Waterproof Tent Materials: Everything You Need to Know

Waterproof Tent Materials: Everything You Need to Know

Guest Post by: Casey Fiedler of Outside Pursuits

If you’re anything like me, chances are good that you started off as a hiker with a pretty cheap tent. Mine was from Sam’s Club – Swiss Gear to be exact. That tent fabric was about as waterproof as a slice of Swiss cheese and no amount of waterproof tent spray could save it. I had made a mistake.

I bought a lot of my early camping and hiking gear without fully understanding what makes them waterproof. More importantly, I had no basis for understanding what made one item good at being waterproof and another terrible at it. You’re probably wondering something similar.

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience, see my full disclosure for more info.

 

What is a waterproof hiking tent made from? What sets one apart from another? How can you be sure you’re not getting fleeced when you buy one?

With hundreds of nights spent on the trail guiding backpacking trips around the US, I’ve come to an intimate understanding of waterproof gear. Today I’d like to share that with you to help you in your travels!

 

What Materials Are Used for Tents?

Today you really get about 3 solid options when it comes to tent fabric or materials. Of those, two are very similar in many regards, and the third is an alien outlier.

Nylon

Polyester

Mylar Laminate (cuben)

Nylon, the same material responsible for many ugly fashion inventions of the ’90s, is arguably the most popular tent fabric. It’s a fully man-made fabric that is quite affordable, durable, and relatively lightweight. If I had to guess I’d say 60% of modern tents are made from nylon.

Polyester is slightly more expensive and a little less common than nylon. In most regards, they’re fundamentally similar with respect to tent creation. Polyester, however, has the potential to be slightly lighter in some implementations but this depends heavily on manufacturer construction methods and the user’s intended purpose for their gear.

 

What Is The best tent fabric?

Largely I consider polyester and nylon tents to be basically equal for all but the biggest gram weenies (ultralight hikers) or ultra-hikers.

Last, but certainly not least, is cuben fiber now known as mylar composite. Cuben fiber started out as a lightweight sandwich of mylar plastic with spectra fibers smashed in between. This stuff is crazy strong and insanely lightweight!

A Note About Denier: Denier refers to how thick a polyester or nylon fabric is. 10 denier is about as lightweight as it comes while 200-300 denier is the equivalent of a car seatbelt or more. Things like the bottom of your tent (where it contacts the ground) should be made from more robust fabrics (higher denier) while other components like the rainfly can be made from uber-light fabrics in the 10-15 denier range.

Mylar laminate is also crazy expensive and only small cottage industry manufacturers work with it. Why? Because most hikers don’t like the high cost, its weakness to puncture, or the odd crinkly sounds and feel of the plastic bag-like material.

Mylar laminate is popular among die-hard ultralight hikers and users who do the best with cuben fiber tents fully understand the materials and it’s limitations/drawbacks. Not recommended for beginners.

 

Tent Fly Waterproofing Options

When it comes time to waterproof the fabric your tent is made from most manufacturers follow a similar process. Both nylon and polyester are inherently very water-resistant in most weaves used for tents. Mylar composite, however, is inherently fully waterproof by itself (which is considered one of its major advantages as a material).

To make nylon and polyester waterproof generally silicone is applied in the factory. Before the fabric leaves the textile mill the nylon or polyester will be impregnated with a very thin layer of silicone which is waterproof, flexible, and durable.

After this process has happened the fabric will now be known as “silnylon” or “silpoly” indicating the addition of silicone.

While there are other waterproof fabrics out there, they’re very rare and generally not applicable. For instance, Gore-Tex and eVent are both examples of waterproof breathable membranes and do not get used in tent applications. Another example is PU (polyurethane) coated nylon – a fabric popular on inexpensive waterproof jackets but very rare on tents.

 

Sealing Up Tent Seams

Great, so now we’ve found some good waterproof fabrics. It’s time to sew up the tent!

