PSA: My cheap tent patch job worked better than any fancy sealant

My old tent got a big tear right before a weekend trip, and everyone told me to buy a special sealant. I just used some clear packing tape on both sides, and it held up through wind and rain! Why do gear reviews always skip over simple fixes like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_perry4410d ago

Disagree about it being temporary... my tape patch lasted three seasons of weekend trips. Sometimes the simple solution is just the right one. Gear doesn't always need to be complicated to work.

terrys3810d ago

Ask if that tape holds up after multiple uses. Mine failed when it got damp then dried out. Gear reviews might avoid simple fixes because they seem temporary. Companies want to sell new products. But sometimes cheap works fine for a while. What conditions did you camp in that tested the patch?

henderson.mason3d ago

Terrys38 mentioned tape failing when damp. I had the opposite happen. My rainfly got a small puncture, and I used that heavy duty duct tape with the gray fabric backing. That patch saw two full summers of coastal trips where everything stayed damp for days. The key was really cleaning the area with alcohol first and pressing it hard for a full minute. It never peeled.