Waterproofing canvas

Bonz, No easy solution. However you can try spraying with an aqua proof aerosol (kmart) or similar. You can also get wax sticks from aussie disposals or rays outdoors that will do the stitching on the seams. Other than that the easiest solution is to get a fly!!

try and use the stuff they use on drizabones

The easy thing i find is to give the ol swag a break when its bleep down, lay a cheap silver tarp (just oversize) over it,Even peg it down if windy,If its only sprinkling rain i don't bother.

ALSO If you have a hooped swag just use an expendable pole (aluminium) between each end and you don't need any rope or pegs,even drag it where you want too

Works for me


Cheers

Go to a Feed Barn, or place that deals with horses, and get some of that horse blanket waterproofing.

Called,,,,,, Equinade Rug Seal,,

Did my swag, with it and did a double lot on the stitches.
Never look like getting wet.

Cheers
Bucky

Garden plastic from the hardware. Cheap and folds up easy. Water shakes off. Easy to brush the sand off. Throw it away when finished. Use it to stand on when you wash. Mulch the garden with it. Must be a few other uses.

Oh, I mean use it with the swag not instead ofl

Owen

Bonz,

Are you indicating that the swag is soaked inside?
Very surprising indeed if that is the case.

We have slept in our swags, out in the open in an absolute downpour, with no water entry inside.

Quality canvas should be waterproof and will not leak.

On some products the seams may leak a bit, but the canvas fibres should expand when wet and self seal. That is what canvas should do well.

Remember the old canvas water bags that used to be hung on the front of cars? They would initially leak a little when dry, but quickly seal when wet and contain the water inside.

I think it gets down to "real" canvas shouldn't leak unless contaminated by foreign matter, such as tree gum, or bird poop.

Bill.

Bonz, I have a full 2litre and 1 half tin of Joseph Lyddy dry-seal here in Geelong if youre interested. Left over from sealing my Family Tourer canvas tent. You can have one of them dirt cheap.
Cheers Boris

G'day Bonz,

We had a similar drama on the weekend too.

SWMBO and our eldest lad were sleepingin their swags, in the Ultimate's under-lid tent. (Annette always sleeps in a swag as our no.2 son, Jarrod, has some issue that sees him screaming blue murder in the middle of the night if he's in a swag.....)

Anyway, the tent got water inside (as usual) and then the swags both had water in them as well. Fortunately it wasn't enough to get up through the mattresses....so they didn't feel wet.

Both the tent and the swags have vynal bases and are stitched to the canvas at ground level. Herein lies the problem I reckon....the vynal should, ideally, be shaped such that it forms a shallow "bath", so that the seams are up off the floor/ground level by about 50mm.

So, like you, I am trying to sort out a way of water-proofing the swags AND the tent......

Roachie

G'day Mr Bonzarelli, Easiest and safest solution for you would be to get either John R or Lucy to do it for you. That way no accidents.
Speak to any of the canvas sales outlets and ask what they recommend. Biggest problem that you have at the moment is the weather. It really is best to do in warmer weather as the gear soaks into the canvas when its warm. I did the shippshape in August with a wax based product that only wanted to sit on the surface until the weather warmed up a fair bit. Now no problems.

Bonz, the reason we took the lightweight annex last weekend was the forecast of rain. One of the hints with our Karavan annex was to have it erected and make sure it was thoroughly wetted and completely dried out on four occasions.

To thoroughly wet it, was to have a sprinkler over it for an hour at a time. Just as well we don't have water restrictions here, but hard to say it has been done properly yet. No water restrictions there either? Just set up the sprinkler but we had half an inch last night that would have done it.

goodday bonz
i have used spray on silicone on my work boots at times dont know if it would work on canvas but you couild try a small corner

steve