Tents get wet, there is no way around that. SurvivalJunkies.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. He also regularly enjoys hiking and fishing. So if the bottom of your tent is 7’ x 7’, then you want your ground sheet to be 6’11” x 6’11”. I have written a bit more extensively about washing your tent and not using the washing machine in this article.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'smallcarcamp_com-banner-1','ezslot_6',109,'0','0'])); Basically, in order to wash your tent, you are going to need to do it by hand. Another important feature that you want to look out for when buying a tent that will withstand the rain is a bathtub bottom. Look for any possible branches (widowmakers) that could fall on top of your head when you’re sleeping or relaxing in camp, Avoid setting up camp at the highest geographical point when there’s lightning and thunder. Waterproof shoes and socks are also helpful as well, as there’s nothing worse than walking around all day in shoes and socks that are soaking wet. While a campfire might not necessarily help keep your tent dry, it can help with drying out your clothes and providing warmth. Setting up a tent is the very first step for any camping trip, and it impacts a lot on how the trip turns out: amazing or time-wasting. You might have just come back from a camping trip and you got rained on, that’s never much fun, but you know you need to dry your tent in order to prolong its life and prevent any mildew, mold and funky smells from developing. By using fabric sealer you’re simply reapplying a new urethane coating in place of the old one. This will let you fix any leaks. There are three products you’ll need to buy if you want to re-waterproof your tent : seam sealer, fabric sealer and water repellent spray. Photo Credit. You could also pitch your tent in a dry place and let it air dry that way as well, but hanging it up is easier and more effective. However, if you decide to place a ground sheet underneath your tent, you need to make sure that your ground sheet doesn’t extend beyond the floor of your tent. Another helpful tip for keeping your tent as dry as possible is to use a plastic ground sheet. Lots of tents have the metal stakes that the poles attach to and those could end up making rips and tears in the tent when tumbling in the dryer. https://www.davistent.com/ Now sometimes you will have to get creative when setting up a tarp over your tent, but in my opinion it’s definitely worth it if it’s going to be raining a lot. Now that your tent is fully waterproof, it’s time to get out there and use it! If a clothesline is not available, draping the tent over a fence is another good option. Investing in the right tent could mean the difference between being soaking wet or being completely dry. If your tent becomes distorted then it could be impossible to pitch it correctly.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'smallcarcamp_com-box-4','ezslot_5',112,'0','0'])); Another thing that the dryer could damage is the waterproofing features. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. You could also use a fan nearby to circulate some air in an attempt to speed up the process. How to Keep Your Tent Dry While Camping in the Rain Invest in a Waterproof Tent. Make sure your tent is 100 percent dry before storing it. So I generally stuff the tent body/fly/footprint in with my other stuff. Either attach a rain-fly over the top of the tent or use another tarp. The longer you take the more likely you’ll get water on the inside of your tent. If you’re not sure what a vestibule is, it’s simply a part of the rainfly that extends out and over the opening and/or sides of your tent. The same is true on the inside of a dryer. When you put your tent away, try to put it loosely rolled and not super tight. If you are … Some of the modern tents these days are enormous too, so drying them out is no mean feat. Therefore, it is important for any camper using a tent to understand how to waterproof a tent. ), link to Using Dehumidifiers In Tents - What You Need To Know. Allow the tent to dry for at least 24 hours before you pack it away. All Rights Reserved. Listed below are six tips that will ensure you set up camp in a good location. Some of the best places you can hang it up are outside (but out of direct sunlight) in your garage, in your basement, or in your bathtub on a shower curtain rod. When setting up your tarp you want to make sure that it’s positioned in a way that the majority of the rain falls downhill from your tent. Depending on your usage, you might have to only wash your tent once a year. It is stuffing it in a dark place where mold will grow. I recommend setting up a clothesline outside of your tent and under your tarp to help with drying your clothes out. Many of the best camping destinations around the world are probably in places that you need to fly to from where you live. So what steps should you take to help keep your tent dry as possible while camping in the rain? It will take at least 24 hours to completely dry but the longer you keep it up the better. Down sleeping bags, go flat when damp and take a long time to dry, and thus reduce their warmth. The bag that it comes in when you buy it is great for carrying and transportation, but for actual storage, it is too tight and does not allow