Tents & Rain

[Special K]

O.K., newbie question I know but everybody started somewhere, right?! :o

Leaving in 5 weeks with my father to start a thru. Father/daughter team. I am 50, he is 75. We are both bringing tents. My question is: Has anyone ever thru'd and NEVER stayed in a shelter...not even once? We plan to use our tents mostly but I need to wrap my brain around setting up a tent in the pouring rain (day after day). What tricks, tips or personal experience can you share to make this clearer for me? Not much advice or video out there on the subject.

Also, do you drop your pack in a trash bag to keep dry while setting up your tent? Serious question...be gentle. :)

THANK YOU!!!

[HikerMom58]

Hey Hi Special K... love ur name and welcome!

Sounds like a fun thru planned with your father. I wish you both the best! :)

You are asking a great question! My advice would be to make sure you choose a tent that you can set up as quickly as possible.

This question is the very reason why some people (myself) tend to gravitate toward the shelters.

[FatHead64]

Hey Hi Special K... love ur name and welcome!

Sounds like a fun thru planned with your father. I wish you both the best! :)

You are asking a great question! My advice would be to make sure you choose a tent that you can set up as quickly as possible.

This question is the very reason why some people (myself) tend to gravitate toward the shelters.

Listen to HM - some good advice there. I have not thru'd, so take what I say with a grain. However, in my perusals of WhiteBlaze, the strongest factions seem to be those who "would never" stay in a shelter because of crowding, mice, etc. Others, as HM suggests above, may be worn out at the end of the day and just collapsing in the shelter with minimal other "work" is welcome. I suspect everyone falls into either camp at some point. It IS a long trek, after all.

Good Luck on the trail!

Scott

[Shooting Star]

Get a rain cover for your packs. Keep your stuff-sacked sleeping bag in a trash bag in the
pack. Same for clothes. Best advice is to put your tents up a few times in decent weather
and get good at doing it quick. Then try setup a few times in wind and pouring rain. You'll
come up with a good system after a few tries.

A lot of this depends upon the kind of tents you have. Many have free-standing poles, a clip
over rain fly and the tent clips to the poles under the fly. With some of these tents, you can
setup poles and fly, then crawl under and clip up the tent from back to front to the poles,
then crawl in. This helps keep the tent dry during setup in rain. Of course, on a thru you'll
see days of rain and tents will get wet nonetheless.

Pay attention to site - if its been raining for awhile, bad drainage spots are obvious.
If you expect rain overnight, don't pitch in areas that will collect water runoff.

Sounds like a great adventure - good luck to you and your dad!

- SS

[Tipi Walter]

I've never stayed in a shelter but then I call them Rat Boxes and Hepatitis Dens and see no need although I'll take a break at one because it usually has water. The technique is a simple one---camp either one mile before or one mile after a shelter, or camp 50 or 100 yards from the thing. I like the one mile rule as then you don't get the grab-ass bonobo howlings and the nonstop chattering. Swing by the shelter, get your water, and hike another mile or two until you find a good campsite.

As far as setting up a tent in the rain, well, it all depends on the severity of the rain. If it's terrible, get to your potential campsite and squat next to your pack and wait for a lull. True deluges in the Southeast mostly only last for 30 minutes or less. During a lull, pull what I call the "8 Second Rodeo Ride"---you've got 8 seconds to get the poles out and the tent up and pegged and be in it. Ha ha but it feels like trying to stay on a bull for 8 seconds I guess. Go practice in the backyard first.

I keep my tent poles separate from my tent and easy to get to and not wrapped up in the tent. Pull the poles and stakes out first and get the poles snapped together. Here's the rodeo part---pull out the tent and scramble fast to get the poles in and the fly on---my Hilleberg tents go up fly first with the inner hanging so it's not as big a deal. Plus, stay in your wet clothing until you have the shelter up, THEN change into your dry stuff. This is important in a butt cold rain.

I use a pack cover and keep my pack re-covered after I pull out the poles and tent sac. It sits off to the side but thrown in the vestibule quick enough. Some guys like to string up a tarp first where they sit put for awhile before putting up the tent. I don't carry the extra weight of a tarp and I have a fixation to get the tent set up in a hurry. I get frenzied. Why not? It's your home for the night.

Lately I've been very lucky---every time I get the tent up the big rains begin. Once the lodge is up, well, you can kick back and enjoy what I call being in the Raven's Yard---that special place in a tent with an all night rain. The best place in the world.

