New life for a 38 year old classic
I bought the Salewa Sierra Leone tent when I was a uni student around 38 years ago. Back then it was the top expedition tent used by climbers of the Himalayas and cost around a months income. I got some discount through a friend, who was a semi professional climber. It came either in green or in violet and an option was to have the inner tent made from mosquito net, which has the advantage to let the air flow through more freely. Since I mostly travelled countries with mediterenian climate back then, I thought that was the right choice. Which was confirmed when I moved to the tropics. On one trip in the early 1990s we even used the inner tent only set-up on top of a hotel bed in a mosquito and cockroach infested hotel room in the Philippines while traveling by motorbike in very off the beaten track areas.
The fabric, poles, and fittings of the tent are still in good condition, but recently it had started leaking and when inspected it appeared that the whole waterpoof coating of the inside is gone.
I have tried two different impregnation sprays from outdoor shops for ranger, with no lasting effects. Within an hour the rain got through again. During my last home leave I found a potential solution in Germany. Seam Grip TF Tent Fabric Sealant.
Waterproofing the tent fabric
What next?
Also in the 1990s I had designed and made my own bicycle saddle bags out of Cordura. I always wondered how to coat them to get them waterproof. I think I finally found a way. The next project.