Waterproof Tent Materials: Everything You Need to Know

If you're like me, you most likely started out as a hiker with a fairly cheap tent. That tent fabric is about as waterproof as a slice of Swiss cheese, and no amount of waterproof tent spray will save it. I made a mistake.

I bought a lot of my early camping and hiking gear, but didn't fully understand what made them waterproof. More importantly, I didn't have any basis for understanding what made one item good at waterproofing and another not. You might want to know something similar.

 

Contents

1. What materials are used for tents?

2. What is the best tent fabric?

3. Sealing tent seams

4. Tent floor and footprints

 

What is a waterproof mountaineering tent made of? What sets one apart from the other? How can you be sure you won't get ripped off when you buy one?

I have gained an in-depth understanding of waterproof gear. Today I want to share it with you to help you on your trip!

Camping Tents

 

What materials are used for tents?

Today, you do have 3 solid choices when it comes to tent fabrics or materials. Two of them are very similar in many ways, and the third is an alien outlier.

1. Nylon

2. Polyester

3. Polyester film laminate (cubic)

Nylon, the same material used in many of the ugly fashion inventions of the 90s, is arguably the most popular tent fabric. It is a completely man-made fabric that is affordable, durable and relatively lightweight. If I had to guess, I would say that 60% of modern tents are made of nylon.

Polyester is slightly more expensive than nylon and less common. In most respects, they are essentially similar in terms of tent creation. However, polyester may be slightly lighter in some implementations, but much depends on the manufacturer's construction methods and the intended use of their gear by the user.