SECONDARY CONSIDERATION
10-K was out recently during a January 8-day rainstorm and posted his trip report on Postholer.com. I was out during the same 8 day rainstorm and while he was bailing out of the trip I was sitting in my tent pulling zeros and getting cabin fever. Point is, when creeks are high and the sky dumps it nonstop load you always have the option to delay your trip and pull a couple days in your tent to wait for the rains to stop and for the high water to lower. Just a thought. If you have a cellphone and can get service just call the significant others and tell them you'll be a week late.

[Old Hiker]

Welcome to WhiteBlaze !!

I only stayed in shelters in the Smokies and then because it was required. Had an ALPS Zephyr 1 after getting rid of my hammock. I ALWAYS stopped 30-45 minutes before dark when I came across a good spot, so I could set up, hang the bear bag (a whole different topic!), eat and go to bed.

Even in the Smokies, I asked the Ridge Runner if it would be OK to tent instead of stay in the shelter twice.

Setting up in the rain isn't so hard IF YOU PRACTICE FIRST. I had a camp towel I used to wipe the interior down if it was wet. My pack usually went straps down on a piece of waterproof material (Tyvek at first, then an umbrella cover after the Tyvek got lost), with the pack cover up during rain and got moved into the vestibule as soon as possible.

I have a SoLong 6 now - I sit in the entrance to set it up and have pretty much zero rain inside.

Good luck.

[Special K]

A lot of this depends upon the kind of tents you have. Many have free-standing poles, a clip
over rain fly and the tent clips to the poles under the fly. With some of these tents, you can
setup poles and fly, then crawl under and clip up the tent from back to front to the poles,
then crawl in. This helps keep the tent dry during setup in rain.
- SS

Thanks all for the well wishes. Looking forward to the adventure! Good advice so far. Does anyone have a system they follow in the rain? Step 1, 2, 3? Will def. learn as we go but want to be self sufficient as shelters will likely be full. Like advice above about reorder of tent set-up. I do have the type of tent that will allow me to set up ground cloth then rain fly then tent body, last. Also a little more info:

Rain cover: CHECK
Trash bag: CHECK
Practice setting up tent: CHECK

Would love to hear a day in a life of a wet hiker. From dropping the pack at night to tent set up to cooking to packing up wet in the morning. Anyone mastered this? If so, any crazy stories or lessons learned? I like a good visual.

Special K

[Special K]

Tipi Walter,

YES! This is exactly the advice I was looking for. I think we were posting at the same time. I didn't read your post before I posted again. Also, Old Hiker good advice on camp towel.

[Shooting Star]

Thanks all for the well wishes. Looking forward to the adventure! Good advice so far. Does anyone have a system they follow in the rain? Step 1, 2, 3? Will def. learn as we go but want to be self sufficient as shelters will likely be full. Like advice above about reorder of tent set-up. I do have the type of tent that will allow me to set up ground cloth then rain fly then tent body, last. Also a little more info:

Rain cover: CHECK
Trash bag: CHECK
Practice setting up tent: CHECK

Would love to hear a day in a life of a wet hiker. From dropping the pack at night to tent set up to cooking to packing up wet in the morning. Anyone mastered this? If so, any crazy stories or lessons learned? I like a good visual.

Special K

To consolidate advice, try something like:
1. Setup and stake tent poles.
2. Lay fly over poles, crawl inside and clip or velcro fly to poles.
3. Lay out groundcloth inside.
4. Pull tent inside and clip it to the top and side poles.
5. Get inside tent, pull pack into vestibule.
6. Use shammy or towel to wipe down any wet areas in tent.

Once inside you can get into dry clothes and get your sleeping bag
out. Be careful not to get the sleeping bag (too) wet.

A lot of people keep a set of dry clothes that ONLY get worn in
camp. If you're cold, wet and getting hypothermia, putting on dry
clothes and getting in your bag will fix you up.

