Seam sealing completes the waterproofing of your shelter. Do it once, before your first trip.
TL;DR
Use Seam Grip +SIL, thinned with odorless mineral spirits to the consistency of warm honey. Apply to the outside of tarp and rain fly seams; apply to the inside of floor seams and wipe away the excess. Wear eye protection, work in a ventilated space, and let everything dry before you pack it up.
What you'll need
- Gear Aid Seam Grip +SIL
- Odorless mineral spirits
- A small glue brush (included when you purchase sealer from us)
- Paper towels
- Eye protection
- Disposable gloves (recommended)
- A well-ventilated space
Which shelters need sealing
All our tarps and rain flys need seam sealing before you use them.
The floors of the 1P Swiftline, the 2P Swiftline, and the 2P Bug Shelter may also be sealed, but it's not essential (see note below).
The floors of the Y-zip Bug Bivy and the 1P Bug Shelter are factory-taped and don't require sealing.
Note: If you choose not to seal your floor, you shouldn't run into any issues unless you find yourself camped in pooling water.
Sealing a tarp or rain fly
Our tarps and rain flys use a silicone coating on both faces. Seal these from the outside.
- Thin the sealer. Mix Seam Grip +SIL with odorless mineral spirits until it reaches the consistency of warm honey. You want it thin enough to brush on smoothly and soak into the thread, but thick enough that it doesn't drip all over the place.
- Apply to the outside of the seams. Brush the sealer along the seam, working it into the stitching. You want to soak the thread and coat it.
- Which seams to seal. Seal all seams joining panels, reinforcement stitching, and zipper stitching. Leave the perimeter stitching alone.
- Adjust your application by location. We prefer a slightly thicker application on the ridgeline and any seam directly above the sleeping area or floor. Seams on the beaks or elsewhere that aren't over the inner net-tent can use a lighter coat.
- Wipe away excess and drips, if you want. If sealer has spread off to the side of a seam or is dripping down the fabric, wipe it up with a paper towel. A bit of extra sealer on the fabric isn't a problem, but the result will look cleaner if you wipe it.
Note: We recommend sealing the stitching along the zippers. A few customers skip it and say they're fine, but our advice is to go ahead and seal it.
Sealing a floor
Seal floors from the inside. Sealing from the outside is possible, but we don't recommend it: the seams on a floor don't lie flat on their own, and trying to seal from the outside often ends up bonding the fabric together. Working from the inside avoids that.
- Seal the four corner seams of the tub. Leave the seams between the floor and the netting alone.
- Seal the pole catches, if any. The Swiftline has small reinforcements for the pole catches near where the base of the poles is. These should be sealed.
- Apply the sealer to the inside. Brush Seam Grip +SIL along each seam and let it soak into the thread for several seconds.
- Wipe away the excess. Wipe with a paper towel. You want thread saturation, not a coating on the fabric. On floors with a PU inner face, silicone sealer won't bond well to the fabric itself anyway; any excess can rub off once dry, so a thinned and wiped application is better. After the sealer has dried, you might not even be able to visually tell it's been sealed.
Note: if your floor has a PU inner face and you'd prefer to use a dedicated PU sealer on the inside, that works too. Seam Grip +SIL is our standard recommendation because it lets you use one product for everything.
Ventilation, safety, and drying
The sealer and mineral spirits both have a noticeable smell. Wear eye protection and, preferably, disposable gloves. Seal your shelter outside or in a well-ventilated area.
Drying time depends on humidity and how thick your application is. Let everything dry fully before packing or use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to seal the stuff sack?
No. There's no need to seal the stuff sack for your tarp, rain fly, or floor.
Will I ever need to reseal?
It depends on your initial application. A thorough, heavier coat may never need to be touched up. A lighter application might need occasional resealing over time, often just in some localized spots rather than the whole seam.
How much weight does the sealer add?
It depends on how thick your coat is. When we do it, it's usually in the range of 0.1-0.2 oz.
Can YAMA seam seal my shelter for me?
Yes. We offer seam sealing as an optional service at the time of purchase. It's listed on each shelter's product page.