment on some other gear of mine I need to check out, or even on a piece of nylon or polyester fabric or an old tent footprint. I actually have the latest version of MECs comparable scout tarp which comes in two sizes and it’s just as good as the old one, but they no longer have a guides tarp.
 
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Tiger Shark said:
I actually have the latest version of MECs comparable scout tarp which comes in two sizes and it’s just as good as the old one, but they no longer have a guides tarp.
Click to expand...

I'm no longer buying anything from MEC, having had it sold out from under me as an owner/shareholder. I do have an MEC Guide's tarp from back when it was still a member-owned co-op. I use the Guide's Tarp for the kitchen/dining shelter, and wanted a comparably-sized unit as my tent overtarp to create a porch for doffing and donning paddlewear. I scored the RAB Siltarp 3 on sale at Vahalla Pure last spring. It folds perhaps even more compactly than the Guide's Tarp - and the red colour co-ordinates with my MSR Hubba Hubba tent!
 
I can understand your views on MEC, as far as I’m concerned they’re pretty much all washed up. Even REI is on the way out. Not at all what either of them used to be. I’ve bought a handful of things from MEC since their sale and don’t think of them as I used to. I’m sure I’d agree on all your thoughts of it all. I wasn’t trying to promote a sale there. But I am going to try spraying an old tent footprint with that Rustoleum spray and see how it works out.:)
 
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I suspect the problem with a PU spray like the Rustoleum will be the lack of flexibility. But it's worth a try and I look forward to hearing the results.
 
I used talc power on the underside of the tarp, which stuck to the sticky, decomposing PU coating, rendering it no longer sticker. To the top of the tarp I applied Nikwax TX Direct Waterproofer Spray (DWR), which has re-waterproofed the tarp.

Finding actual talc wasn't easy. I ended buying 'tire talc' through amazon.

I have an almost 30 year old Eureka Haida Loft 2 person tent, who's rainfly never went sticky and appears to be in good condition still, although I'm not willing to put it to the test as-is. I'm going to coat it with the Nikwax Waterproofer Spray. I haven't used this tent in about 20 years but am hoping to it this summer, assuming the re-waterproofing of its rainfly goes well.
 
www.asbestos.com

Talcum Powder & Asbestos: Cancer from Asbestos in Talc

Talcum powder is the most widely used consumer talc product. Asbestos in talc could increase the risk of mesothelioma.
www.asbestos.com www.asbestos.com
Be careful, all talc should be considered suspect, due to possible asbestos contamination. Even if it says asbestos free. Silica dust is now considered the new asbestos hazard. From talc or concrete. Guys at work used to dump Johnson and Johnson baby power into their gloves to slip them on easier until J&J stopped producing it. Silica dust has microscopic barbs that cling to your lungs, bad news.

Asbestos in Talcum Powder | Mesothelioma Cancer Risk

Exposure to asbestos talcum powder can cause cancer, among other diseases. Victims diagnosed with mesothelioma may be eligible for compensation.
www.mesothelioma.com www.mesothelioma.com
 
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I’ve sprayed this on a small portion of a very sticky tent fly. Just a very light spray and the stickiness is gone, it dries quickly and is very flexible the nylon or polyester seems no different than before except no longer sticky, and it doesn’t stick to itself either when folded. As far as longevity goes, I’ll have to wait and see I guess. But it’s worth the try, otherwise I’d be throwing it out. I’ll be doing the whole fly shortly I just need to get some garage space arranged.
08F39024-7F0D-491A-AA8F-62680CB8E51E.jpeg
 
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No alcohol, I just sprayed about a 2’x2’ area, but I would say make sure it’s clean first. As I mentioned it no longer feels sticky, or any stiffness from the spray and has no other negatives at this point, but now I have noticed that all the taped seams in the rest of the tent have all cracked and split, and the glued in windows in the fly have all delaminated and come off. I’m now wondering if it’s worth working on it at all. Probably not. A tarp would be a different matter.
 
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I've had to retire my Serratus tarps, and am happy to have sil tarps from a Canadian source:

aquaquestwaterproof.com

AquaQuest | Waterproof Gear, Tarps, Backpacks & More

AquaQuest Waterproof has been creating high-quality, durable, waterproof gear since 1994 and offers fast shipping and lifetime warranties on innovative products.
aquaquestwaterproof.com aquaquestwaterproof.com

The sil tarps pack up WAY smaller than the old nylon versions and are very durable.

Never had much success re-waterproofing nylon...
 
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