Good luck,

- SS

[fredmugs]

This is a very slow and boring video of how my tent gets set up in the rain. I can do this in about 5 minutes. If you're really concerned of setting up in the rain get a tent that has a clip system vice running the poles through the fabric.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmM8eY-wyck

[Special K]

Yes, SS, this is what I'll do. Thumbs up to all you guys (and gals)...AWESOME advice!! Answered all my questions. What I learned:

1. DEAL with rail. No crying...it'll only make you wetter :)
2. Store poles for easy reach
3. Stop, squat and wait for lull (8 second rodeo)
4. Rain fly first, drag stuff in and finish set up
5. Wipe down w/camp towel

I will stay warm and dry! A lot of common sense. Hadn't thought of the rain fly first. Sheesssh! :rolleyes:

[prain4u]

Welcome!

IF--it doesn't make for an awkward or unbalanced load to carry--try to keep your tenting stuff where you can access it fast and easily (without having to unpack most of your gear in order to get to your tent stuff).

If getting wet prior to getting your set tent up is a major concern, you could try what I did for several years (before I became more concerned about having any extra weight in my pack):

I had a simple, small, very lightweight, tarp that I kept at the top of my pack (or in an easy to access pocket on my pack). My goal was to be able to set up this small tarp (at least in a crude/rough fashion) very quickly--and to get me and/or my gear under it. As time went on, I started using things like lightweight carabiners and/or lightweight straps with buckles that permitted me to at least get the tarp set up in a crude fashion between two trees in under 30 seconds--without tying a bunch of knots. (or to set it up using one or two trekking poles--instead of two trees--in about 45 seconds to a minute). I also sometimes set this tarp up in the middle of the day if a heavy rain came up while hiking and I wanted to wait it out--or if I wanted some shade on a sunny day)

[MuddyWaters]

Crowded shelters suck for sleeping.
They are welcomed by most in a heavy rain.
Setting up in the rain, lots of stuff gets wet
Taking down in the rain, lots of stuff gets wet
Sleeping in a shelter when it rains, allows a faster dryer start the next day
Plenty of reasons to avoid them
Sometimes, they arent that bad
Lots of good conversation usually.

By the time they get up north, and crowds have thinned, some thrus send tent home and depend on shelters.
Allows them to be lighter, and hike farther every day

[Drybones]

O.K., newbie question I know but everybody started somewhere, right?! :o

Leaving in 5 weeks with my father to start a thru. Father/daughter team. I am 50, he is 75. We are both bringing tents. My question is: Has anyone ever thru'd and NEVER stayed in a shelter...not even once? We plan to use our tents mostly but I need to wrap my brain around setting up a tent in the pouring rain (day after day). What tricks, tips or personal experience can you share to make this clearer for me? Not much advice or video out there on the subject.

Also, do you drop your pack in a trash bag to keep dry while setting up your tent? Serious question...be gentle. :)

THANK YOU!!!

You'll get a lot of answers, everone works out what works for them, but the things I do to help with rain are:

1. Pack the tent and rain gear in the back stretch pocket of my pack so I do not have to open the pack to set up camp.
2. Get a tent that will not get wet inside while setting it up, most double wall tents expose the tent interior during set up. The Tarptent Notch I use does not.
3. Get a tent that goes up fast. The tent I use has only 4 stakes and if you're good you could put it up in a minute...I'm not that good yet, but it still goes up very fast.
4. While setting the tent up, I hang my pack under one of the vestibules on a hiking pole used for tent set up, it's where I can get to it from inside to remove the gear needed for the night. This also keeps the pack off the ground and out of water and mud.
5. Packing up in the morning is in reverse. Everything gets packed before I exit the tent. The tent is the last thing to get packed and it goes in the back pocket of the pack.

Hope you and your dad have a great hike and lots of good memories, some of best sleep I had was while rain was pounding the tent.

[map man]

My question is: Has anyone ever thru'd and NEVER stayed in a shelter...not even once?

I'm sure it's been done, but it's unusual. Most prospective thru-hikers begin with the conviction that they will use shelters sparingly, and then end up staying in shelters much, much more frequently than they had intended. It's a pattern you see repeated often if you follow thru-hikers' attempts through their trail journals.

I think the leading couple reasons for this switch are: 1) staying in a shelter saves the work involved with erecting and tearing down your own shelter (be it tent, tarp or hammock) every day; 2) often when you tear down your tent/tarp/hammock it is wet from rain or condensation and it can be a drag to put something wet in a pack that has stuff in it (sleeping bag, dry clothes) you are doing your best to keep dry.

If you happen to repeat this pattern of more-frequent-staying-in-the-shelter on your hike my humble suggestion is that you don't beat yourself up about it.;) You would have lots of company.

