Do I need to seal the seams on my GoLite shelter?
This depends on how often you intend to use your shelter and how often you will encounter heavy rain. All shelter seams contain 4 layers of fabric (2 double layers) and are sewn with thread that swells when it becomes wet, thus sealing each stitch hole. However, you still may want to seal the seams because UV exposure will slowly weaken the fabric and thread, and general use will cause the seams to become less watertight because of the tension placed on them. The only sealant that will stick to SilLite is silicone, either in the form of McNett SilNett (available from outdoor stores) or silicone caulking (available in hardware stores). Seal the seams in a well ventilated area, make sure your sealant overlaps the seams on either side for a watertight seal, allow to dry for 24 hours, and finally sprinkle with talcum powder to prevent the silicone sticking and pulling the sealant out of the seam.
