The plan was to know when inclement weather was coming and then lower the sides of the tent to make a steeper roof pitch for more efficient shedding of water and to keep the wind from getting under the tent. But late yesterday afternoon a huge convective storm popped up with high wind and an enormous amount of water. The tent was configured with the sides up and the sidewalls reefed. But after taking a real beating by Mother Nature, the tent was still standing after the rainstorm ended.
Some recent improvements that I learned really help a lot: 1. Changed over to figure-nine rope tighteners because they allow a much, much faster response to the need to tighten up the tent lines and raise and lower the tent itself. 2. Changing over to those little black plastic cylinder string snugger-uppers that you have on jackets, to keep snug my side-wall panels. Having to tie and untie knots gets old. 3. Changed to s-style clips to link my entry panels. They are fast and easy to manage.
Although the roof sheds water like it is doing in the picture, it still manages to get a bit misty inside the tent when the water is coming down in buckets. But mostly the nylon fabric breathes well and sheds all the water you really need it to. My concern is that the fabric will fade in the sun too quickly and lose tensile strength. But at least for now, the tent has really outdone itself in terms of expectations. It provides privacy, a place to meet people, weather protection and a place to live outdoors, outside of Matilda.
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