the tent fabric to breathe. Condensation forms inside of a tent when the heat from your body and your breath is warmer than the inside surface of your tent. If possible, store your tent inside out of the weather like direct sunlight or rain. It sounds simple, but we’re often so obsessed with a daily trip plan or mileage goals that we don’t build in any time to attend to basic housekeeping chores. Just like you shouldn’t be putting your tent in the dryer, you also shouldn’t be putting it in the washing machine. Termidor Foam, for instance, is highly effective at eliminating drywood termites in cavities of wood when treatment is able to be injected directly into the damaged galleries. As long as you keep it in a dry open air space, you will be ok. You need to leave it out to dry somewhere to avoid it from forming mold and mildew or ruining its waterproofing.. If you think it’s going to rain multiple days on your camping trip, then you need to pack at least two sets of waterproof clothing. The best way to deal with wet gear and clothing during a backpacking trip is to dry it. An easy way to accomplish this is to make the ground sheet 1 inch shorter than the diameter of your tent. If you’re having to set up your tent in the rain then you need to get everything ready and set up as quickly as you possibly can. Small Car Camp is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other Affiliate Programs. You can accelerate the process by running a dehumidifier in the garage but don’t place it close to a heater or use a hairdryer on it as this will cause the same problems as a tumble dryer. Simply follow these six tips listed above and you will be sure to set up your tent in a good location. Treating an area 4 or 5 feet away, however, is unlikely to have any impact at all on the termite populations. Given these ideal conditions, damp tents can dry in a matter of 30 to 45 minutes. A general rule of thumb is to get a tarp that’s around twice the size of the footprint of your tent. Just remember that water can come from within your tent too. The bottom line is that there is lots of potential damage from putting your tent in the dryer and you should just not do it if you want to continue using your tent for camping adventures. The mesh is responsible for proper air circulation while keeping bugs outside. Exposure to moisture can expose campers to hypothermia or frostbite, even in mild temperatures, so it is critical your tent remains dry. Especially if you have a fire built outside. For starters, you need to buy a tent that is built to be waterproof. This way you won’t have to worry about any water dripping into your tent when you have the entrance opened. While the main benefit of using a ground sheet is to prevent water on the ground from seeping through the floor of your tent, the ground sheet also helps to provide warmth (by adding an extra layer between you and the ground) and extends the lifespan of the bottom of your tent by preventing abrasions from rocks, twigs, etc. A bathtub bottom is where the material on the floor of your tent goes up the side of your tent somewhere around 3 to 6 in to create a bathtub like effect. The reason you don’t want your ground sheet to extend beyond the bottom of your tent is because any water that falls onto the ground sheet will move inwards and puddle up underneath the floor of your tent. I fill my bag with all my gear then stuff the tent in around it. Consider your campfire. Hang Lantern Lights. Make Sure Your Tent Has Enough Ventilation, How to Heat Up a Tent and Stay Warm Without Electricity, 10 Tips to Make Camping More Enjoyable for Kids, Prepping With a Baby: Helpful Tips and Essential Items, How to Protect Your Home Without a Firearm, Best Food for Long Term Storage: Complete List of Survival Foods, How to Preserve Meat In the Wilderness (Without Refrigeration), Set up on high ground so water will run downhill from the tent, Set up your tent on a slight angle so that water won’t gather underneath the floor of the tent, Try to set up your tent so that the entranceway is facing away from the wind, Don’t set up camp near a body of water (think of where water will go when it floods), Make sure to pay attention to the trees above you when setting up camp. When a tent is dried in this manner, the potential for damage is minimal. Tips and Tricks. High humidity can cause dreaded mold and mildew on your plants, which can destroy your crop. Following the steps of proper washing, drying, and storing will prolong your tent’s life and allow you to experience many more camping adventures to come. A garage is an ideal space for you to dry your tent. How To Dry Your Tent Quickly!! If your tent doesn’t have the right amount of ventilation then you will begin to notice condensation forming inside of your tent. You can hand wash it outside using a hose or inside in your bathtub or shower. Copyright ©2019-2021 Small Car Camp. The excessive heat and tumbling could damage essential elements of the tent such as seams, mesh, and coating. There’s no such thing as too much drying time. Just make sure that when you take off your first set of wet clothes that you leave them outside of your tent to prevent moisture and condensation from forming inside. This will not only make your tent smell very unpleasant but could also do some damage on its own to the