Big Agnes Seedhouse

[EastOfMidnight]

Anyone have experience with this solo tent? Light, easy to pack and pitch, but needs a number of stakes. I like it but had a terrible leak issues several miles up the Bog River last month. Had a long, damp night.Just got some Nikwax Tent and Gear Solarproof to reseal it. Hope it works cause I really like this little tent.

[mmaute]

I had an issue with my BA Fly Creek UL2. On a couple different occasions I awoke in the middle of the night to a fine mist falling on me - these occurred during medium to heavy precipitation events. In the morning I found the underside of the fly completely saturated - almost as water soaked through.

I sent the fly to BA to check (which they did free of charge - I paid postage). They tested it and found no leaks. Their best guess was that condensation was forming overnight on the inside of the fly. When it rained on the outside of the fly, the condensation on the inside fell down. My guess is it was mist due to falling through the mesh top of the tent. The condensation theory seemed plausible given that during a precipitation event (100% relative humidity) it's easy to imagine condensation forming on a small surface area fly. Not sure it made me feel any better about the issue though.

If you contact BA, they may offer to test it for you if you send it back. Their customer service seemed good.

[JerseyHighlander]

How much use has the tent seen? Many of these new waterproof fabrics can loose their ability to shed water just from getting grimy. The dirt in the fabric changes the surface tension in the water and it wets the pores of the fabric instead of beading up, then gets forced through by the pressure of drops impacting it. Often can be resolved just by washing them in mild soap and water.
Could test it by seeing if it will hold water or if the fabric wets out and starts soaking through.
Nothing worse then getting dripped on in the middle of the night.

[EastOfMidnight]

Tent has had little use. Got sick for an extended period right after I received it. This was the first time it has seen rain. Contacted BA and will send it back for evaluation. The seam sealer on both tent and fly is sticky and literally peeling off in chunks. Very strange.

[JerseyHighlander]

Tent has had little use. Got sick for an extended period right after I received it. This was the first time it has seen rain. Contacted BA and will send it back for evaluation. The seam sealer on both tent and fly is sticky and literally peeling off in chunks. Very strange.

"sticky & peeling off" Obviously a different story & a defective product. Maybe would've been better to just return to where it was purchased instead of sending it back to BA for "evaluation"?
Many of the better companies will just send a replacement, without making you jump through hoops and go to the extra expense of shipping it back. Though, many of the better companies wouldn't have that problem in the first place.
I've had a Kelty Grand Mesa for eight or so years and with the exception of a small split in the seam tape on the fly, easily patched, it has been bullet proof in several bad storms. They are bit heavier than others, but I think that is why they hold up better.

[Bucknut]

I have one and really like it. Very light and performed well in inclimate weather.

[EastOfMidnight]

Just heard from BA. The Seedhouse tent is under warranty and a replacement is being shipped at their expense. Excellent customer service on an excellent tent. I could not be happier with Big Agnes.

[EastOfMidnight]

Kudos to Big Agnes - Warranty replacement Seedhouse SL1 tent arrived today as promised. Great tent, great company, great customer service.

[RichieC]

Most of these tent companies are on the west coast... . My brother, an eagle scout back when that really meant something, who lives out in California now likes to rub it in by saying .."It rained Tuesday, people were jumping off of buildings because of it" but then I get to hear them say, as we drive back from the airport when coming back, "Wow... I always forget how green it is here". So i wonder if tent manufactures out there understand rain like we get.

I got a new Northface Minibus 33, and on the first outing it rained cats and dogs... Noah type weather. I saw that the rains drops were aerosoling through the tent into a very faint micro mist... could see it with my flashlight when i held it just right. The bits of moisture reacted to the heat from my flashlight they were so small. Note that most tents now have an inner stargazing mesh and not any sort of mist repellent fabric like my much more serious VE24, 4 season was. This mist would not have made it past that inner fabric of that tent and I doubt if it would have pulverized through the outer either- but that was an 11 pound snow tent build for Everest type stuff. We weren't wet really, but things got that sort of feeling to them and nothing on the floor was wet... but the mud had splashed up the sides.. . This was a driving unusual rain. Why I am a big supporter of rigging a tarp suspended ( Not direct contact) over a perfectly good tent when weather is like that- to quell those fast/hard water micro-meteors. And because I absolutely hate to handle/pack a soaking wet tent. Know that I am happy with the tent, but to shave off 5 pounds- I guess you have to give up something.

Someday i hope to have the guts to try out the stargazing aspect and rig it without a fly LOL- BUt i know how it is up here-- seen it rain when it wasn't supposed to.. so I am either smart or a rain-coward.