Silicone spray: Good enough for sealing tent?

I have a new nylon tent (cheap Texsport) I need to seal before going a on a trip. The booklet says one must first put seam sealer on the seams before use, recommending of course ';Texsport seam sealer spray';. None of the stores in town have tent seam sealer, except for a general purpose silicone spray which is claimed to be good for tents, tarps, and anything needing waterproofing. Would that be good enough? it would be a drag to have to seal the tent during the trip.Silicone spray: Good enough for sealing tent?
Spray on waterproof-er is only a general water repellent solution. Seam sealer is a must-- they vary from Kenyon's Seam Seal in a applicator bottle to McNett Seam Grip in a tube. One tube or bottle should work on a small tent -- two to three on a large one. Do not put seam seal on zippers it is the kiss of death. Only alcohol will get it off.





Not to put down your tent but you may want to get an inexpensive tarp to put over the top. It acts as a fly and get the water away from the tent. The problem with an inexpensive tent is you can seam seal and spray the heck out of it and it is still a cheap tent.Silicone spray: Good enough for sealing tent?
Nope. You need a thicker sealer on the seams since the small holes made by the needle need to be completely filled.





McNett Seam Grip is probably the best. It doesn't flake off after a couple of uses like the other stuff. It's five or six bucks for a tube that will seal a two to three person tent. You can' find it in most sporting goods stores.





Silicone spray will work fine for the rest of the tent though.