How To Select The Best Waterproof Tent

When searching for a waterproof tent there are many marketing terms that are thrown around.  The bottom line though is that no tent is really 100% waterproof usually there are surfaces of the tent that are waterproof but not the whole tent surface.   

The key with most tents that are marketed is waterproof tents is the rainfly that is designed to keep water off of the surface walls of the tent. This is also sometimes called a double walled tent.  

Getting stuck in a rainstorm and having your tent get soaked with rain is no fun camping so I’ve outlined the top tips for finding the best waterproof tent for camping and backpacking.

Water Resistant vs Waterproof

As I mentioned there are a lot of marketing terms used when trying to sell tents by these tent manufacturers.  You may see terms such as water resistant and waterproof when looking at tents and there is an important distinction between them.  

A water-resistant tent is going to be made out of a material that will try to wick water off of the surface of the material. A waterproof tent will feature materials that are made to be waterproof such as the materials in a tarp or rainfly.  Water would not be able to get through the surface of the material if it’s waterproof.

Full Cover Rainfly

What you want to try to find to keep your tent as waterproof as possible is a tent that has a full cover rainfly; this is a rain fly that covers the full surface of the tent and not just the upper section of the tent.  

This makes it nice if you are expecting to encounter rain on your trip as it covers all of the walls of the tent.  If you did not have a full coverage rain fly and it rains for a bit at your campsite eventually the rainwater will fall from the rainfly to your tent walls and eventually soak into the canvas tent walls.   Rainflies are designed to

Tarps and Tent Footprints

Another key to making your tent waterproof is to make sure that the tent is elevated off of the ground to help keep rainwater from seeping into the surface of the tent.  The best way to do this would be to use a tarp or a tent footprint to put underneath your tent when you are setting it up to create a barrier between your tent and the ground.  This way water is less likely to get into the floor of your tent.

Ventilation

Another key item to consider when looking at waterproof tents is their ability to remove condensation from the tent.  You want to try to find a tent that also offers a good amount of mesh at the top of the tent and in its windows so that it will be able to properly vent the condensation that can get built up inside of it in the event of a rainstorm. If you are getting in and out of your tent in a rainstorm you are bound to track some water inside of the tent.

How to waterproof a tent

Like I’ve mentioned there is no way to fully make a tent waterproof but there are items that you can buy to help you make your tent waterproof to the best of your ability.

Using tarps and rope

The best option to fully waterproof your tent besides using just a rainfly is to use a rope to wrap around trees or other objects at your campsite above your tent and common areas such as over your table at your campsite.

Waterproof Spray

There are also waterproof sprays that are offered that you would spray on your outer tent walls and rainfly to help make the tent more water resistant and allow the water to bead off of the tent walls instead of seep into the surface of the tent walls.  

Most waterproof sprays also offer UV protection for your tent built into them as well so that’s an added benefit. It would be wise to respray your tent with the waterproof spray every year or even two times a year to help maintain its water wicking properties.

Seam Sealer

There are products on the market that also allow you to seal the seams of your tent to help them better be able to keep water from getting inside the tent.  Seam Sealers are designed to patch up the tiny holes that are created by the tent manufacturing process when they are sewn together. Seam sealers help by patching up those tiny holes with either a wax or silicone to help keep water out of the tent.

Tips for camping in the rain

1. Bring plenty of tarps

Tarps are useful at a campsite in the rain as they are made from waterproof materials and are able to be used to protect areas of your campsite from getting wet.  

If you are expecting to get rain on your camping trip you can string a tarp over your campsite to help protect your cooking or sitting areas from getting rain on them. Tarps could also be used as an extra cover for your tent to provide extra protection from the rain, if you are expecting a lot of rain over a long period of time this may not be a bad idea.

2. Make sure that you bring rain clothes

It would also be a good idea to wear or bring along some rain-resistant clothing such as a rain jacket or poncho.  That way if you are caught outside of your tent in rain you would be better able to protect yourself and your clothing from getting wet.

3. Bring an extra set of clothes

It may not be a bad idea to bring extra clothing as well like socks just in case you have a pair of socks that gets wet.  It’s never fun to sit in soaking wet clothes for an extended period of time.  If you do get wet and you have an extra change of clothes then you can change into your dry clothes.

Related Questions:

Can I waterproof my tent?  There are a few things that you can do to help keep water from entering your tent.  The first is applying a waterproof spray to the exterior of your tent.  This will make the outer shell of the tent more hydrophobic and will allow any water to flow off of the walls of the tent.  This gives water less time to soak into the tent walls.

Another way to waterproof your tent is to apply seam sealer to the seams of your tent.  Your tent seams are typically going to be sewn together by a machine at the tent manufacturing facility.

During this sewing process, tiny holes will be punctured in the seams of the tent to allow thread through them and to combine the tent walls with the floor of the tent.  Tent seam sealer is designed to be applied to the seams of your tent to keep water from being able to get in through those tiny holes.

The other way to waterproof a tent is to make sure that water never hits the surface of the tent, to begin with.  This may not help you if the ground is already soaked but it will help prevent water from entering the tent through the tent walls.  The best way to cover your tent is with a full cover rain fly but you could also use a tarp or other sort of cover to put over the top of your tent to protect it from the rain.

What is the best tent for rain?  The best tent for rain is going to be a tent that has a full cover rain fly.  This means that the rain fly fully covers the outer shell of the tent.  This will keep rain from hitting the walls of your tent and allowing it to soak into the tent walls.

Any tent that has a full coverage rain fly will greatly reduce the amount of rainwater that will be able to soak into the tent walls. If you live in a rainy area or just want to make sure your tent will hold up well in the rain then I would go with a tent that has a full cover rain fly.

If the product page doesn’t specify that the tent has a full coverage rain fly you should be able to tell by examining pictures of the tent when it is fully assembled.  Typically tents with full coverage rain fly’s are going to be dome-shaped tents.

How often should I waterproof my tent?  You should apply a waterproof spray to the exterior of your tent at least once every camping season.  Like any hydrophobic spray, it will need to be applied periodically.

Rain and the suns UV rays will eventually cause the layer of waterproofing spray to wear away.  That is why it’s important to keep applying the waterproofing spray from time to time.  At least once or twice per camping season.

Does waterproof tent spray work?  Waterproof tent spray will help make your tent surface hydrophobic but it is more of a band-aid than a permanent solution.  The waterproof spray won’t be able to help much if you are camping in a monsoon.

However, waterproof tent spray will help keep your tent dry in the event of light rain or a thunderstorm.

How do you waterproof a tent floor?  The best way to waterproof a tent floor is to elevate your tent floor off of the ground.  Doing this will provide separation from the floor of your tent and any water that may be sitting on the ground.

The easiest way to elevate your tent floor off of the ground is to put down a tarp or mat under your tent before assembling it.  The tarp would keep any groundwater from soaking into the floor of your tent.