The only problem is… when you sew a tent it puts thousands of tiny needle holes into that waterproof silnylon or silpoly. These little holes do leak and they will cause you headaches if they’re not fixed!

In order to stop leaking from around the seams used to sew together a waterproof tent a process is generally known as “seam sealing” must be implemented. Seam sealing uses one of several various waterproofing methods to block up those needle holes and keep you dry.

Seam tape is a sticky waterproof tape applied over the sewn seams of a tent. Usually, this tape is applied at the factory and adheres to the tent through a process of heat and pressure which fixes it firmly in place.

Seam tape is visible on the inside of tents, jackets, pants, and other waterproof hiking gear. Just turn your tent or jacket inside out and look for a thin line of transparent tape along the seams to see if it’s there!

Silicone seam sealer is a liquified silicone gel that you can purchase in various forms. It’s used for sealing seams, repairing tears, and other DIY processes. My personal go-to is the Gear Aid Seam Grip.

If you ever buy a cottage industry tent you may be faced with siliconizing your own seams. It’s a good process to master because it comes in handy for repairs on seam tape tents, too! The process is super simple – just follow this easy video to touch up your tent or seal a new tent/tarp.

 

Tent Floors and Footprints

Now that we’ve covered fabrics and waterproofing, there is just a little bit left to know about your tent.

Bathtub floors are a type of tent floor where the thick, waterproof floor of your tent wraps up the sidewalls of the tent. Usually, these side wraps stretch up 2-6” along the sides of your tent and help protect against rain splatter and any running groundwater during hard storms. Most tents utilize a design similar to this even if they don’t advertise it as such.

Footprints are basically tarps that go on the ground under your tent. Usually, they’re shaped to match the silhouette of your tent and should be made from durable heavier denier fabric.

Footprints are most often for protecting the bottom of your tent from scratches, scrapes, and punctures that can occur as a result of sharp objects on the ground.

I don’t usually use or recommend footprints for tents because careful site selection helps mitigate any risk of tent damage, to begin with, and they add a lot of weight to the pack.

Additionally, many users fail to properly “hide” the footprint under the tent. Any exposed surface area of footprint outside the tent floor will act as an inadvertent rain catch essentially channeling running water down under your tent. Not good!

There are tons of different fabric choices out there for your next tent. More than likely you’ll be choosing between silnylon and silpoly, however, simply due to their wide availability and affordable prices. In this article, I’ve attempted to cover the basics while helping you dip your toes into the moderate and advanced concepts when it comes to waterproof tents.

As you dive into the world of hiking, camping, and backpacking you’ll eventually learn some things the hard way. There’s no way around it – I think everyone I know has owned at least 3-4 tents. Understanding the details of your waterproof tent, however, means you’ll be able to make more educated decisions and waste less money trying new tents over time.

Let us know what tent you have in the comments below and how waterproof (or not!) it is.

About the author:
Casey has a degree in Outdoor Education and has spent years guiding backpacking trips on the trail around the US. He works with Outside Pursuits to write gear-based outdoor articles on tons of topics!

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Best Tent Material for Camping (Revealed)

One essential ingredient for camping is having a high-quality tent. Without this piece, you’ll wind up literally sleeping under the stars, meaning that you’re exposed to the cold and the elements.

Fortunately, modern tents use various materials to make them both durable and weather-resistant.

The best tent fabric will help protect you from the elements. This article breaks down different types of tent fabrics and how well they work.

So how do you choose a material that will guarantee a fun camping adventure? Read on to find out.

The best tent material for lightweight backpacking tents is Nylon. The best fabric for a big camping tent that you don’t have to move around often is canvas. Most low price camping tents come in polyester, which is fine for casual camping.

What is the Best Tent material?

In a general sense, the best tent fabric will keep out the elements while insulating the interior. This fabric should ensure that you don’t have to worry about rain or snow seeping through, getting you wet.