[garmachi]

This is a very slow and boring video of how my tent gets set up in the rain. I can do this in about 5 minutes. If you're really concerned of setting up in the rain get a tent that has a clip system vice running the poles through the fabric.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmM8eY-wyck


Hey Fred! This video was neither slow, nor boring! I learned something by watching it, and I really liked your editing, including the little word bubbles. Thanks for a very helpful video!

Also, Semper Fi!

[ladytaz]

Hey Fred! This video was neither slow, nor boring! I learned something by watching it, and I really liked your editing, including the little word bubbles. Thanks for a very helpful video!

Also, Semper Fi!
Semper Fi to both of ya'll. USMC 1981-84 Not to far from you garmachi, over here in Maggie Valley

[Slo-go'en]

I wait until it stops raining. Rain has a pattern if you pay attention and it is related to the sun. Early morning showers will tapper off or stop once the sun gets a ways above the horizon. This will be about 9 AM in the late spring. This is the sun warming up the clouds and causing them to lift.

Afternoon showers will tapper off in the early evening, usually around supper time. It will often start up again after sunset as the air cools and water condenses out of the air. If you wait for these natural lulls in the rain, you will rarely have to set up or take down in the rain.

The above rule of thumb is for the light rain/drizzle which can linger for a few days at a time due to a stalled front and is common in the spring and fall. There are also the fast moving cold fronts which usually bring thunderstorms and heavy rain. These can occur at anytime, but since thier fast moving, typically don't last more than a few hours or half a day.

A few years ago I hiked most of Virginia in May and it rained at some point almost every day. In three weeks I think I had 4 sunny days. Thankfully, the shelters were pretty empty then, but I did use my tent a lot for various reasons and never had to set up or take down in the rain. I did have to carry a wet tent almost the whole way.

[aficion]

I wait until it stops raining. Rain has a pattern if you pay attention and it is related to the sun. Early morning showers will tapper off or stop once the sun gets a ways above the horizon. This will be about 9 AM in the late spring. This is the sun warming up the clouds and causing them to lift.

Afternoon showers will tapper off in the early evening, usually around supper time. It will often start up again after sunset as the air cools and water condenses out of the air. If you wait for these natural lulls in the rain, you will rarely have to set up or take down in the rain.

The above rule of thumb is for the light rain/drizzle which can linger for a few days at a time due to a stalled front and is common in the spring and fall. There are also the fast moving cold fronts which usually bring thunderstorms and heavy rain. These can occur at anytime, but since thier fast moving, typically don't last more than a few hours or half a day.

A few years ago I hiked most of Virginia in May and it rained at some point almost every day. In three weeks I think I had 4 sunny days. Thankfully, the shelters were pretty empty then, but I did use my tent a lot for various reasons and never had to set up or take down in the rain. I did have to carry a wet tent almost the whole way.

Great, sensible advice. Also, a small tarp with 1 guyline pre-attached goes up as fast as you can tie a string around a tree and put 3 stakes in the ground. Makes a great place to wait for the rain to subside. You can have dinner while waiting and keep your gear dry too.Also a great place to fix breakfast and pack up in the a.m., if still raining.

[Odd Man Out]

I wait until it stops raining. Rain has a pattern if you pay attention and it is related to the sun. Early morning showers will tapper off or stop once the sun gets a ways above the horizon. ...

I got fooled by this once. It rained a lot all night. In the AM, I decided to wait for the rain to stop before packing up. After a couple of hours, I go tired of waiting and decided to go for it despite the lingering rain. I got out of the tent and found that it wasn't really raining after all. It probably had stopped some time before, but inside the tent, the few drips falling off the trees sounded like a downpour.

[Bronk]

If you have a freestanding tent set it up upside down so the bottom is on the top, then flip it over and quickly put the rainfly on...it will only be exposed to the rain for a few seconds that way...then stake it out.

[Snowleopard]

In most places you don't need to stay in shelters, though I imagine they're pretty tempting in a deluge.

In the Great Smoky Mountains NP, AT thru-hikers have to stay at shelters unless they are filled, then you can set up a tent nearby. You can stay at designated campsites, but I don't think there are many near or on the AT.