waterproofing. It is vital to make sure that all the surfaces of the tent that you will re-waterproof are free of any Drying Out Your Tent. Here, you must find a cool and dry place. No one likes waking up to their tent being wet on the inside, and you may have... Hi, I'm Zach and I enjoy regularly camping, especially with my small Toyota Prius. Do not store your tent in hot locations or damp places such as the basement, … Now if there’s lots of bugs outside and you need to keep your tent closed, then you need to ensure that most of the mesh on your tent is allowed to breathe and is not covered by a rainfly or tarp. Some tents are designed to be stored with their inner fabric still inside, though I generally choose to store this separately in case there is any residual grime on the outer sheet. To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on … By the way, If you are in the market for a new tent, then you should click here to see the one I recommend on Amazon.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'smallcarcamp_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_7',107,'0','0'])); It would seem that tents could stand up to anything. Vintage lanterns are also a great addition to your list of accessories or you can … Sheds are okay too, but you want the area to be mostly cool and dry for ideal storage. Where you store your tent is just as important as how you store your tent. And TRUST ME, you don’t want to be hiking or backpacking in the rain all day, just to have to relax and sleep in a wet tent at night. Step 1: Set it up on a sunny day before starting It is important that you set up the tent before starting to clean it. The fact that it being wet isn't what is the killer. Drying a wet tent on a mountain summit in the sun. Make sure to buy a tent that comes with a rainfly that extends beyond the opening of the tent. The new Outwell Greycliff 7SATC Air Tent is almost 8 metres long by 5 metres wide, and tents like the 12 person Vango Diablo 1200XL AirBeam Tent, as well as housing housing half a classroom, will take up considerable space to dry out. Keep your tent out of direct sunlight if possible when it is drying. Not only do you have to worry about the tent drying properly, but you might want to know about washing it too. Be patient and know that the longer it stays out to dry the better off. Never put your tent in the dryer. Whether you’re using a small backpacking tent or a large nylon or canvas one, it’s essential to completely dry your tent out after use. I recommend investing in a wood or gas camping stove and maybe even some hand warmers. Many growers put a dehumidifier or a humidifier in the grow room for this reason. Ideal places would be inside your house, basement, or garage. Any time your tent gets wet you need to fully dry it though, especially before storing it. The ideal drying room conditions are 75° Fahrenheit (23° Celsius) with 50% humidity (use a Digital Humidistat to monitor your humidity levels) Make sure to space out the branches so the air can flow between the buds Excessive heat is dangerous to tents, even while camping you aren’t supposed to leave your tent in the direct sunlight all day (many of us do) But doing so on an extremely hot day in the middle of the desert could cause some serious distortion of your tent. After your tent’s first outing, you’ve packed it away. If you get it going and … Not only do you need to keep the inside of your tent dry, but you also need to stay dry yourself. See his full bio here, Full Guide To Flying With Camping Gear (Must Read!). You might be a little tired from the whole trip and might ask yourself “can you put tents in the dryer?” Today I hope to answer that question and more to help you make the best decision for drying your tent, keeping it clean, and prolonging its life for many more camping trips to come. Just make sure not to have your tarp too slanted or else a heavy gust of wind might pick up your tarp and carry it away. And if any water gets inside of your tent, it will also eventually lead to condensation if it can’t find a way to escape. Grommet savers are another useful feature you may want to have when setting up your tarp, as they help ensure that the grommets on the tarp stay in good shape when it’s nice and windy outside. The first thing you need to do is to make sure it is completely dry. A sunny and warm day with light wind and low humidity can make the tent dry rather fast even when it is soaking wet. Follow these steps after each camping trip and your tent should last you a long time. It is best to use a nonabrasive or tent specific soap to keep your tent clean before air drying it. This, of course, depends on where you hang it up, the humidity levels, the air circulation, the temperature, etc. Storing properly is the next step, but make sure your tent is completely dry and somewhat clean. This will just lead to the water on your clothes evaporating and forming condensation in your tent. You can easily maintain the proper humidity level in a grow tent or drying room using a humidity controller connected to your exhaust fan or dehumidifier. The good news is that tents do not need to be washed all that often, only if they are excessively dirty. Next, you should know how to properly dry out your tent before storing it. Set it up indoors or in a shaded outdoor spot. Set