The fabric is treated with an impregnating agent. The fibres that are used for tent fabrics attract water which spreads around the fibres and thereby easily passes through the fabric. With a water-repelling impregnation, the water is instead attracted to itself and thereby stays on top of the fibres. This prevents water droplets from penetrating the fabric. Condensation can still be ventilated out through the fabric, driven by the higher temperature inside the tent which is generated by people or a source of heat. Should the impregnation need to be redone after years of use, it is easy to do.
The fabric is given a coating which is completely waterproof. The coating agent’s long-term resistance to UV radiation and other ageing is of course essential in order for it not to crack over time. With cheap fabrics, this can happen after just a couple of weeks, especially in the sun in southern latitudes. Another crucial factor is how well the coating is anchored in the fibres. Even really cheap fabrics can be completely waterproof when new but during the manufacturing process and when used, the fabric is folded and crumpled and tiny spots of coating loosen from the fibres in thousands of places and water begins to penetrate.
Tent sales people often talk about hydrostatic head values, that is, how many millimetres of water a fabric tolerates – usually 20,000 mm – which means it can be exposed to 20 metres of water without leaking. However, that sort of fabric may nevertheless leak a lot after just a short period of use. It is not possible to fix a worn and damaged coating. Coated fabrics do not breathe like impregnated ones, not even if they are said to ventilate, like e.g. GoreTex because the ventilation effect is only a fraction of that of impregnated fabrics. Some of our customers prefer lightweight tents made of, for example, polyamide, for the sake of low weight. For their sake, we always choose a high quality coating and check that the leakage resistance does not drop unreasonably after it has been subjected to the equivalent of heavy use. We also recommend, just as other good quality manufacturers of lightweight tents do, that the tent should not be left out in the sun but instead be taken down during the day – which is the case when people are out hiking.
Our light, very strong and efficiently ventilating cotton/polyester fabrics create an indoor climate that is far superior to that of a normal tent because our fabrics breathe. No inner tent is needed to avoid unpleasant condensation. The tightly woven fabric in combination with high-class impregnation gives high water repellency. The beige-brown colour creates a warm, pleasant atmosphere in the Nordic tipi. We use two fabrics: Cotpolmex Comfort and Cotpolmex Pro. Both Onyx and Zirkon are made with the Comfort fabric. It withstands the sun at least ten times better than lightweight fabrics (of any make) but may still fade a little by sunlight, but without being damaged to the same degree. Rot protected. Of all the fabrics we have tested, this is surpassed only by Cotpolmex Pro. Cotpolmex Pro, which is what Safir is made of, is denser and even more resistant to sunlight as regards strength and colour fastness and it has even better form stability and water repellency. With its high-class properties, attractive appearance and nice feeling, this is, as far as we know, the world’s best cotton/polyester outer tent fabric.
Cotpolmex Pro
Cotpolmex Comfort
In order for a cotton/polyester fabric to achieve maximum rain-proofness, it needs to be thoroughly wetted once. This is so that the threads in the fabric are given the chance to ”ruffle up” a bit more and thereby create a larger number of small gaps in the fabric. We do a rain test on every fifth tent as part of our quality management but that’s only one in five tents. Therefore, we recommend that you wet the canvas thoroughly at home at the same time as you pitch the tent for the first time and familiarise yourself with all the functions of your Nordic tipi before going off on an adventure. Continue to wet the fabric until the water stops forming pearls on the fabric. Once the Nordic tipi has dried out completely after that, the fabric will have maximum rain-proofness.
There are no perfect tent fabrics that only have advantages. In certain situations, the impregnation may be affected so it does not function as it should. In order to facilitate the production of cords and straps, manufacturers add substances which, if not washed away properly, may cause what appears to be a leakage or may even cause the fabric to leak. Such substances do not ruin the impregnation but it will not work properly until the substance is washed away. This is normally done before it is delivered to us. However, sometimes there may still be a small amounts of substances which may appear as a light or dark “damp” patches on the canvas. Such patches usually disappear by themselves after some rainfalls and very rarely do they actually cause water to leak through.
If damp patches appear, the source of the problem is usually easy to find – a strap or stormcord or perhaps a rubber cord. In that case, instead of waiting for more rainfalls, you can remove and rinse the part in question, using clean water without any cleaning agent. If the substance that has affected the impregnation is water-soluble and has not dissolved the impregnation, the problem will disappear once the substance has been removed.
If there are patches on the canvas where it seems the impregnation has disappeared:
In the most extreme situations, with constant strong winds and heavy rain, our lightweight fabrics give better protection against the rain because a lightweight fabric does not become as saturated as a cotton/polyester fabric can be where in the end drops of water may penetrate the fabric (until the rain subsides and the cotton fabric dries out, which occurs rapidly through wind and ventilation. After that, the cp fabric will once again withstand normal rain). If there is a leakage on a lightweight tent, it will most probably come from the seams. This can be easily fixed by applying impregnating agent to all seams as a preventive measure after a long period of use or if a leak has been detected.
You can buy cleaning and impregnating agent from us
Read our instructions regarding cleaning and impregnation
Tentipi guarantees that our Nordic tipis made of cotton/polyester fabric are rain-proof in the way described in the guarantee. However, the guarantee does not apply if the fabric has been exposed to any substance that ruins or reduces water repellency. It is therefore essential to handle the tent with care and keep it away from, for example, cleaning agents, insect repellent, certain skincare products and any chemicals that can wash away or ruin the impregnation. Bird droppings can also have a negative effect on the impregnation so rinse off immediately if possible. If the impregnation has been affected in some way so that a wet patch appears on the tent or it begins to leak, the problem can often be rectified by directing a concentrated jet of water at the patch or by washing it thoroughly in a washtub with clean water. Do not use a high-pressure wash since it can rupture the tent!
The Sami are a nomadic, indigenous people in northern Scandinavia. They are known as the people of the sun and the wind. Some Sami still work as reindeer-keepers. Traditional Sami clothes are decorated with colourful, woven bands and bands like this used as shoelaces.
Tentipi® Nordic tipis are designed to be used with an open fire or stove; it is this feature that makes them a home from home in all weather conditions. But please check local regulations, read and understand the instructions provided, and make sure you are fully competent to deal with the risks involved, before striking that match.