In the White Mountains (NH) above tree line and some other spots, you have to stay at designated campsites (none above treeline) or AMC huts($$$). Unlike some AT shelters, the AMC huts are very nice. It is possible to skip the huts but this takes some planning and probably dropping down in elevation to Randolph Mountain Club huts ($ but cheap) or dropping down to an elevation where it is legal to camp.

Tent setup: practice, practice, practice.
If there is any possibility of rain, my routine is:
choose tent site;
clean sticks and stones from tent site;
set up tent;
get water and treat it;
start dinner cooking;
then relax.

I don't think TipiWalter means he sets up his tent in 8 seconds. Franco Dariola, who posts on WB, has videos setting up his tents (mainly Tarptent.com) in 'world record' time, under 60 seconds: http://www.youtube.com/user/francodarioli?feature=watch

[BigRing]

Lots of good ideas. I carry a Sham Wow to clean up the inside of the tent floor. Definately....practice setting up a tent quickly, and if you have a separate rainfly, then practice setting it up first too. I seem to have more problems breaking camp in the rain.... I would much rather lounge in my tent on rainy mornings.

[Abner]

Purchase an ultralight tarp. That is the best thing to use in the rain. The tarp. Have hot tea and cookies under it. Journal in the rain under it. Don't get yourself stressed about setting up your tent in the rain. Set it up, if it's raining like crazy, under the protection of your handy, dandy ultralight tarp. Cook your meals under it, then move yourselves a bit away so that the critters that want to snack on the food you dropped during dinner are well away from your tent site. It is a scant weight penalty to pay, especially when you are sharing group gear with your father. I swear by a broad brimmed hat, an ultralight umbrella, an ultralight tarp, and a rainwrap from ULA (the pack maker). The rainwrap is a great device, too. Not nearly as necessary as the tarp in my opinion. But very useful. It's basically a nylon mere ounces skirt that extends the usefulness of your rain jacket. I love the rain while hiking. But I always have a tarp. And I keep my wet clothes, boots, pack, under the tarp, and save my warmies and sleeping bag for the tent.

[Abner]

Here's another scenario that goes so much better if you have a tarp. You start out and the day is clear. By afternoon a thunderstorm approaches. You don't want to quit hiking for the day, but you also don't like the swirling silver-undersides of all the leaves on all the trees announcing to TAKE COVER. You pull your tarp out of the top of your pack. You pitch it in thirty seconds between some trees and other tie-off points. You pull out your fleece sweater, your breatheable nylon windshirt. Your dad does likewise. You also grab your water bottle. You heat up a small pot of hot water; enough for two hot teas. You open the cookies you have been carrying. You safely and happily ride out the storm under your low-slung tarp. When it is time to move on, you can pack up your things safely from the falling rain under your tarp. You can don your raincoat, if you think you need it. If you have your ultralight umbrella and it is merely drizzling, you can have that over your broad brimmed rain hat so that you don't sweat invariably under your rain coat. If you really want to pull out all the stops and it is still a cold steady rain, but you need to move on to a better site, with a drinking water source, put on your rainwrap from ULA. Now you are walking warmly, you have conserved and stoked you inner fire. And when you do end up in camp for the night and it's still raining, pull out your handy dandy tarp. cook supper under it. MOve the whole thing after supper and pitch your tent away from where you prepared and ate dinner. Change into your bedclothes under the tarp it. And now crawl into the warm, clean, insides of your tent.

[Abner]

Can you tell that for me a tarp is indespensible. And I nice place to take cover from the blazing heat of the sun, also. I prefer on 10 ft x 10 feet, or 10x12.

[Special K]

Thanks everyone! Great advice and videos. Great suggestion of a lightweight tarp. One other question:

When it is pouring rain outside, NON-STOP, Do you still cook and eat away from your tent? In the rain? In front of the shelter? In the shelter? I've watched a few videos where hikers are cooking and eating IN THEIR TENT on rainy days. In light of the bear/food thread (to hang or not to hang food), cooking in your tent seems dangerous unless you are making breakfast then clearing out for the day.

It seems there is a difference of opinion on what is safe and what is unsafe (or should I say what is considerate/inconsiderate). Has anyone ever slept in a shelter (on a rainy day) with someone who left their food out in plain view then went to sleep? And if so, what did you do? Did you say something? I am thinking that most hikers are more clued-in than clueless.

I guess that was more than one question, wasn't it?!

