Camp Dry for Tent Protection

The Importance of Trying to Camp Dry for Tent Protection

Keeping your tent dry will provide many important comforts, safety measures and a long lifespan to your camping and equipment. Your tent is designed to defend you from the elements while camping. A good setup will provide you protection from rain, wind and mosquitoes.

Main Components of a Dry Camp and Tent

A dry tent involves keeping moisture from entering through the inside and the outside. You don’t even have to encounter rain on your camping trip to have moisture problems in a tent.

Your Clothing

Believe it or not, the moisture status of your clothes as you climb into the tent that evening will greatly impact how dry the tent stays throughout the night. One of the first steps in keeping your tent dry is to limit the amount of moisture coming in. Whether through sweat, rain or water activities, if you climb in your tent with wet clothing in tow that water has no where to go. Thus, it will evaporate and build up within the inside of your tents walls, sleeping bags, and the air.

The best solution is to layer your clothing and then remove the wet layers before entering the tent. If the weather is rainy, wear a waterproof outside barrier and take if off outside the tent. If the weather is hot and sweaty, you will need to remove your first layer and leave it outside the tent.

Transistion Zone

Another key component to this process is the transition zone. It doesn’t do you much good to remove your Gore-Tex jacket while standing in the rain, and then, where do you put it? Having a dry buffer zone between the outdoors and the tent indoors is critical to camp dry for tent protection. Some tents come complete with either a large awning or screened in vestibule just for this purpose. In other situations, you will need to create your own with tarps and rope or a small canopy with poles. Create a waterproof floor with a ground tarp and wool blanket or rug on top. Then remove all wet clothing, socks and shoes – hanging them to dry out overnight.

If you are light on the camp gear or backpacking, consider packing a few large zip lock bags. Worst case scenario, wet clothing can be placed inside to keep the moisture contained.

Sleeping Arrangements

Certainly if you are reading an article about camping dry for tent protection, then you must be expecting some wet weather on your outdoor adventure. One important consideration is sleeping dry. Obviously the goal in keeping a tent dry is so it can protect you from getting wet too. When considering sleeping gear for the driest tent, keep the following tips in mind.

• Down sleeping bags become completely useless when wet. Therefore consider bags that are made from synthetic materials instead for maximum warmth and dryness.
• Elevating yourself will also keep you drier. Even if the skies are clear on your camping trip, the ground still retains moisture. This dampness will accumulate on anything close to the earth. Thus, you may want to consider airbeds or cots to get your sleeping bags away from the wetness in the ground.

Tent Set-Up

When setting up a tent, there are a few main points to consider ensuring a dry camp for tent protection.

• Find the driest spot to pitch your tent. Look for level ground, firm but still soft enough to drive in your stakes. The higher the campsite the better for dryness and being near trees will offer some natural protection. Never pitch a tent near a river, lake, or ocean – as water levels can change quickly. Even a dried out riverbed may suddenly surprise you.
• Always use a large ground tarp under the tent as a barrier to moisture seepage from the ground – even if your tent is waterproof.
• Ideally you own a tent which includes a waterproof rain shield or large rain fly. If not, then you will need to hang tarps with ropes attached to trees or poles. Make sure the tarp, tent or shield extends well past the size of the tent and has angled sides. Otherwise, rainwater can pool in pockets in the tarps or drip down the sides of the tent.
• Keep the tent ventilated. Open up windows during the day and make sure to use the vent within the tent at night. This will ensure the moisture naturally released by breathing has a place to escape.

Selecting a Tent

When shopping for a tent it is critical to understand the difference between water-resistant and waterproof. Basically, water-resistant will mildly keep water off your body. In order to truly protect yourself in a downpour, you must have waterproof products. Water-resistant tents will be dripping on your head at the first decent storm.

It is also important to understand the seams on your tent. Even a completely waterproof tent can still leak rainwater. To prevent this, the seams must be fully sealed or taped. If you don’t know how to check this, be sure and ask the salesperson.

If you are serious about braving the weather, then the best tent camping tip is to visit REI. They have some of the best selection of waterproof tents on the market.

Summary

Creating a dry campsite will not only protect your tent, but also you and your gear as well. For your safety, you must stay dry to keep warm in the outdoors. It is also important for maintaining the life and function of your tent to keep it dry. All tents will accumulate some moisture after every camping trip. So, make sure to completely clean the tent and hang out to dry as soon as you return home. Then check the seams and reseal before storing for next year.