It should also help trap as much heat as possible so that you stay warm at night. That said, the fabric should also be somewhat breathable, so the tent doesn’t get too stuffy. 

Unfortunately, there’s not one tent fabric that works perfectly for all-weather and camping conditions. However, we’ll look at the top four materials – polyester, canvas, polycotton, and nylon to see how they stack up under scrutiny.

Related: Looking for an easy camping solution all from the safety of your truck? Check out our guide to the best truck bed tents for camping.

Top Waterproof Tent Materials

No matter what time of year you go camping, having a waterproof tent is necessary. Even if rain isn’t in the forecast, you have to worry about morning dew collecting on the outside. If your tent isn’t waterproof, that dew can seep inside, making you and your camping gear all wet.

Why Isn’t Tent Fabric Both Waterproof and Breathable?

If something is waterproof, it generally isn’t breathable, and vice versa. The reason for this is that fabric relies on weaving hundreds or thousands of fibers together.

For a material to be breathable, there must be tiny gaps between the fibers for air to flow through. Conversely, for the fabric to be waterproof, the layers have to be sealed. 

Now, waterproof and breathable materials exist, but the cost of these materials is substantial. Unless you want to drop hundreds (potentially thousands) of dollars on a tent, you won’t be able to find a model with these characteristics.

However, if you’re looking for a tiny, single-person tent, you can find high-end models that are both waterproof and breathable. 

Polyester Tent materials

For manufacturers to make polyester, they have to melt PET plastic pellets down and spin them into long, thin fibers. Because polyester is made of plastic, it’s naturally water-resistant. However, for a polyester tent to be waterproof, the fibers have to be woven extra-tight.

Overall, polyester is a good choice, particularly if you use a waterproof tent fly. 

Bottom Line: Polyester should keep most rain out, but water can still seep in.

Nylon fabric Tents

As with polyester, nylon fibers are made from synthetic chemicals. However, rather than melting plastic pellets and spinning them into threads, nylon is formed by melting the raw material into a sheet, then breaking it up to melt into strings.

Like polyester, nylon is naturally water-resistant, although not necessarily waterproof. 

Bottom Line: Nylon works well for light showers and morning dew, but it won’t work well in a storm by itself.

Canvas fabric Tents

Canvas is a natural material created out of either cotton or linen. Because it’s natural, canvas is not very waterproof. Instead, the fibers absorb and retain water, meaning that canvas tents can leak.

That said, you can make your canvas tent waterproof by soaking it repeatedly to help tighten the spaces between the fibers. However, this process can take days to complete, and it’s not 100-percent effective. 

Canvas is the most breathable of the fabrics, however, which can provide added ventilation to prevent condensation.

Bottom Line: If you want to use canvas, be sure to waterproof it first or use a water repellant tent fly over it.

Polycotton Tent Materials

Polycotton is a blend of polyester and natural cotton. Depending on the manufacturer, the combination might be 50/50, or it could skew to one side, such as 65 percent polyester and 35 percent cotton.

The purpose of polycotton is to get the best benefits of both materials with fewer downsides. Unfortunately, as tent fabric, polycotton can be pretty absorbent, meaning that it’s not very waterproof. 

Bottom Line: Polycotton is better than canvas, but not as good as pure polyester.

What’s a PU coating?

Woven fabrics are not waterproof on their own. Many tents come with waterproof fabric coatings. These can include a polyurethane coating (PU coating or polyester urethane coating), a silicone coating, or a polyether urethane coating (PE coating).

Polyurethane, Silicone or Polyether coatings add water resistence and improve the waterproofing of tent materials. Tents also have their seams sealed to reduce the chance of leaks through the connection points between materials.

Fabric Denier and Material Durability

Along with water resistance, the best camping tent material should be rugged and durable. Not only will you have to pack and unpack the tent every time you go camping, but it must also withstand the elements. Plus, branches and other debris might wind up scratching the tent walls, so you need to avoid punctures and rips.