[Slo-go'en]

1) Cooking IN your tent is not advised mostly for fire safety reasons. Cooking under the vestabule is safer, but not 100%. Although the risk is small, there is still the risk of setting your tent on fire. Which would make for a bad day.

Cooking in the shelter is accepted behavior. However, doing that can be tricky if the shelter is pretty full, which is often the case. It is amazing how much surface area can be used up by just 3-4 people all trying to cook at the same time. What ever you need is *always* at the bottom of the food bag, so everything has to come out.

2) When staying at a shelter, hanging food from the rafters is common. So the question you want to ask is if you can leave your food in the shelter if your not sleeping there? The answer to that depends on the situation at the time and might be yes or no.

[prain4u]

[QUOTE=Special K;1435628]When it is pouring rain outside, NON-STOP, Do you still cook and eat away from your tent? In the rain? In front of the shelter? In the shelter? I've watched a few videos where hikers are cooking and eating IN THEIR TENT on rainy days. In light of the bear/food thread (to hang or not to hang food), cooking in your tent seems dangerous unless you are making breakfast then clearing out for the day..../QUOTE]


Cooking in your tent is probably more dangerous from the aspect of accidentally starting a fire inside of your tent--than from a potential bear attack (but we must always be mindful of bear and critter issues too).

You mentioned the potential of having less risk of bear problems in your tent area if you cook/eat breakfast and then pack up and clear out for the day. Just a reminder...the more mess and food odors that you leave behind as you pack up and leave--the more the NEXT person has to deal with critter issues. So, remember to always be considerate of those who will camp someplace after you and be just as careful with your food messes as you prepare to depart as you would if you yourself were staying there for another night and had to personally deal with the critters. (You seem like a considerate person--so this probably won't be an issue).

[Special K]

Yes, I would always be considerate of any person in the same area I was in. I personally would never cook in my tent for the reasons stated above. I was referring more to the hiker videos showing people cooking and eating in their tent. Didn't know if this was commomplace, and with all the talk of bears, why someone would do that. Also, point taken on the breakfast consideratoins too.

It's funny how the newbies (myself included) have all these questions which (I know) will sort themselves out as soon as we hit the trail. I'm sure we will all look back and realize it's really just a matter of common sense and consideration for your fellow hiker. :)

[sweeper]

wherever you set up KEEP A EYE UP FOR WIDDOMAKERS
nothing more disturbing to sleep than wondering if you will be skewered by a falling tree or branch

[Prime Time]

Yes, SS, this is what I'll do. Thumbs up to all you guys (and gals)...AWESOME advice!! Answered all my questions. What I learned:

1. DEAL with rail. No crying...it'll only make you wetter :)
2. Store poles for easy reach
3. Stop, squat and wait for lull (8 second rodeo)
4. Rain fly first, drag stuff in and finish set up
5. Wipe down w/camp towel

I will stay warm and dry! A lot of common sense. Hadn't thought of the rain fly first. Sheesssh! :rolleyes:
You're a quick study Special K! Good luck to you and Welcome!

[Abner]

Special K,
You asked how folks deal with days and days of steady rain. Well, from the warmth of my little office, I'll offer some quick answers: First of all...days and days of steady rains are challenging in that everything gets moist from water vapor in the air if not the rain itself. If it's warm you tend to sweat if you put on even breatheable rainwear. So most hikers after three, four, or five days will head to shelter and showers and clothes dryers and motel/hotel/hostel rooms to air dry themselves and their equipment.

Now for those three or four days. If you have a handy dany tarp and lightweight umbrella and broadbilled hat, and decently designed tent with a good bathtub floor and a long fly that reaches within inches of the ground all around your inner tent, you are in good shape if you follow a few guidelines.

Hike in your wet stuff after the first day. That's right, put on those wet shorts, wet boots, dry socks if you have them, and most and wet polypro or synthetic layers. Eat and take breaks from the comfort of your ultralight tarp. Use you raincoat not so much for hiking because you are going to sweat like crazy. If you have a rainwrap from ULA you are going to like having that rainskirt to keep your shorts from getting rainsoaked and to conserve body heat. I carry a wool watch cap. Sometimes that is just the thing under my umbrella when it's a chilling rain.

