Shelter setup in the rain?

[Connie]

What shelter, tent or tarp, have you found is the easiest setup in the rain?

What shelter, tent or tarp, have you found is the fastest setup to get yourself and your gear out of the rain?

I have heard of setting up shelter, from inside the shelter. I have done it with my tipi.

I have heard others pull inside their poncho-tarp and stake out the corners from the inside.

Do you have experience with this?

Have you done that with another tent or tarp?

[Rain Man]

Might be cheating, but I'm a hammocker and it's fairly easy to set up my rainfly quickly, then stand under it to get out gear, hang my hammock, change clothes, etc.

[Franco]

Not the fastest set up ever but it was done to show you can set up a Notch in heavy rain and keep it dry inside :


The Tarptent Moment is faster and easier to do in the same condition.

franco@tarptent

[Dogwood]

Getting yourself and gear out of the rain while setting up the shelter is as much dependent on the user as the shelter. ie; how the user elects to erect the shelter, the process the user employs can be important. To answer the question I've liked the possible coverage of tarps whether they be shaped like a mid such as designed by Hyperlight Mountain Gear, Locus Gear, or Mountain Laurel Designs or MLD Trail Star or Six Moon Designs Deschutes or even just a flat one in the rain. I can set up from under any of these shelters minimizing the wetness. The other shelter system I like setting up in the rain because it too can be set up from under the outer rain fly is something like made by Big Agnes. Put the Fast Fly option first and then the main body underneath from underneath the rain fly.

Often I'm wet already when time to set up shelter in a downpour. The main goal for me is accessing my shelter and my ground sheet, bivy, etc from my backpack without getting everything else in the backpack drenched(pack liner, pack cover helps here) or the interior of the shelter soaked. Tarp gets unfolded, top is top, bottom is bottom, ground cloth gets partially opened, backpack goes under on the ground cloth. I go under partially removing my wettest drenched outer layers. From under I can set up without ever having to go back outside. Again, the main goal is not soaking everything.

Zero experience setting up a poncho tent while wearing it simultaneously to keep myself and pack somewhat dry in a downpour. I mentally don't see it happening for me. Haven't figured it out.

[lonehiker]

I used an MSR Missing Link for a couple thousand miles. Was a single wall tent and was perfect setting up in the rain. Always dry from the rain. Perhaps my all-time favorite tent. Switching back to a single wall tent after several years using double wall tent. It feels like coming home.

[nsherry61]

Tarp is by far the fastest, and easiest, especially in a diamod pitch tied to a tree and staked out with three stakes.
Never had to pitch my poncho when it was raining hard enough to be an issue.

[Connie]

Thank you.

I am adding this video, because it shows strategies for rain.

[dgoggins]

Usually most any trekking pole type shelter is just as easy to setup in the rain as not in the rain....like a zpacks duplex. The interior doesn't get wet when pitching.

[theoilman]

I set up my Tarptent Moment in the rain and the inside stays completely dry, it is designed to be able to. It takes me about 2 minutes to get it up then me get in out of the rain.

[fastfoxengineering]

Another plus one to hammocking. My tarp rides in an outside pocket on my pack as well as my four tent stakes, rain jacket and small piece of tyvek. I find my trees, grab my tarp and pitch it. I then lay down my small piece of tyvek and figure out what I'm gonna do next. Sometimes I set up my hammock or sometimes I sit on my butt pad and make food.

Setting up camp in the rain definitely stinks

[cmoulder]

When setting up a Duomid (and other mids or tarps) in the rain, it is possible to put all gear under the mid even before the corners are staked out. After the corners are staked out just unzip the door and climb inside to erect the pole(s) and put down a ground sheet. In fact, the very first time I used my Duomid on an actual trip was Oct a couple of years ago at Judy Springs on Seneca Creek, WV. Just as I was arriving the first fat raindrops were starting to fall and I was able to stake out the corners and throw myself, pooch and gear inside just as the torrents of rain arrived. I think the pitch took maybe a little over a minute... it's amazing how much faster one can work when truly motivated!

[Christoph]

I have a 3 pound $40 Ebay Dowson Load Mountain tent that I used on my thru attempt last year and a section this year. Takes me about 3 minutes to set up rain or shine. Inside tends to stay completely dry until I put all my stuff in there but even then, it's fairly minimal. Unfortunately there's no perfect way to keep everything dry, but I think I've minimized the process as much as I can by practice and shakedown hikes in the rain (as much fun as those are). Mainly for me it was just a mental thing. Knowing I was bound to get wet in 4-5 months of hiking made it a lot easier. Just dried it out when I could in a parking lot or wherever. I think no matter what tent or setup you have though, the best thing you can do is practice setting up in the rain and just figure things are going to get soaked from time to time.

[Shrewd]

I've only had to do this once, so take with a grain of salt, but I set my poles and tent fly up first, go under it, took off my pack and jacket and put me under the vestibule, then clipped the tent from inside, didn't really get wet.
I kept my fly and jacket in the outside mesh of my pack for quick access in just such an event, and it worked as I'd hoped.

I'm thinking now though that I might just keep it and the groundsheet rolled up on the outside of my pack

[Greenlight]

Whether you're tenting or hanging, getting your fly up first and working underneath it seems the best course of action.

I've only had to do this once, so take with a grain of salt, but I set my poles and tent fly up first, go under it, took off my pack and jacket and put me under the vestibule, then clipped the tent from inside, didn't really get wet.
I kept my fly and jacket in the outside mesh of my pack for quick access in just such an event, and it worked as I'd hoped.

I'm thinking now though that I might just keep it and the groundsheet rolled up on the outside of my pack

[ChrisJackson]

I agree Greenlight, I'm a hanger. Keep tarp in outside pocket. Find trees, string tarp, pull out the two middles, bam- instant shelter- probably takes 2 minutes at most. Then drop pack in the middle of the sanctuary under the tarp, rig the outer lines on the ends...take a minute to chill...rig the hammock underneath. Situate the quilts, find a "kitchen", dig a cathole..., by this time, clothes are as dry as they are gonna get. Change into PJ's...get into the hammock and chill. Make a dinner, sleep.

[Franco]

"Whether you're tenting or hanging, getting your fly up first and working underneath it seems the best course of action."
yes except that you can't do that with a lot of tents.

[nsherry61]

"Whether you're tenting or hanging, getting your fly up first and working underneath it seems the best course of action."
yes except that you can't do that with a lot of tents.

Yes, except who really cares since, even if you can't set up your fly before the rest of your tent, 60 seconds worth of rain isn't going to be a significant problem on your inner tent unless it is poring really hard, and then, you can almost always wait 5 to 15 minutes until the rain slacks off and set up in a light drizzle before the next big squall.

Or, use a tarp and end this whole debate, then crawl underneath, and watch and enjoy the storm.

[Del Q]

Might sound foolish but I have learned to go slower, set pack down (covered), slowly put up tent with a solid, tight pitch.........then shuttle all gear into the vestibule, slide in, leaving all wet gear in the vestibule as well.

Then begin settling in for the night.

I bring a small light shammy so I can mop up any water or wipe the floor down as needed.

I have a So Long 6, pretty easy to pitch in the rain (or snow).

[12trysomething]

Here is my approach. It is important to have a loading style and gear that accommodates. I hope this helps.

[Rex Clifton]

Setting up anything on the rain is a royal pain on the ass! That said, when I take my hammock I can set the tarp up first and then the hammock and under quilt. Keeps things pretty dry. For my tent, I set up first fast fly mode (I bought the manufacturers footprint for that reason) then set the tent up. This is not an easy process, however.

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