Why does nobody talk about how tent rainflies shrink over time?

Honestly I picked up a used REI tent off Craigslist a few years back and the first couple trips it was fine. But last summer I took it up to a site near Lake George and after a night of heavy rain I woke up soaked. Turns out the rainfly had shrunk just enough that it pulled away from the bathtub floor on one corner. Water just ran right in. I checked online and apparently polyester flys can shrink if they get too hot or if they're stored damp. I've got a buddy who swears by treating his with Nikwax every spring but I'm wondering if there's a better way to stop the shrinking in the first place. Anyone else run into this or am I the only one who didn't think to measure my fly before a trip?

3 comments

3 Comments

faithcampbell19d ago

Wait, are you sure it's shrinking and not just that the tent material relaxed over time? I had a similar issue with an old Kelty tent, and after poking around online, I found out that polyester doesn't actually shrink much from heat or dampness unless you're drying it on high heat in a machine. More often, the silnylon or polyurethane coating breaks down and the fabric stretches, making the fly look shorter against the tent body. Have you tried re-waterproofing the seams or checking if the fly's corner tie-outs are just loose or stretched out? I'd look into that before assuming it shrunk, because a fresh coat of sealant might fix that gap without needing a whole new fly.

olivia39819d ago

Noticed that with gear and appliances too, @faithcampbell. Fixing the small stuff usually beats replacing it.

patricialee19d ago

Start with a cold air dry and never fold it tight. Had the same issue with a Mountain Hardwear tent a few years back, loosened the corner straps a bit and stored it loosely rolled in a cotton bag. That gap hasn't come back since.