Relative Something

This saga continues… The replacement rainfly that I was so excited about receiving from The North Face warranty department last year needs to be returned for the same reason I sent back the original rainfly. The seam sealing tape is coming loose.

I used the rainfly for just one week while on the Tour of Minnesota trip in June and discovered a few drips as proof that it leaks.

Not wanting to deal with shipping the rainfly back to face unknown odds of their ability to solve the problem, I pulled it out of storage yesterday to assess how bad the delamination really is. Would it be possible to buy some sealer and brush it on the seams myself?

It didn’t take long to decide I wasn’t up for the challenge. There are just too many places where the original tape has lost contact with the fabric. Also, I’m not certain which version of a seam sealer would match the fabric. Urethane or silicone?

The label on the rainfly says- Fly: 100% Polyester, Canopy: 100% Nylon. Huh? Canopy? I have no idea how to interpret this information.

I sent an email to The North Face warranty department seeking advice, even though it was after hours there. What did I have to lose?

That company impressed me once again. I received a reply 14 minutes later, at 6:12 p.m. from their Customer Care Team. They reminded me that items must be returned for assessment and provided a label for shipping.

I don’t know if they will be able to help me or not since my tent is obsolete, but I’m impressed enough with The North Face to give them another try. It’s my guess that the replacement rainfly they sent me was on a shelf somewhere for nearly as long as I’ve owned this tent. Even though it hadn’t been subject to harsh weather, time alone was tough enough on the materials they use to degrade the adhesive of the sealing tape.

Since the tent is obsolete, I doubt they have any fresh versions of this rainfly laying around in their warehouse. And since they didn’t see fit to reapply seam sealant to the original rainfly I returned, I am suspicious about the likelihood of them deciding to do so on this one.

I’ll give them another chance, just in case I’m wrong. It buys me more time to kick and scream against solving my problems by simply purchasing a new tent that was manufactured in this century.

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