[Abner]

Last bit of advice from here. Hike in your wet stuff day after day in wet conditions. Save your dry stuff for lounging in your tarp, and save one pair of long underwear for sleeping in only. That way if you do something stupid, like step in the creek, or fall in the creek, or spring while you are filtering your water, or the stakes of your tarp pull out of the ground in a whipping rainstorm, you have this dry pair of warm long underwear, and your dry warm sleeping bag to crawl into at night. Also a candle lantern, suspended in your tent will put out a bit of warmth and make things a bit drier than the wet saturated air that surrounds your tent. You basically will learn to work with the rain, and actually cherish the fact that it is filling up the springs and creeks, and keeping the mountain flora well-hydrated. Just conserve your warmth=energy and your warm dry sleeping clothes and bag. Like I said in an earlier reply. Pitch your tent underneath your ultralight tarp if you are a newbie and you won't get the insides of your tent wet. Then you can remove your tarp if you find that your tent needs a bit more breathing room to allow condensation to pass.

[Malto]

O.K., newbie question I know but everybody started somewhere, right?! :o

Leaving in 5 weeks with my father to start a thru. Father/daughter team. I am 50, he is 75. We are both bringing tents. My question is: Has anyone ever thru'd and NEVER stayed in a shelter...not even once? We plan to use our tents mostly but I need to wrap my brain around setting up a tent in the pouring rain (day after day). What tricks, tips or personal experience can you share to make this clearer for me? Not much advice or video out there on the subject.

Also, do you drop your pack in a trash bag to keep dry while setting up your tent? Serious question...be gentle. :)

THANK YOU!!!

yes, most hikers that hike the PCT or CDT never stay in a shelter, there are very few on either trail.

[canoe]

If setting up in the rain is a big concern Abner's ultralight tarp suggestion is almost flawless

[msupple]

Setting up in the rain is one of many reasons I prefer a hammock over a tent. The hammock tarp can be carried separately. One can hang the tarp first which then provides shelter while hanging the hammock. The only part of the hammock that gets wet are the straps. In the morning the wet straps can either be completely removed from the hammock or simply stowed outside the hammock stow sack. I only hiked about 600 miles last year but never stayed in a shelter. I would either hang near a shelter or like Lone Wolf suggested, hike on a bit.

Cat in the Hat

[fireneck]

Instead of a pack cover, I use a pack liner. It's nothing fancy just a heavy duty garbage bag to line the inside of my back. It's cheap, light, and keeps gear dry!

[Special K]

Love the tarp idea for quick setup when a sudden rain burst hits. Then I got to thinkin'....

I could probably just use my tent's footprint as a tarp, right? It's not big but hey, its enough to keep me dry for awhile. There's already grommmets on the corners so I can tie to a tree(s). I'd probably tie one side higher to create a slope for rain run-off. Has anyone ever tried this?

[Slo-go'en]

Your footprint is probably a bit small to be an effective tarp. I added grommets to the corners of my Tyvek ground sheet so I could string it up if I wanted, but if I need quick shelter from a cloud burst or Tstorm, I'll just pull it over my head and sit it under it.

Sometimes its worth the effort to set up the tarp during the day, like if it's been raining all day and you want to take a nice long lunch break. I think I've done that a total of twice over all the years I've been hiking.

[prain4u]

Love the tarp idea for quick setup when a sudden rain burst hits. Then I got to thinkin'....

I could probably just use my tent's footprint as a tarp, right? It's not big but hey, its enough to keep me dry for awhile. There's already grommmets on the corners so I can tie to a tree(s). I'd probably tie one side higher to create a slope for rain run-off. Has anyone ever tried this?

First answer: Yes, you probably could use the footprint that way. It might provide some limited shelter. Better than nothing

Second answer: You probably would not want to use the footprint that way.

One potential issue that I can think of--depending upon the particular footprint and the age of the footprint---it probably will not be waterproof/water resistant. Footprints are not necessarily water-resistant to begin with. They are primarily designed to protect the actual tent floor from dirt and wear and tear. They are not necessarily a moisture barrier. Then, once you start using them, footprints take quite a beating. Being on the ground they are the first thing to get poked with holes and suffer abrasion from the ground. So, it would probably leak--especially after the more nights you use it on the ground.

Plus, as a potential tarp, a tent footprint is extremely small--especially for two people. It would not provide much cover--unless it was a very light rain coming straight down with no wind whatsoever.

