The Camping Forum

[dunklezhan]

Hey there,

Just bought a 4m bell from ebay - advertised as faulty, so no complaints - which has now arrived. Its a MyCoolTent brand, which is a now defunkt company as far as I can tell.

On opening it up, it looks like everything is there, its phenomenally heavy material, but really high quality pegs, guys, poles, sewn-in groundsheet, the lot. Only thing is, the canvas is sticky. A bit of google-fu reveals that this is probably the waterproofing of the tent essentially breaking down from being stored in damp conditions. My google-fu has failed me when it comes to identifying a way to deal with this however.

So I have some questions which perhaps experienced folks here will be able to answer - to date all my experience has been with nylong tents, not canvas ones, except as a young lad in the scouts anyway, when care of the tent wasn't my problem

So, questions:

1. How do I tell if its nylon, polyester or cotton canvas? Its damn heavy, I know that much!
2. The sticky. Can it be got rid of? If it can't be got rid of, is the tent ruined?
3. If the tent isn't ruined, and it can't be got rid of, is it ok to just waterproof over the top?
4. If its ok to waterproof over the top, what's best to use?

Like I say, it was advertised as potentially faulty, no returns, so its my lookout if this is a non-viable tent!

Thanks in advance!

[missElaineous]

Is the "stickiness" just on the inside? I have recently bought a 3m bell tent, brand new, but I am guessing probaby a return. It is a lovely canvas on the outside but it felt kind of tacky and plasticky on the inside. This is the coating they add to make it rot and mildew proof.

[dunklezhan]

No, its only on the outside! Thanks for the reply though

[OutdoorRambo]

Maybe one of you has the tent 'inside out'


..........just ignore me, i'll just skulk off back to my corner

[missElaineous]

Sorry I'm not much help am I? Until someone comes along who knows the problem, have you got room to erect the tent at home and leave it for a few days until it gets rained on? See what happens, if it is still waterproof, will the stickiness still be a problem?

[rexgrant]

Hi
I have little knowledge of 100% cotton canvas tent, and most good camping tents are treated with anti rot before been made up into tents, and this does not cause any problem or add any coating to the canvas, What I think is, this tent for some unknown reason as been reproofed with the wrong agent probably a sealer or a wax coating used on low-grade Tarp canvas. If so then the breath-ability of the canvas as been destroyed.
What you can do about this is to try to get your money back, as it will be impossible to revive the canvas to its original state, unless the makers used tarp canvas then it was waxed before been made up and they can get a bit sticky have you ever felt a lorry canvas cover, they can feel tacky.
Look very closely at the weave to see if you can see little brown flecks in the canvas this will tell you that it is tarp canvas and as possibly been waxed, Also a few years back a company was making bell tents from a jute and cotton mix it could be one of these that was coated but this is all my opinion of what may be the cause,

If it is a good quality knew 100% cotton canvas tent, I could possibly be washed in an industrial washer and then reproofed with the correct cotton canvas agent. the last paragraph is only an opinion and should be checked out with a maker of cotton canvas, This may be an option instead off throwing it away
Good luck
Rex.

[dunklezhan]

missElaineous - that's pretty much what I intend to do, I'd just like to know a reasonable spot of weather is on the way before I start, so that I can leave it up long enough to dry

Rexgrant - thanks for that. Not great news, but thanks! I'll try to establish what sort of material it is. When you say the breathability may have been destroyed, can you advise what the practical consequence of that is when camping?

cheers for the replies!

[in-a-tent]

Is this the tent?

[dunklezhan]

Yes that looks exactly like the tent.

[rexgrant]

Hi again
With 100% cotton Canvas dependent on the quality of the cotton and tightness of the weave. When the cotton fibers get wet they instantly swell and prevent globules of rainwater from passing through the canvas, but while this is taking place the weave is not closed solid their is still space between the weave that allows water vapor to pass to the outside and not condense on the inside of the sheet. If a camper uses the wrong agent to reproof the cotton. When cotton gets old or has been out exposed to Ultra Violet rays it looses it ability to shrink and close its weave The reproofing agent adds essential oils and protective agent's to rejuvenate the cotton and allow it to act naturally and waterproof the tent again while still allowing the tent to breath. If a sealer reproof-er as been used then this will fill all the holes between the weave It will be very waterproof but it will not allow water vapor to pass out and it will condense on the inside of the sheet and drip on the camper.
When cotton canvas tents are used for the first time and they gets wet with rain or dew, it will shrink between 10 and 15% as it dries and care must be taken not to have the pegging out rubbers two tight while this takes place.It will only shrink once. This is what is know as weathering a tent,it is not to make the canvas waterproof unless the tent is defective every time it gets wet it will close the weave and all the sowing seam holes and when it dries you may see light through them again.
Best regards
Rex.

[Wayne]

Interesting thread, hope you manage to get it sorted out. I'm afraid know very little of cotton tents, something I hope to correct one day.

Good luck

[dunklezhan]

OK, so I've put the tent up in the back garden - the sticky is, in fact, on the inside, not the outside as I thought when I'd first just laid it out in the kitchen. So apologies for the misinformation there. The stickiness on the outside seems to just be where there had been some material overlap - in particular with the very thick and heavy groundsheet (its heavy, a bit rubbery, and not that noisy sort of material you usually get in nylon tents - I've actually seen small striped marquees made out of the stuff. Not what I expected on a groundsheet, but on the other hand at least it'll be tough).

Outside the tent the canvas feels completely normal, like other tents of its type I've used. Inside it feels slightly smoother and shinier (yes, it feels shiny, that's the best way I can think of describing it )than it ought to and is very mildly tacky. The neigbourhood kids are playing in it barefoot now, and when I went to take a rug out there (so they could play with toys and have chairs and run in and out without getting mud and soggyness everywhere) they asked if I was bringing them that because the floor is tacky - since I'd not mentioned anything about that to them, I know its not just me imangining things! I also know that the floor isn't very tacky - tacky enough to notice on bare skin, but its not like your clothes or insects stick to it or anything!

So I'm wonder if this is more something to do with the groundsheet than the canvas part of the tent?

Going to leave it up for a few days and hope it gets rained on. Find out how waterproof it is, see if I can see beading on the inside from condensation that sort of thing.

Thanks again for the advice. If anything I've written above provides more information to the theories and speculation of what's going on with it, don't keep it to yourself!


Edit: on the subject of breathability. Lets say the breathability is completely shot. Might this pose a risk of CO2 build up with a family sleeping in there, or is the only problem from the perspective of moisture forming on the inside when it rains? Not planning on having any lit cooking equipment in there anyhow so I'm not really very concerned about that at least.

[Wayne]

If i'm right in thinking its not a sewn in groundsheet (SIG) then there is zero risk of CO2 build up regardless of how many is in the tent, to be honest even with a SIG I couldn't imagine CO2 being a problem, unless your cooking or heating with Gas?Solid Fuel in the tent, which I wouldn't recommend.

I think you might be OK and the stickiness may be from the groundsheet. Daft as it sounds, I wonder if a sticky drink has been spilled and a poor attempt to wipe up means you are left with it sticky

I would take the groundsheet up (assuming it is separate) and leave it to the elements for a few days and leave the doors open, let it air naturally for a few days, see if that helps

[Rob-merlin1973]

Possibly a wash anddry then talc the groundsheet

Sent from my HD2 using Tapatalk

[dunklezhan]

It is a SIG.

But I can still scrub it with some warm water and detergent, then dry it off - its up and outside anyway