Sleeping Dry In The Rain          Troop

 

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Brand new tent?  Before you go camping, take it out of the box and set it up.  Make sure all the pieces and parts fit correctly and none are missing.  Getting some practice in now is a good idea for when you go camping, it may be necessary to put the tent up quickly in advance of a storm.  Also, apply seam sealer to all seams. 

Old tent?  Borrowed tent?  Again, take it out and set it up before you go camping.  Look for rips, tears or mildew damage.  Set it up, spray with water and check for leaks.  Be familiar with how it sets up.  Patch or clean what you can and then seam seal the tent.  If it’s your tent, you should do this at least once a year. 

Keep vents open at night - If not, condensation will form on the tent's interior walls. If the outside air is already heavy with humidity, it’s going to rain (or snow) inside your tent – enough to get you, your sleeping bag and your stuff wet.

Use a groundcloth – This is a piece of canvas, plastic or tarp which keeps ground moisture from wicking up through the bottom of the tent.  Please note – don’t let the ground cloth extend further than the base of the tent.  Fold it back under and stake the tent down.  If it does stick out, it will act as a collector of rain water, and I bet you can guess where it will be heading to.

Use the rainfly – This is the matching piece of cloth which comes with new tents.  It allows the tent to vent while keeping rain out (as well as other things which fall from the sky such as frost, dew and bird droppings).    No rainfly?  No problem.  Use a tarp on top of the tent – stake it down and you’re in business.  

Really heavy rain expected? - Use an additional tarp from the Scout trailer on top of your tent.  Just stake it out good and tight.  We have lots of them.  Keep in mind the tarp is noisy and it will flap a lot in the wind but it adds another layer of protection from rain.

Examine your camp site carefully before setting up the tent - That really nice looking flat spot should be checked to make sure it’s not lower than the surrounding area.  If it is, you will find yourself camped smack dab in the middle of a puddle if it starts raining.

Camping under trees -  The trees will help break the rainfall, which is especially nice during a downpour, but the trees will continue to drip after the rain has stopped.

Sleep on an air mattress or cot – Either gets you and your sleeping bag above ground level.  Not only is it a more comfortable place to sleep, but in the event of a tent leak, you are not lying down in the water.  Just make sure your gear (especially your next day’s warm clothes) are also elevated off the tent floor.  Consider taking and putting all your gear in a large plastic storage box - and keep the lid shut.
 


Revised – February 17, 2004

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