Hilleberg Footprint Wetting Out - Reproofing?

My Keron 3GT footprint lets through water if you put pressure on it, such as kneeling in the porch area while pitched on wet grass.  I've not has the same problem with my Nallo so I was thinking that it might need reproofing.

 So the question is has anyone had the same problem?  What would you use to reproof a tent footprint?

It's about 4 years old with a couple of weeks use per year.  It's only on the last 2 trips that I've noticed - the tent was piched on wet grass after it had been raining and the ground was quite soggy.

Damien ONeill wrote (see)

Is it necessary to buy a Hilleberg footprint? Presumably if you are carrying a footprint, you are not backpacking (car camping?), in which case is weight an issue, and if not why not just buy a sheet of tarpaulin and cut to size? In the porch of our car camping tent, we just use a plastic backed picnic blanket - its nicer underfoot and easily (cheaply) replaced at camping shops supermarkets etc.

Not necessary, but Hilleberg footprints attach to the tent and mean that you can put the whole thing up as a single unit, which is very convenient.  The Keron 3GT isn't my backpacking tent but I still use footprints for those - for the sake of a couple of hundred grammes you get a nice covered porch and it extends the life of your tent (those Hillies aren't cheap).

It shouldn't be leaking at that age and use: it's basically the same stuff as the groundsheet, and those are pretty bombproof groundsheets.

When I suspected the groundsheet on my old Saunders Snowcat was leaking I got in touch with the late Robert S. and he suggested condensation, and the way to test was by suspending the sheet so it formed a bowl and pouring a deep pool of water in.  If it's leaking, then after a while drips should start coming out the bottom.  If it's condensation you might get a film of droplets over the outsdie, but you shouldn't get continuous dripping.

Pete.

> and the way to test was by suspending the sheet so it formed a bowl and pouring a deep pool of water in.

I'd suggest warm water; then you shouldn't be fooled by condensation during your test.

Is there also an issue with pressure of the knee on the fabric if it is not performing adequately too? Could the fabric potentially still be waterproof according to that test but in use water still come through due to pressure applied by the knee? I have no idea just wondering as I had an issue with my old tent groundsheet with water coming through where pressure was applied but not elsewhere. I did wonder if it was condensation too but I doubt there could be enough condensation to get a few inches deep in the foot of the tent like in my case.

I tried re-proofing with fabsil gold (get in larger containers cheaper from horsey shops). It is actually better than grangers and nikwax by all accounts. It won't work if your fabric is leaking or at least it never worked for me every time I have tried it with different kit.

Condensation can give effects that look like that, with your knee or bum getting wet (the symptoms that made me think (incorrectly) my Snowcat groundsheet was leaking).  For a similar example, think of a plastic bag of cold fish from the shop: the bag is plastic so it is waterproof, but nevertheless the outside is verifiably wet to the touch.

I did wonder if it was condensation too but I doubt there could be enough condensation to get a few inches deep in the foot of the tent like in my case.

That much it's clearly a leak.  Condensation will only get enough water on you to get damp, not for small streams of water.

Pete.