An easy way to tell whether a material is durable is by looking at its fabric denier rating. While the Fabric Denier isn’t foolproof, the denier is a good place to start.

What is Fabric Denier?

When comparing materials for camping tents, you’ll notice they have a denier rating. This number reflects the thickness of the fabric, so a higher number means that the material is thicker. On average, tent fabrics will be between 50 and 500, but lightweight tents can have a lower rating.

Keep in mind that a fabric denier rating doesn’t necessarily mean that one fabric is “better” than another. As a rule, the type of fabric used will make more of a difference. However, if you’re looking at two similar tents and one has a higher number, it should be more durable.

Finally, remember that more material means a heavier tent, so you’ll have to plan accordingly, especially if you’re hiking to your campsite.

Polyester Tents

Since polyester is a synthetic material, you can find it in a wide range of denier ratings.

Thinner tents may be 15D, while thicker models could be as high as 600D. Lighter versions are not as rugged because they’re more prone to rips and tears. So, if you’re a little rough when setting up a tent (or you plan to camp in rough spots), we recommend a higher denier rating. 

Bottom Line: Polyester can be as thin or as thick as you like, so choose one that suits your specific camping trip needs.

Nylon Tents

Again, since nylon is similar to polyester, you can find a wide range of denier ratings for this material. That said, the low end will typically be around 20 or 30D and up to 1000D on the high end.

Nylon is also naturally more durable than polyester, thanks to its stretchiness and tear resistance. So, a moderately low rating (like 70D) should be more than sufficient for most camping.  

Nylon comes in different types, such as Nylon 6, Nylon 6.6, or silnylon (nylon tents coated with silicone). Nylon 6 shares many characteristics with other types of nylon. However, Nylon 6.6 provides more strength and excellent resistence against abrasion.

Bottom Line: Nylon is naturally lightweight and provides excellent durability and strength. Most denier ratings of this tent material will be suitable for camping.

Canvas Tents

As a rule, canvas is thicker than both polyester and nylon, meaning that it weighs more and is generally more durable. However, since canvas is made from natural fibers, it can rip and tear pretty easily.

Overall, you won’t find lightweight canvas because the threads are too thick. Also, canvas tents usually don’t have a denier rating because the material is similar across models. 

Bottom Line: Canvas is pretty rugged, but it can tear relatively fast. High-quality canvas can resist punctures, but not as well as stretchier materials. Canvas tents can be made of Cotton or other materials such as polycotton.

Polycotton Tents

Like canvas, polycotton threads are pretty limited in how large or small they can get. Because the materials are natural, manufacturers can customize the denier rating of a polycotton tent as they do with nylon and polyester.

Even though polycotton uses polyester, the blend has to use similarly-sized fibers to work. Otherwise, the cotton thinner material would slip out during use. 

Bottom Line: Polycotton is tougher than canvas or nylon, but sizes and thicknesses are limited.

How Lightweight are Different Fabrics?

Your tent’s weight can matter a lot, depending on the type of camping you’re doing. If you’re heading to a flat campground in a car, truck, or SUV, a heavy tent won’t be much of an issue. However, if you’re hiking to your campsite and carrying the tent the whole way, you want something lightweight yet durable.

Polyester Tents

Generally speaking, polyester is a pretty heavy material, particularly if you choose a tent with a high denier rating. However, if you get a thinner tent, you can find some pretty lightweight models. On average, polyester tents can weigh between four and 10 pounds, depending on the dimensions.

Bottom Line: Polyester is heavier than nylon but much lighter than natural fabrics like canvas.

Nylon Tents

Between the two synthetic tent fabrics, nylon is by far the lightest. This is why a nylon tent is the classic backpacking tent. So even if you get a tent with a high denier rating, your tent shouldn’t be more than 10 pounds. You can expect the whole thing to weigh around five pounds on average with all the extras included.

