I’ve been trying to repair a worn out DCF tent that has been through 2 thru-hikes. I’ve applied a great deal of DCF tape to a great many pinholes and to some large areas of delamination or whatever you call it. I cannot seem to get it so that water does not fill up in the tent floor. In a recent storm I sat in the tent to see if water is coming through but observed that water was splashing off the ground (my deck) onto the mesh and then rolling into the floor. The next storm I tried pitching the tent lower but after a few hours I checked and water was pooling again. The inside of the DCF felt wet and the bathtub floor was touching the sides. I don’t see water dripping from the roof and don’t know if it’s water moving through the DCF or just condensation (does it really matter?)
I’m not sure what to do next to figure out how/where the water is coming in. Perhaps the DCF is just too old and can’t keep me dry even without visible pinholes. Maybe there are just some areas that need a little more patching.
You guys tend to be pretty nerdy about these things. What do you know about DCF longevity? Is there a way to test waterproofness that doesn’t require setting it up outside? I’m considering cutting the floor out so water just runs to the ground. Another option is to give up and cut the whole inner out and use it to make a new tent or an inner net tent. Any thoughts are appreciated.
