Ever try seam sealing with a hair dryer? I did that after a leaky tent disaster and it actually held up.

Oh man, that's the worst. Magnesium is a total game changer in the heat, it just doesn't hold the heat like steel does. I keep a beat up old one in my truck just for days like that. If it's really cooking, I'll even mist the pad a little with water to keep it cooler. Makes all the difference between a decent finish and a rough one.

Totally get that. I've been burned by that exact thing, buying a roll of this gorgeous metallic blue cloth that looked amazing online. Felt like stiff paper the second I touched it and cracked along the spine after like two opens. Now I do the crinkle test, I guess? I'll take a corner of the sample and just scrunch it in my fist for a bit to see if it bounces back or stays all creased. That teacher is so right, the hand memory is real.