tent placement advice

[Heather]

Howdy,

I would like suggestions/advice on placement of a tent that would prevent or significantly reduce getting wet during storms due to what I think is rain run-off. I had been using a hammock so never had to worry about it but witnessed a few soggy hikers that had to pack up in the wee hours of the morning because water came into their tent from the bottom. I'm considering a tent with a 30d silicone nylon floor and using a large garbage bag as a ground cloth.

[vipahman]

Select a tent location with a slight slope to prevent pooling. The slope should not have the profile of a valley (even if it's slight) with your tent at the bottom as the rain would drain into it. Basically it is common sense but is hard to put into words. Low end of the tent should point into the wind. High end/entrance should be on the leeward side.

What else? Above treeline avoid the ridgeline and choose the leeward side over the windward side if possible. Below treeline, use rock outcroppings as primary cover from the wind if possible and trees as secondary cover because trees can be a liability in high winds.

So basically it's all about sheltering from the wind and figuring out the drainage of the tent site.

[Skidsteer]

Howdy,

I would like suggestions/advice on placement of a tent that would prevent or significantly reduce getting wet during storms due to what I think is rain run-off. I had been using a hammock so never had to worry about it but witnessed a few soggy hikers that had to pack up in the wee hours of the morning because water came into their tent from the bottom. I'm considering a tent with a 30d silicone nylon floor and using a large garbage bag as a ground cloth.

Well...
-avoid low spots, obviously.
-Look for a site that ideally slopes away on all sides, even if only a little.
-Very important, IMO; don't pitch your tent on hard-packed earth AKA established campsites. Setting up on forest duff whenever possible gives you not only a more comfortable bed but also soaks up an amazing amount of water( thus keeping you dry longer:) ).

[RockyTrail]

Howdy,

I would like suggestions/advice on placement of a tent that would prevent or significantly reduce getting wet during storms due to what I think is rain run-off. I had been using a hammock so never had to worry about it but witnessed a few soggy hikers that had to pack up in the wee hours of the morning because water came into their tent from the bottom. I'm considering a tent with a 30d silicone nylon floor and using a large garbage bag as a ground cloth.

If the groundcloth is under the tent make sure it does not protrude out the sides or it will funnel water under the tent. The cloth should be a couple inches smaller all around than the tent's footprint.

But with a silnylon floor some people skip the groundcloth altogether or maybe use a groundcloth for puncture protection; tyvek works well for this. I can see the trash bag and silnylon floor being a very slippery combination together but try it out and see. You may need to put some beads of silicone glue sealant on the floor to make it less slippery. Happy hiking:sun

[Smooth]

Heather,

They tought all this stuff to me in the '60s in boy scouts.

First they tought us to look at the ground and pick a High Spot. Then they tought us to pitch the tent and...............this was my favorite part..............dig a Ditch (yes, as in mote) around the tent draining the rain water off downhill.

I am so glad those days are gone. But the idea is the same. People do not look at the choosen spot with a eye to rain water ponding. Or forming insta-streams during summer thunderstorms. I have some great stories about this, some very funny. The fact that you are thinking about this will be your biggest help. Just try to see more in your chosen spot than it being flait, a slight slope is almost better on a rainy night.

Carring a tent means camping at 'established' places, listed in the guide book.

On most nights it does not rain. My most common way of spending the night while Thru-Hiking was in my bag on my pad with my folded up tarp next to my head. I also gave up on a ground cloth, deciding that the gear was supposed to work the way it came.

Good luck!

[mweinstone]

worst case is,.....the only concivable place to pitch is in a bad place with poor drainage and six rocks where you need to lay.okay.dont panic.yes water is comming thru the middle of your tent and no you wont be sleeping due to the rocks .even though you do check every hour or so to see if you cant dig them out only to remind yourself that they are indeed connected to the core of the planet.now,...as you reach too grab your ground cloth and lift it as new rivers come inside your house ,you quickly become stranded on an island of still dry sheeting.next move?,.......you slam open the door and start digging h2o diversion trenches faster than you can say soil conservation.next time?,....bring a tarp with a bathtub floor.solves the whole prob!matthewski laughs.