View Full Version : Wet Sleeping Bag Question
I am considering a thru-hike in March. It seems rain is going to be a large factor during the trip. Here is my concern.
I hike all day in the rain and then come upon a full shelter. I can't get my tent and sleeping bag set up without them getting soaked. Or I get up in the morning and get them soaked.
How do I dry them out other than hiking into town and going to a laundry mat?
canoehead
11-20-2010, 14:19
Try a bivy sack over you sleeping bag.
brian039
11-20-2010, 14:22
Set your tent up first, then set up everything inside your tent. This should keep everything dry if you're careful. Pack covers and waterproof stuff sacks don't work to keep your pack contents dry. Keep your sleeping bag and clothes inside a trash bag and inspect your trash bag frequently checking for holes and replace if needed. If you're still worried about it, use a synthetic sleeping bag and it will still keep you warm if wet. To answer your question, unless you get a sunny day to dry your stuff out, a laundrymat would be your only option.
brian039
11-20-2010, 14:34
I'll also add that you should carry a couple of bandanas or a pack towel and keep it inside your clothes bag on rainy days. This way you can dry off your sleeping pad or tent floor to keep from getting your bag wet.
What Brian039 said. Set up the tent first, then dry it off inside as best as possible with a pack towel, then you should be fine. That's what I did, and I had no problems.
swjohnsey
11-20-2010, 15:06
Getting your bag wet ain't the end of the world. A little time in the sun and it will be good as new. It is a good idea to air out the bag every chance you get anyway as the bag will accumulate moisture even if it doesn't get rained on. I carry my bag in a compression stuffsack made by Sea to Summit that is also a drybag.
You can also dry a bag in a commercial dryer in one of the town along the way.
Feral Bill
11-20-2010, 15:15
You might use a tarp instead of a tent. Set up the tarp first, then unpack in your large, more of less dry area, on a dry ground cloth.
In many years of backpacking I've only got my bag seriously wet once, and it dried out in a couple of days. No sleep lost.
Wise Old Owl
11-20-2010, 17:09
Don't forget if you have cord a Poncho can double as a tarp. Rocks and sticks are pegs and yes Follow Brian's example
Toolshed
11-20-2010, 17:27
Your bag should never get soaked from rain. Always protect it with a drybag or closed plastic bags inside a stuff sack. Never unpack it until your shelter is set up and your floor is dry.
Always pack it first in the waterproof method mentioned above, before taking the tent down.
If it gets wet it will be from condensation or sweat - Either way, some performance will be diminished but not much. Every chance or break that you get where it is not raining, air it out over a branch, picnic table or hangline.
I like these suggestions. I have a bomb proof coffin-like tent that is hard to get in and out of. I am going to practice putting in the poles under my poncho for a quick set up
I like the idea of the camp towel to dry off the inside.
Thanks for the ideas.
Wise Old Owl
11-20-2010, 18:20
Also pick a sleeping bag that has at least one side that is in black material so you can hang and sun dry the moisture out.
Since you always get your sleepig bag wet setting up and taking down camp, it seems like you should replace your bomb proof coffin-like tent before your thru-hike. If its like I imagine it to be, you probably also have a big condensation problem with it. I hiked the PCT with a guy who had this tiny tent. As soon as we hit a stretch of rain, he was regretting his choice as the condensation was getting everything wet inside.
Ya know I had the same problems. I was so dead set on having my shelter tucked neatly away in the bottom of my pack that i was blind to the effect of getting all my gear wet every time i set up or broke down in the rain or snow.
I took the entire PCT and most of the CDT before I realized a simple change in strtegy kept everything much drier. I began to keep my shelter in the outside mesh pocket of my pack together with stakes and cord. My pack with sleeping bag and clothes inside sealed up in a garbage bag were left untouched until i got the shelter set up.
I also dried my bag every time i had the chance. I even walked with it on my shoulders sometimes so i did not have to sit around while drying it.
Anyhow a little strategy goes a long way towards keeping the sleeping bag dry.
Hey, I have also come to the realization that my shelter, though excellant, is too confining. Even with a lot of mesh it still traps a lot of humidity. A simple tarp can provide every bit as much shelter and superior ventilation. Although a tent does make for a warmer shelter and perhaps better wind protection it can come at a price, moisture/ humidity.