Bottom Line: Nylon is the best for lightweight camping.

Canvas tents are often bigger than polyester and nylon versions. Make sure that you have enough room to set up your tent before starting.

Canvas Tents

Most canvas tents are large and spacious, as it’s hard to create a small, one-person tent with this material. So, you might need two people to move the tent into place, depending on your level of physical prowess. Pound for pound, canvas tents are the heaviest option, with some models weighing 50 pounds or more.

This is clearly one of the major cons for any campers that need to move around regularly, but this isn’t a surprise given the thickness of the fiber.

Bottom Line: Canvas is a naturally heavy material, so it’s not suitable for backpacking but is an excellent camping shelter.

Polycotton Tents

One of the major cons of both polyester and cotton materials is that they are relatively heavy. However, they pale in comparison to canvas. On average, these tents can weigh between five and eight pounds, with larger models going up to 15 or 20 pounds.

Bottom Line: Polycotton is heavier than other synthetic fabrics, but it’s still easy for one person to carry one of these tents.

Nylon vs. Polyester Tent

When comparing different tent fabrics, the two most common options are polyester and nylon. Since these materials are pretty similar, let’s break down how they stack up in different categories:

Strength – Nylon is generally much stronger than polyester, and it’s harder to rip and tear. Nylon is also a bit more puncture-resistant. Winner: Nylon

Weight – Nylon is naturally lightweight because of how it’s made. So, pound for pound, a nylon tent will be lighter than a polyester one. Winner: Nylon

Cost – Polyester is made of cheaper materials, so these tents will often cost less than nylon. In some cases, the cost difference can be roughly half. Winner: Polyester

Water-Resistance – Nylon absorbs water more than polyester, making it less ideal for wet conditions. Winner: Polyester

UV Damage – Polyester tends to withstand UV damage better than nylon because it doesn’t fade or become brittle over time. While you can minimize this problem with a tent fly, nylon won’t last as long as polyester in sunny environments. Winner: Polyester

Bottom Line: Both materials are good for camping, but they’re beneficial for different reasons. Nylon tents have more advantages. They are generally better than polyester which is why it’s practically the default material for backpacking tents. But polyester does have better UV resistance from the sun.

What is Ripstop Fabric, and Is It Good?

As the name suggests, ripstop fabric helps stop rips from happening. Ripstop comes with many high-quality tents, particularly at the various joints where you’ll apply the most pressure. For example, ripstop works well next to the grommets where the tent poles fit in.

Ripstop fabric is made by weaving strong synthetic fibers into the fabric in a ripstop pattern. These fibers help prevent large tears and rips from undoing the rest of the material. The strands also help reinforce the fabric so that it’s more tear-resistant no matter what.

Overall, ripstop fabric is more expensive than other tent materials, but it holds up longer and won’t break as easily. So, if you’re thinking of buying a ripstop tent, it might be worth the investment.

What is Dyneema Fabric, and Is It Good?

Dyneema is a brand name, and the company makes high-end fabrics for tents and other outdoor gear. According to the manufacturer, Dyneema is up to 30 percent lighter than nylon and 15 times stronger than steel (based on a similar weight ratio). This fabric is also tear, water, UV, and abrasion-resistant.

As you can imagine, Dyneema-made tents will be more expensive than those that just use nylon or polyester. However, if you’re an avid camper and you like to backpack to rugged locales, Dyneema can be a valuable material.

Overall, we recommend this tent fabric if you’re a hardcore backpacker. Otherwise, it might be too expensive for casual campers. 

Polyester Oxford Fabric for Tents

Like Dyneema, polyester Oxford fabric is a particular brand name. Although this material is made from polyester, it’s much more durable and water-resistant. In most cases, Oxford fabric is completely waterproof, making it ideal for camping tents.

Also, the material is often fire-resistant, which is helpful if an errant spark or ember winds up on your tent. Other materials will melt and create a hole, but Oxford polyester should be able to stay solid. 

