Setting up tent in rain

[rafe]

Have any of you, ever, actually had an issue with your tent being wet enough to be a problem because of setting it up in the rain?

No, not really. Single wall or double wall.

Some have suggested waiting for a lull in the rain. I suggest being proactive... if you're walking along and you're pretty certain it's going to rain... maybe that's the time to pitch the tent, rather than waiting for the deluge.

[George]

step 1: give one, or several primal screams - once that is out of your system

step 2: set up as normal, getting yourself and all your gear wet

[Yiddo]

do it fast

[Feral Bill]

Have any of you, ever, actually had an issue with your tent being wet enough to be a problem because of setting it up in the rain?

No, not really. Damp, sure, but not wet setting up. I have taken on water at hardened sites from runoff, but that's a different issue.

[QiWiz]

Make sure that the fly is rolled out over the mesh during setup, you should be fine.

+1 - some tents allow you to take down and set up without removing the fly; this is a nice feature. Have a pack towel or something similar to mop out the tent floor after set up before laying out pad and sleeping insulation and other gear that you don't want to get wet.

[Brewerbob]

Always pack the tent with the fly attached and closed.

So most tents I've seen have the poles between the tent and the fly. How do you attach the fly directly to the tent?

[Brewerbob]

Okay. A question for everyone that has ever set up a double-walled tent in the rain . . .

Assuming that you are practiced in setting up your tent so that you are not struggling for an extended period of time to get it up . . .

Have any of you, ever, actually had an issue with your tent being wet enough to be a problem because of setting it up in the rain?

I spent 45 years of my life camping and backpacking in the Pacific Northwest where it rains a lot. I have set up many tents, many times, in the rain. I have never had them get wet enough, while being set up in the rain, to be a problem (I have had moisture problems due to poor site selection and/or poor tent design). I see and understand the concern of people that don't have the experience in the rain, but, I am baffled by how many people, apparently with experience, seem to think that having a tent that can be set up underneath its rain fly is an important feature in a responsible tent design.

Can anyone help me get more perspective on this seemingly unimportant but ubiquitous concern in our backpacking subculture?

Concerned; yes. Panic stricken; no. The less sopping the better. Who wants the extra work of drying out their tent if they don't have to?

I've done cabin tents in the rain but it has a "roof" and not mesh. I much prefer a one piece tent with windows over a rain fly. Old school I guess.

[DuneElliot]

Setting up and packing away a tent in the rain, plus constant rain or snow, were the main reasons I recently ordered a CF tent. Being that it is waterproof and won't hold water, and if you fold and unfold it carefully so that only the roof ever sees water, then the whole interior is protected from water.

Single-wall tents with only mesh underneath are inherently easier to set up and keep dry in the rain due to their nature and design. Of course, this doesn't account for moisture held by the tent walls and floors.

[Brewerbob]

were the main reasons I recently ordered a CF tent.

Which one did you order?

Some of these sites are ridiculous. 3 man tent that is 11 lbs and in the backpacking category. Sure, if it was still 1957.

[LittleRock]

I can tell you what not to do:

1) Buy a new tent and set it up once when it arrives.
2) Wait 3 months for your next hiking trip.
3) Arrive at your campsite the first night in pouring rain.
4) Swear non-stop for 20 minutes while your tent gets completely soaked as you frantically struggle to set it up.

[DuneElliot]

Which one did you order?

Some of these sites are ridiculous. 3 man tent that is 11 lbs and in the backpacking category. Sure, if it was still 1957.

ZPacks Duplex. It took a lot of hovering over the "Buy" button to actually bite the bullet on spending that much money. I'm still cringing over the cost...but also excited to get my new tent in a few weeks. I'm not regretting it...it just takes a lot for me to spend that kind of money.

[Brewerbob]

I can tell you what not to do:

1) Buy a new tent and set it up once when it arrives.
2) Wait 3 months for your next hiking trip.
3) Arrive at your campsite the first night in pouring rain.
4) Swear non-stop for 20 minutes while your tent gets completely soaked as you frantically struggle to set it up.

Sounds like a great story for the (grand)kids. Where's the lightening strikes and rabid bear?*




*Don't worry, we won't tell anyone it was a static shock getting out of the car and pesky chipmunk.

ZPacks Duplex. It took a lot of hovering over the "Buy" button to actually bite the bullet on spending that much money. I'm still cringing over the cost...but also excited to get my new tent in a few weeks. I'm not regretting it...it just takes a lot for me to spend that kind of money.

Thx, I'll check it out but I'm betting I'm not going to like the price much either.

[Brewerbob]

ZPacks Duplex. It took a lot of hovering over the "Buy" button to actually bite the bullet on spending that much money. I'm still cringing over the cost...but also excited to get my new tent in a few weeks. I'm not regretting it...it just takes a lot for me to spend that kind of money.

$600?!!?!

I just found my new tent. [img]http://ll-us-i5.wal.co/dfw/dce07b8c-...63c8dc1.v1.jpg[/img]