Anyhow I am always learning.
mountain squid
11-20-2010, 19:29
A coffin-like tent doesn't sound too cozy. Considering the amount of time you'll likely spend in your shelter you might consider a lightweight, roomier option. Check these sites out for ideas: Tarptent (http://www.tarptent.com/), SixMoonDesigns (http://sixmoondesigns.com/).
The idea to use your poncho as sort of a vestibule is a good one. But if it is raining, won't you be wearing it?
Although a shelter may be full, I'm sure there would be space to temporarily place your pack while you set your tent up.
See you on the trail,
mt squid
A simple tarp can provide every bit as much shelter and superior ventilation. Although a tent does make for a warmer shelter and perhaps better wind protection it can come at a price, moisture/ humidity. If you add an UL bivy sack to your tarp setup, it will be warmer then the tent since there is less air to warm. If you get one made of a good breathable fabric like momentum, condensation won't be much of an issue.
You read my mind Miner! I am looking at something like the Mountain Laurel Design Super Light Bivy combined with a Cuben Patrol Shelter. A poly cro ground sheet, titanium stakes, and some ec2 line. The entire shelter system would be less than 16 ounces and yet storm worthy. Should be more than adequate to keep a 14 ounce down quilt dry and yet eliminate the "coffin" feeling I get in tents.
Anyhow I apologize for hijacking the thread but it sorta follows to show that a change in strategy is involved with any change in gear.
Well maybe coffin is not a good description. In the West anyway, I found it is either rain, mice, bugs, or wind and tarps don't usually cut it for me. This old 2 pound Walrus tent has been good for me. It also looks like the kind of tent some are suggesting.
It sounds like the same conditions exist in the East also.
I like Mountain Squids point that even though a shelter is full, I can probably get some temporary space to get my stuff together out of the rain to set up. Thanks.
chiefiepoo
11-20-2010, 22:14
Maybe an overkill and a little extra weight, but. I pack a 20* synthetic bag, 3/4 length Therma rest, pr wool socks, watch cap and base layer in a 20 L Sea Line bag. Bag doubles as bear bag at night. Never slept wet in the 20 yrs I've been carrying.
skinewmexico
11-20-2010, 22:46
TiGoat makes a great bivy. But you really have to work to get your sleeping bag wet. Manage your moisture.
If you get a tent that sets up with the inner attached to the fly you won't have to worry about getting the inside of the tent wet. Hilleberg makes several modesl (pricy) that you might want to take a look at. Also the various single walled tarp tent (both the original brand and other types) set up dry inside. The only way to get them wet inside during setup is to take them out of the stuffsack upside down. Packing them properly prevents most of the problem of a foul weather setup. A couple of bandannas, a sponge, or a chamois-like towel are practically irreplaceable for long distance hiking. All can be used to lift hot cookware as well.
When the weather improves, as soon as you get into camp, consider hanging up your sleeping bag on a tree branch and let it air out.
Some sunshine and a breeze can be very helpful.
Cookerhiker
11-21-2010, 19:57
Set your tent up first, then set up everything inside your tent. This should keep everything dry if you're careful. Pack covers and waterproof stuff sacks don't work to keep your pack contents dry. Keep your sleeping bag and clothes inside a trash bag and inspect your trash bag frequently checking for holes and replace if needed......
This is pretty much what I did a few weeks ago hiking the Susquehannock Trail when I had to set up, cook & eat, clean up, and retire for the evening - nearly all in a steady rain. I set the backpack under a hemlock - fortunately the pack cover and tree kept the contents dry while I pitched the tent. Once the tent was up, I tossed the sleeping bag and all my dry clothes (both in separate trash bags) into the tent.
After dinner, cleanup, bear-bagging, etc. one thing to add: have an extra empty dry large plastic bag or trashbag on-hand. Just before getting into your tent for the night, take off your rain-soaked outer layer - in my case my rain jacket and rain pants - and stuff them into that bag then the bag into the tent. This avoids your wet clothes getting the inside of the tent wet. Boots go in the vestibule. Once inside the tent, I stripped naked to let my body air-dry (my t-shirt & shorts were damp) before putting on dry clothes and getting into the sleeping bag.
Luckily for me on that hike, the next morning was clear.
For a camp towel, I use a small piece of ShamWow (actually, the generic equivalent). It absorbs an amazing amount of moisture and is easy to wring dry.