Old Speer Winter Tarp

[CTGuy]

Hi,

I have an old Speer winter tarp from at least 2009 and it has been amazing! I have spent many nights in my hammock under this tarp . I never even seam sealed it and never got wet even after a few days of heavy rain..

I finally sealed this tarp today and am hoping it will be good for a while.. I noticed this past summer after a bit of heavy rain that the tarp fabric had begun to soak up water noticeably in certain spots though I did stay dry.. Does silnylon break down after a while? Is there a way to re-waterproof it?

I’m a little bit worried since I will be heading to the big Island of Hawaii next week and it is the rainy season there and it rains everyday..

Thanks!

[cougarmeat]

CTGuy, it could be that the SilNylon is just doing what SilNylon does - "soak up water." There are posts-a-plenty extolling the pros/cons of SilPoly and SilNylon. One of the SilNylon cons is its ability (tendency) to stretch more than SilPloy and gain weight when wet more than SilPoly. To be fair and balanced, a SilNylon "Pro" is that it usually tougher, more rugged. I started out with SilNyon tarps because reliability was the highest priority. After having to lug around 3 water soaked nylon traps during a car camping trip, I started selecting SilPoly. I'm careful with my gear and I carry a backup in situations were it would be prudent.

Everything breaks down after a while - look at me. The question is not, "Did it soak up water?" but, "Did it leak?"

[gargoyle]

Hang it up. Spray it down with a silicone spray like Camp-Dry.
Let it dry. Do it outdoors or in garage, the fumes can be bad.