Camping in Rain and Storms: Keeping the Tent Dry
By Trailbound Editors · Published · Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Table of Contents
Quick Verdict
Most wet nights are decided before the rain starts: where you pitch, whether every guy line is used, and whether anything is touching the inner tent. A tent that stays taut and untouched will handle weather a badly pitched one cannot, whatever the price on the box.
Rain is not the problem. Water finding a path inside is the problem, and almost every path is created by how the tent was set up.
Pitch it before the weather arrives
Choose ground that is slightly raised rather than perfectly flat, and avoid the bottom of a hollow where water collects. Look for the line water would take if it poured for an hour, and do not put the tent on it.
Check overhead too. A storm drops branches, and a pitch under a dead limb is a bet you do not need to make.
Make it taut, then check again
Peg every guy line, not just the corners. A taut fly sheds water; a slack one flutters, touches the inner, and wicks water through the fabric by contact.
Re-tension after the first hour. Nylon relaxes when it gets wet, and a tent that was tight when you pitched it is often sagging by the time the rain is heavy. Do this before you go to sleep.
Keep the inner clear
Anything touching the inner tent wall becomes a wick — a sleeping bag, a rucksack, a coat. Keep a hand’s width of clearance, and use the porch for wet items.
If you can, leave one door slightly open at the top under the fly. Condensation wets more sleeping bags than rain does, particularly on a cold, still, wet night.
Habits that pay off
- A groundsheet cut to size. Water runs under a tent; a sheet keeps the floor out of it.
- A small towel by the door. Dry hands mean a drier sleeping bag.
- Electronics in a dry bag. Not a waterproof pocket, an actual dry bag.
- Pack the car before bed if the forecast is bad. Leaving in the dark and the wet is easier when nothing needs sorting.
After the trip
Dry the tent at home before storing it, even if that means hanging it over a door frame for a day. A tent packed away damp once will smell for the rest of its life, and the coating will start to fail far earlier than it should.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I pitch when rain is forecast?
Slightly raised ground with no gully above you, not the flat bottom of a hollow where water collects, and clear of dead branches. Look up as well as down — a storm brings down limbs, not just rain.
Should I open the vents in the rain?
Yes. Condensation soaks a sleeping bag faster than a leak does. Keep the vents open and the door sheltered, and let the tent breathe rather than sealing it up.
What if water gets inside anyway?
Find where it comes in before you blame the fabric. It is almost always a guy line pulling the outer against the inner, a seam running under a puddle, or a damp item left against the wall.
