Introduction
Whether you like it or not, you will occasionally find yourself camping in the rain. That doesn’t mean you have to have a bad time. Experienced campers understand that the weather may change in the blink of an eye, and that charming weather broadcasters’ promises of sun-kissed days are not always fulfilled. Experienced campers anticipate changes in the weather so that they are able to change a potentially miserable experience into one that is enjoyable.
Before you start planning your next camping trip with theexpertcamper.co.uk, this post intends to provide you with a few pointers to aid you on your next less-than-sunny camping trip.
Pitching Your Tent In The Rain
There are a few things you should make sure you do every time you start pitching your tent to prevent or at least reduce, the amount of water that enters your tent when it rains.
Tarps Are Very Handy
If you arrive at your campground while it is pouring, it will be much easier to set up your tent if you first construct some temporary shelter. If you drive to your campsite, you can use it as one of your tarpaulin’s anchor points. Don’t forget to bring a rope and a few extra poles for corner anchoring. You can anchor the tarp with trees or even your extended trekking poles while laying out your tent to keep it dry. Make sure your tarp’s roof slopes away from your tent on both sides, allowing water to drip off softly without accumulating on top. You will experience less anxiety and worry in the future if you put in the effort now.
Being Prudent About Your Camping Spot
When it’s already raining, it’s tempting to just start putting pegs in the ground and call it a day. However, it would be more productive to take some time to consider where you’ll set up your tent first. Are you in close proximity to a water source? How near are you to other tents, and how do their setups look? Are you facing uphill or downhill from the rest of the campers? Ask yourself these kinds of questions to see how probable it is that your tent will be the one to take the brunt of a deluge.
Place A Groundsheet Beneath And Around Your Tent
While modern tent floors are designed to keep water out, adding a layer of fabric between your sleeping area and the floor can be beneficial. Just make sure the ground sheet’s border does not protrude surrounding the tent, since this can trap water beneath the tent and make things worse.
Set Up Your Shelter Properly
Make sure the tent fly is sufficiently tight. Maintain a consistent tension throughout the tent by spacing your guy-ropes evenly. Make sure they’re snug enough to allow air to flow between your tent fly and the inside tent body. If the two come into contact, moisture will seep up through the tent body and drip onto you and your belongings. However, do not over-tighten your guy-ropes, since this will pull the fly down and produce the same effect. Remember to slant those tent pegs away from the tent so that the wind does not carry your fly with it if the wind picks up.
Ventilation
If your tent has vents, make sure they are open. For obvious reasons, windows will not operate, but some tents have elevated vents that allow water to drain freely while boosting ventilation. When it rains in Australia, we all know how humid it can get, and condensation may be your worst enemy. Allow it to air out and stay as dry as possible.
Making Sure Your Items Are Dry
You don’t need to worry about your camping gear getting wet even if it rains. Wet gear not only makes things harder to do, but it can also be harmful to your health and force you to conclude your camping trip early.
Keeping Your Camping Tools
The key to keeping your tent dry is to make sure the inner tent body does not touch the tent fly’s walls. Gear resting against the interior walls of your tent will have the same effect as a tent fly that is drawn too tight.
Less Clothing, Less Hassle
If the weather is warm enough, you may choose to remove any clothes that you want to keep dry for later. While putting up and packing down your tent, wear something light, like a singlet and a pair of shorts and start working knowing that you can always get dry and warm in a fresh set of clothes afterwards.
Dry Bags
While camping in the rain, there are several options for keeping your gear dry. Bring along a carefully designed dry bag with you on your trips to keep valuables and an extra set of dry clothes for maximum safety. A hard plastic protective cover is an excellent way to safeguard your electronic equipment from the weather, such as cameras, phones, and computers.
Plastic Bags
On any journey, this is a must-have. They can be used to store everything from food and clothing to your entire pack if things get out of hand.
Towels
Modern synthetic fibres are particularly good at absorbing moisture and drying it later. Bring a couple of quick-dry towels with you to not only dry yourself after showering but also to mop up any puddles that collect within your tent. If your tent has a tarpaulin-lined awning/storage area at the front door, it’s necessary to keep it dry as well –– this is where the quick-dry towel comes in handy, too.
Making Food While It Is Raining
Indoor use of a portable camping stove is a recipe for disaster. Instead, prepare a non-cooking alternative dinner, such as cold meats, salads, and cheeses. If you have the time and room, though, you may turn your camping area into a beautiful alfresco dining place.
It’s here that your tarp and poles come in handy. You’ll need to pack some extra stuff to camp and dine in comfort. Two tarps are ideal: one to build a roof over your tent and the other to make an eating area out front. Make sure your tarp is set out with adequate headroom for you to stand up straight without slouching. Place your cooking equipment as far away from your tent as feasible, and you’ll still be able to enjoy those snags if you’re careful.
Packing Your Wet Tent
If it’s still raining, you’ll need to carefully deconstruct your tent to avoid getting it any wetter than it already is. It’s a good idea to break down your tent from the inside out if it clamps to the poles rather than utilizing fabric loops.
To do so, firstly, let the inner tent body cave in before removing the fly, then store your gear in plastic bags and relocate it to a dry, out-of-the-way location. The fly will be held up by the tent poles the entire time, completing its function. At this point, double-check that all windows and doors are properly sealed. Then, roll up the inner body and place it in a dry area, or strap it to your pack to dry later. Afterwards, quickly remove your tent poles and place them in the storage bag provided with your tent. Gently roll up your tent fly and put it alongside the body of your tent.
Check your campsite for tent pegs, mallets, tarps, and anything else you might have forgotten while quickly packing up your damp tent.
Drying Out Your Tent
You should either hang your tent to dry or pitch it and let it air out as soon as possible. If you don’t properly dry your tent, you’ll pay the price the next time you take it out and set it up. It’s already tough to camp in the rain; it’s even more exhausting to camp in a mouldy, stinky tent.
Conclusion
No need to worry if it starts to rain when you are about to go camping. Just make sure that you keep this list in mind as it will surely help you heaps when you encounter such situations. Better yet –– your trip is made more memorable because of the rain!
