Brand new canvas tents can often leak on their first few wets, with the leaks becoming less and less with each wetting and drying process. This doesn’t always happen, but some new canvas tents may need to go through this process. 

Weathering is the wetting and drying of a canvas tent.

Some water droplets may penetrate the canvas to begin with, but the cotton fibres in the weave when getting wet will swell and nestle into each other. The result is a water resistant tent and one that will give years and years of good service if it is looked after properly. 

Some tents will need weathering a few times before every last water inlet is eliminated. With patience, those last few drips will eventually cease. This process can be accelerated artificially but using a fine spray on a hose pipe if preferred. For the weathering process to be completed (either artificially or naturally), it is important that the tent dries thoroughly in-between wets.