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The week my tent flooded in Olympic National Park and I learned the truth about waterproof ratings

My brand new $300 tent with a 3000mm rating leaked like a sieve during a steady rain near the Hoh River last August. Meanwhile my buddy's beat up Coleman with a 1500mm rating stayed bone dry. So are these waterproof ratings just marketing BS or does something else actually matter more?
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3 Comments
kaigibson
kaigibson1mo ago
Blew a gasket myself trying to figure this out after my high end tent turned into a swimming pool. Turns out the rating only matters if you actually set it up right and seam seal everything. My rookie mistake was trusting the factory coating on a brand new tent without checking for loose seams first. Lesson learned the hard way when I woke up floating in a puddle of my own making.
5
samflores
samflores1mo ago
Yeah tent setup and sealing matter way more than any number on a tag.
2
ward.kim
ward.kim1mo ago
Seam sealed my tent after a similar flood and never had another leak.
2