Help with British army tarp

[GST138]

Just got back from a night at a scout camp using my hammock and British army Tarp, it poured down all night and I found I had a couple of drips in the tarp, this got me thinking.
Shoud the tarp be strung using the tape loops as the support for the ridge, as I did? or could the tension on the loops have caused the leeks. Secondly should the tarp be strung the opposite side up so that the loops just act as a guide.

Any answers welcome.

 

[Dingo]

Just a thought mate, could the drips have been condensation? if you pitch close to the tarp for maximum defense from the inclement weather, sometimes your breath can cause a little condensation.

like i say, just a thought, if this isnt the case then probably need to re-proof or search for th pin holes!

Adam.

 

[spamel]

The tarps were designed to be able to seal up holes, or so I was told. If you do find a small pin pick in the tarp, you rub it with another piece of that tarp, so both layers are between finger and thumb. It is supposed to reseal the hole, although I cannot vouch for how true this is as I never had one leak.

 

[SimonM]

Shoud the tarp be strung using the tape loops as the support for the ridge, as I did? or could the tension on the loops have caused the leeks. Secondly should the tarp be strung the opposite side up so that the loops just act as a guide.

This has been debated in the past - and to my knowledge not resolved.

The argument seems to be that if your ridge line is under the tarp it causes abrasions that could shorten the life of the tarp.

I have a few tarps, and always rig mine suspended under the ridge line. Like Spamel, I have never had one leak, but if Spam's tip doesn't work, try rubbing some seam sealant over the affected area (you can buy small tubes from any camping shop, quite cheaply).

HTH

Simon

 

[durulz]

I use the loops to form the ridgeline - that's what they're there for after all. So they should be strong enough without compromising the sealant (assuming you're only pulling the tarp tight and not putting a torque wrench on it). But nothing is 100% reliable, and yours could have been made on a wednesday by someone looking forward to the weekend who didn't put enough sealant on it.
Looks like you'll have to hunt the leak and give it a blob of weather-proofer, alas.

 

[Joonsy]

tarp should be suspended beneath the loops, though ridgeline goes through all top loops only the end ones need tensioning and ''inner'' ones just hang loose on ridgeline, make sure it is the tarp that drips as there may be other reasons for leakage (tarp too small allowing leakage in windy conditions/seepage on hammock lines/etc:, erect in garden in downpour or sprinkle with hosepipe to observe), examine the tarp (when erected look up into strong daylight for tiny holes) particularly on the corners where the top loops are stitched, on a couple of tarps i've had there has been a tiny hole on these corners where the stitching is, seal stitching with seal seamant, actually if the tarp is set at a good enough angle any minor drips should just run down inside of tarp causinng no problem.

 

[scanker]

When my tarp leaked, I could see daylight through some stitching holes. A bit of seam sealant did the trick.

 

[backwoodsman]

if you do find a pin hole, heat it with a lighter, and amazingly it repairs itsself, i wouldnt have believed it if a never seen it myself.

 

[GST138]

Thanks to all that have replied. I am sure it was drips through the tarp, at 3am there was not much else to see, or hear. Having said that it was persisting down so it stood up pretty well, and I saw from the printing on the tarp it was made in 1990 so it has not done too badly. It is just a couple of hole so out with the seam sealant and hopefully it will be sorted for October, next camp.

Thanks again for the help