11 Camping in the Rain Hacks to Stay Dry
5 min readCamping in the rainy season can become a complete disaster. However, it doesn’t need to be risky or hopeless if you have the right knowledge and right camping gears. If you go to your camping adventure well prepared with all the equipment and essentials, you can even appreciate the mesmerizing view of a rainstorm rolling through or enjoy the sound of raindrops beating against your flysheet. Here are some things you can do to get ready for rain.
Check the weather forecast of your location
Don’t forget to watch the weather forecast for the location of your campsite where you’ll spend your days preceding your takeoff. Make sure to keep updated about the weather forecast of your area because it can change with time. In mountain territories, sudden changes in weather conditions are frequent, and therefore their climate is not very predictable.
Because of this unpredictability, even if the forecast predicts for dry days, you should, in any case, pack the rain gear with you. Sometimes during your hikes and camping, you may see abrupt breezes getting strong, or an eerie quietness. If you witness something like this, you should get yourself ready for a possible rainstorm.
Buy plastic and ziplock bags
Huge black trash bags and waterproof Ziploc bags are not a nuisance to pack, and they are quite cheap. God forbid if you ever get trapped in the downpour, they’ll be your lifelines. The enormous black trash bags are for keeping your pack dry. You can also utilize them to store your wet things like your shoes, raincoat, and other damp clothing. This way, you will keep these items from getting everything else wet. The third use for these dark black trash bags is kindling. Before a rainstorm comes up, you can store dry kindling inside the pack. In this way, even after the rainstorm ends, you’ll still have an approach to make a fire without any struggle. The Ziploc bags come in handy for keeping your camping essentials dry. For example, your fire set off equipment, your food, medication, and other significant things that need to be kept inside the Ziploc bags in case of any rain.
Take some paper with you
Another low-priced camping gear you can carry with you that is particularly helpful in wet climate is paper. Dry paper can be put inside your wet shoes to accelerate the drying procedure; the paper will help draw out the dampness. Paper additionally works fine enough for starting a fire if you’re experiencing difficulty in finding dry fuel.
Pitch your tent at high and dry location
Once you decide to set up your tent, one of the worst decisions you can make is to pitch it in a low-lying zone, for example, at the end of the slope. You might find it easy to pitch up your tent at a spot that is mostly plain and comparatively flat. Regardless of whether the slope is big or small, don’t let your temptation to find an easy way to make you pitch your tent at its bottom. Instead, place your tent on the top of a small slope, a spot where water is not going to gather because it comes down from the slope. It may require you to climb a little bit to reach the top of the slope.
Place a heavy-duty tarp underneath your tent floor
When you are camping outdoors in the rain, your tent can start flooding from underneath. One approach to keep that from happening is to put a heavy-duty tarp under your tent. No piece of the tarp must stretch out from under your tent. In case if even a little part of tarp extends out from underneath the tent, the rain will hit the tarp and move underneath the tent, where the tent floor is probably going to get soaked straight up. Fold the unwanted piece of the tarp under the tent.
Add extra layer of lining to the insides of your tent
Tarp beneath your tent floor won’t be enough to stop the moisture from coming through in case of long and heavy downpours. Take care of this issue by attaching an additional layer of lining to your tent insides. Utilize the thick plastic sheeting that Construction laborers use, cutting a bit of it that is around six inches wider than the diameter of your tent. Putting this inside will shield your tent against any moisture and keep the interiors of your tent dry and clean.
Put another tarp above your tent
Setting up a tarp above your tent roof keeps your shelter extra-dry, especially if you are planning to camp outdoors in the same location for a number of days. The overhanging tarp offers you a spot to hang your wet items and a vestibule where you can remove your wet shoes and garments without getting your tent insides wet and dirty. If your tarp is large enough, you might also have extra space for cooking that is shielded from the rain.
Don’t bring cotton clothes
Cotton has a way of getting clammy and failing to dry in any weather condition with some humidity in the air. Cotton garments are worse in rainy conditions. In this way, bring lightweight clothes, particularly nylon fabric or synthetics that are made to wick dampness away.
Always keep your raincoat and rain pants ready
Nothing can make you feel more hopeless and sorry for yourself than getting your clothes completely wet. Therefore, if you don’t want to fall into this situation then make sure to pack your raincoat and rain pants when you travel.
Bring waterproof shoes
Wet feet can also quickly make you miserable and hopeless on the path. Even though waterproof shoes and waterproof boots can be costly, but if you’ve experienced hiking with waterlogged feet, you’ll know that this additional cost is worth it if you are planning to camp in the rainy season.
Have a good time camping in rain
You can stay warm, dry, and comfortable during rainstorms by following the above tips. Therefore, this implies that you can start a campfire in rain. Rainstorms can be pleasing to watch, so sit back and relax to enjoy the beautiful view and the sound of the rain against your tarp or your rainfly.
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