[Ladytrekker]

I bought montbell crescent 2 because its light and the fly is attached to the tent and goes up with one pole and 6 stakes no rain inside until I crawl in then I use towels I bought in the auto dept of Walmart small light really sucks of the water

[Tinker]

When my son was young and my wife would hike (that's been a while :(), we would carry a fairly large tarp that we could eat under if it was raining.

It also doubled as a place to set up the tent out of the rain. We would set up the tarp, then assemble the tent underneath it, then move the tent to one end of the tarp.
It could be a good place to relieve yourself (#1, of course) during the night (pitch it downhill from the tent, if you intend to use it this way :D).

Instead of two, one person tents, a two person tent and a tarp might offer some advantages.

[TwoSpirits]

....Also a candle lantern, suspended in your tent will put out a bit of warmth and make things a bit drier than the wet saturated air that surrounds your tent.

A "candle lantern"? A candle...INSIDE the tent?? I'm not familiar with candle lanterns, but this sounds scary risky. Can you tell me more? I can't imagine hanging something like that in my tent (Eureka Apex 2T) without turning it into a giant torch.

[Hikes in Rain]

http://www.rei.com/category/4500586

Still have my old brass one, and even take it with me occasionally. Flame is contained, a heat sink on the top; it's pretty safe.

[Old Hiker]

http://www.rei.com/category/4500586

Still have my old brass one, and even take it with me occasionally. Flame is contained, a heat sink on the top; it's pretty safe.

That was the FIRST piece of REI equipment I bought up in VA, lo these many years ago! $5 on sale, if I recall correctly. Brass is getting dull, but still useable. I just don't use it anymore.

[Hikes in Rain]

Got mine as a gift from my brother one Christmas, along with a really nice external frame Kelty. (Also a graduation gift upon earning my Masters). We christened both by hiking up to Russell Field from Cade's Cove. Set up a tent outside the shelter (didn't know back then we couldn't) and kept cozy warm in it with the lantern for a bit of heat, while a couple of feet of snow fell on us.

[TwoSpirits]

Very cool -- I'll have to check one of these out. I enjoy camping in colder temps, and can manage the condensation pretty well for the most part...but this could be just the thing to help take the edge off first thing in the morning! Thanks for the info.

[FatHead64]

Very cool -- I'll have to check one of these out. I enjoy camping in colder temps, and can manage the condensation pretty well for the most part...but this could be just the thing to help take the edge off first thing in the morning! Thanks for the info.

Perhaps - I still remember a video we were made to watch back when I was in scouts. The pyrometer showed that the interior of the tent got to 1000 or 2000 degrees or so. Sorry, too long ago. Bigger tent as I recall - most 1p tents would likely disappear before that, but anyway, left enough of an impression that I won't have flames in a tent I am in. We might talk about an open vestibule, but not in the tent.

[Hikes in Rain]

Very cool -- I'll have to check one of these out. I enjoy camping in colder temps, and can manage the condensation pretty well for the most part...but this could be just the thing to help take the edge off first thing in the morning! Thanks for the info.

Now if we were talking open flame, rather than a lantern, I'd agree with your original comment 100%. No way that's safe, especially in a little one man nylon tent! Shrinkwrapping doesn't sound like fun at all. Or, I could envision myself sitting in what's left of my tent, all blackened, with huge wide white eyes blinking in a confused manner, ala Wiley Coyote. Maybe a little smoke still rising around me.

[jeffmeh]

http://www.rei.com/category/4500586

Still have my old brass one, and even take it with me occasionally. Flame is contained, a heat sink on the top; it's pretty safe.

I take mine out when it looks like we may lose power in the house. Haven't put it in a backpack for quite a while.

[Tinker]

Somebody might have already said this, but,

If I didn't hammock, and after all these years of section hiking and doing trails in New Hampshire, I'd:

Buy a large tarp made of something very light (spinnaker cloth or cuben fiber)

Buy a mesh tent which is well covered by said tarp

Set up the tarp first,

Then, crawl under the tarp and set up the inner "tent".

When family hiking (short hikes on trails I was familiar with), I would use this method even with a small dome tent that I had at the time.
The tent had a fly, but just to keep it dry inside, I would pitch it under the tarp, cover it with the rainfly, then move it so that the entrance of the tent was just under the tarp, which then became a dining shelter for the family, which kept food smells out of the tent.

Too funny! I didn't read all of the posts, including the one I had already made. :p :rolleyes:

I'm OLD (my favorite new excuse!).