As with Dyneema tents, the extra cost for Oxford fabric is worth it if you’re an avid camper and backpacker. You can spend less on tent repair and reuse your tent over and over again.

PU, PVC, and Silicone Waterproof Fabric Coatings

If your tent doesn’t use naturally waterproof materials, you can upgrade them by adding a waterproof coating. Polyester urethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and silicone are the most common coating options. Let’s break down the pros and cons of each coating:

PU Coatings – Polyester urethane is the go-to option for tent manufacturers because it helps repel water under most conditions. However, PU-coated materials are less tear-resistant, and the waterproofness can wear off over time. Unfortunately, PU actually absorbs water, albeit very slowly. So, in the long-term, your tent will stop being waterproof at all.

PVC Coatings – Instead of coating the fibers directly, PVC coatings act as a barrier on the back of the material. This option works well because it’s tear-resistant and waterproof. Even as the top layers get wet, water won’t penetrate the PVC, keeping the interior warm and dry.

Silicone Coatings – The best way to waterproof your tent is to add a layer of silicone to both sides of the fabric. Silicone is naturally hydrophobic, meaning that water slips right off. This substance also increases the fabric’s tear strength, thus making it more durable. Overall, we highly recommend silicone-coated materials if you can find them.

Do UV Rays Affect Tent Fabrics?

The short answer is yes, UV rays do affect tent fabrics. However, some materials (like polyester) are more resistant to UV rays than others. Nylon and canvas are probably the least UV resistant, so continuous exposure to sunlight can weaken these fabrics.

What happens is that the fibers get hard and brittle, making them more likely to rip and tear. UV damage can also remove waterproof coatings over time. 

Other fabrics that we haven’t covered here are Dyneema, Cordura Nylon, and Cuben. Let me know in the comments if you want these!

Bottom Line

Now that you understand the different factors surrounding tent fabrics, you can choose the best one for your needs. Happy camping!

Related: Planning to head out camping in your truck soon? Check out our truck camping checklist.

Best Fabric for Your Tent Structure

It’s that time of year! The sun is shining, the weather is great and it’s time for backyard barbecues, parties, and events. The one thing you’re going to need for your event is a solid tent structure to help shade your guests and keep you cool.

Tent and Structure Fabric Choices

Using the right material for your tent is essential when it comes to protecting your family and guests from the harsh ultraviolet rays of the sun and moisture. It’s a common misconception that tents and tension structures like awnings, are made out of the same materials. Choosing the wrong fabric for your structure can put a damper on your festivities.

Engineered Vinyl Fabric

This is the best choice for any tension, party, awning, or tent structure. Herculite Inc. offers professional tips, advice, and specialty engineered vinyl products for your fabric structure needs. Herculite also offers a complete selection of high performance advanced technical textiles custom engineered specifically for the diverse needs of this market from clear span structures to party tents and sidewall applications.

Nylon Fabric

This is one of the most popular choices out there on the market next to specialty engineered products. Nylon can be waterproofed and offers your tent breathability. Nylon is durable and an excellent choice for your fabric structure.

Polyester and Vinyl Composite

This is another popular choice. The composite provides the best qualities of vinyl and polyester. The composite is durable, lasts long, and is easy to clean. It’s also naturally waterproof which is important if you’re using your fabric structure in a humid area. You don’t want moisture to get trapped in your structure and start growing mildew or molds.

Rip Stop Nylon

This is a good option for those outdoors enthusiasts like hunters or hikers. Rip stop nylon is constructed with heavier fabrics woven in; this helps prevent tears. While this is a great option for your camping tent, keep in mind it is heavier material. 

Cotton Canvas

Remember, cotton canvas used to be a common material for these types of structures. But with technological advancement and better engineering, the material isn’t used as often as it used to be. Now you can purchase a fabric structure that protects from ultraviolet rays, is waterproof, and mildew resistant.