up a makeshift clothes line in there and hang it out to dry. Different Ways To Dry Out A Tent Quickly at Home. Having said this, tents are going to dry much longer if it is particularly humid or cold outside. Besides, moisture draws heat from your body when you’re touching it. After cleaning your tent, as well as removing unnecessary dirt or debris from it, you can now start to dry it. So can you put tents in the dryer? Try this post about car camping hacks that are actually useful! Tents are built to shelter you from the elements, but they don’t do so well in man-made heat boxes. Most waterproof tents come with a rainfly, which is essentially a tarp that is draped over the top of your tent. You can enhance the drying up of the tent through: 1. Bring the tent … A PVC coated tent will keep any rain out but will build up condensation from your breath. Thinner material is more at risk such as the mesh windows, but heaters can get pretty warm and they spin pretty fast so everything is at risk. Tips for waterproofing an old tent Water-resistant tents will only repel a small amount of water, whereas waterproof tents should be able to keep you dry even if you are in the middle of a tropical storm. Look for a tent with a bathtub floor. It is recommended that you store a rolled-up, wet tent for no more than 12-20 hours. Now if there’s no way to set your tarp high enough over your fire to keep it from burning down, then you need to find other ways to cook your food and provide yourself warmth. Coming from someone who’s had the personal liberty of sleeping in a wet tent myself, it’s not a fun way to end the night. I typically separate my gear into different categories (such as electronics, food and clothing) and put each in their own resealable plastic bag. After all, they are your lifeline when you are out in the wilderness. Also, because of the open movement, your clothes can dry wrinkle free which will save you time. Even if you own a waterproof tent, you still need to reapply a waterproof sealant and coating to your tent every so often to ensure that it remains waterproof. Since drying weed will give off moisture and raise the RH within a small tent, you can set the controller to turn on your exhaust at 55% and then turn off when the RH hits 45%. Zach is an avid outdoorsman that loves going camping with his Prius every chance he gets. Luckily for you and me, there are proper ways to dry out a tent and they are easy. This should ensure that none of your camping gear or equipment gets wet. Get your fire goingbefore it starts raining if you can. When he's not outside you can probably find him writing about it on this website. If you don’t have enough space to pitch it, drape it or hang it until dry. The Best Way to Dry a Tent After Camping Hands down, the best way to dry a tent after camping is to hang dry it on a clothesline outside on a warm, sunny day with a light wind. After scrubbing the tent, apply a thin coating of the tent sealant and you should follow the directions of the container. Setting up in a good location is extremely important if you want to keep the inside of your tent dry whenever it’s raining. But what kind of tent is going to help keep your dry? “How to set up a tent?” – a common question for everyone who is going to escape from the sorrows of everyday life. You can add an extra layer between you and the rain by simply setting up a tarp directly over your tent. You can use a fan to try and speed up the air-drying process, but don’t store the tent unless it is completely dry.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'smallcarcamp_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_9',110,'0','0'])); If you need to wash your tent before drying it then do so by hand and do not use the washing machine. So what kind of clothes should you wear if it’s going to rain on your camping trip? Don’t think that it will completely dry super fast though, often there are still some moist areas in the seams and small crevices of the tent even when the majority of it is dry. A seam is where the fabric of the tent is stitched together. If it’s slanted in a way that most of the rain falls uphill from the tent, then you’ll simply be directing rainwater to travel underneath you. Once you have the clothes in place, you simply place the cover over the rack. Once your tent is clean, waterproof, dry and repaired, proper storage will ensure that it is still ready the next time you want to use it. Dryers are often too much for your tent to handle and using one to dry your tent could mean the end of its usable life, so tread carefully. After all, it may be the only place you can go to get away from the cold, wet rain. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. Try to avoid hot or damp storage locations such as the attic, the trunk of your car, or outside. link to Full Guide To Flying With Camping Gear (Must Read! The best (and pretty much only way) to properly dry out of a tent is to hang it up and let it air dry. [ After Finishing Your Camping ] Drying a Tent at The Campsite. Take a look at the link above to find out more details on properly handwashing your tent. You can also place a ground sheet inside of your tent that is slightly larger than the footprint of your tent to create the bathtub effect. The best (and pretty much only way) to properly dry out of a tent is to hang it up and let it air dry. Just like with the dryer, the washing machine can damage a lot of the same things and so you should avoid using it for your tent. Keeping dry is not just a matter of comfort but also safety. You could also pitch your tent in a dry place and let it air dry that way as well, but hanging it … While there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of rain on a camping trip, you definitely want to do your best to keep the inside of your tent as dry as you possibly can. This way if there is any water that seeps through the bottom of your tent it will simply stay underneath the ground sheet instead of getting your sleeping bag and other equipment all soaking wet. After all, there’s no point in getting into a dry tent when the clothes on your body are soaking wet. When you know your tent will hold up, listening to the pitter-patter of rain while you snuggle up in … Wherever you decide to hang it up, it is best to extend it out as much as possible. The material can also rot … Test your tent at home in the rain before the first camping trip. You're signed out. Both methods require a soft sponge to get off any caked dirt and grime. When looking for the perfect spot to pitch your tent, even if the forecast … Investing in the right tent could mean the difference between being soaking wet or being... Reapply Waterproof Sealant and Coating. This product should only be used if you notice the previous coating flaking off on the inside of your rainfly or on the floor of your tent. Under inclement weather conditions, drying a tent can be an exceedingly daunting task. For this reason, I sometimes open the entranceway of my tent just a little bit to crack it open for ventilation. Or possibly a combination of both. Instead, your best bet is to wear something more water resistant such as Merino wool or polyester. Simply line the inside of your backpack with a plastic garbage bag and then pack all of your camping gear into their own resealable plastic bags. I hope that this website provides you with helpful information to make your next camping trip the best! One thing that has to be taken care of when you’re buying a fabric sealer is to check whether the sealer you pick is compatible with the type of fabric that you intend to protect. Chris shows you the easiest and preferred way to dry your canvas wall tent out. The excess heat in a dryer can weaken the material of the tent and that could lead to rips and tears in the tent. Use a tarp under the tent. Synthetic bags retain warmth if they become damp; however, be sure to store it in a waterproof stuff sack, and you can dry it out in the morning. Apart from making the material water resistant, this sealer adds an extra protective coating to fabric, and as a result, they increase the life of the tent in the process. This will ensure that you have plenty of room to walk around outside of your tent, as well as give you extra protection from the rain. Bear in mind, however, that you’ll need to leave these sealants for 24 hours to ensure that they are completely dry, so you’ll need to ensure a place is prepared for spreading out the tent until the drying process is over. Water repellent spray is used to reapply a durable water repellent (DWR) coating on the outside of the rainfly on the tent. However, it’s important that you build your fire a good distance away from your tent and your tarp. Having your tarp slanted will also help to prevent rainwater from pooling together on top of your tarp. Come rain or shine, you can now confidently camp and rest assured that your tent will keep you dry. I know it is a lot more effort than just tossing it into the washer and dryer, but your tent is your shelter when you are camping and you want to properly take care of it so that it can properly take care of you. You’ll want to use this product when you notice that rain isn’t beading up on the outside of your rainfly no more. 2. A tent that is stored while still damp or has water trapped inside is at risk of mold, and mildew. If you know it’s going to rain on your camping trip then you may want to bring along some garbage bags and some resealable plastic bags to help protect your gear from getting wet. Thoroughly air-dry your tent after trips and cleanings. These tents have a barrier on tehir bottom that extends up the side of the tent. Fabric sealer, on the other hand, is a waterproof sealant that can be used on the inside of your rainfly or on the floor of your tent. After that, you will be looking at mold and mildew problems that are difficult to get rid of. First, it is important to know why you shouldn’t put your tent in the dryer and what could result from doing so. Condensation is one of the most inconvenient truths of tent camping, but it is a reality that campers have to face. How to dry up a tent faster. Tents have seam taping that could be damaged or they could come off in the dryer and that would allow water to find its way inside your tent when it’s raining. I recommend that you wear waterproof clothing such as a rain jacket, rain pants and maybe even a poncho. That is why I created this website to share a lot of the information, tips, tricks, hacks, and benefits of small car camping. Not water-resistant, but waterproof. Toss it in the tub, let it air dry by rotating it around every so often and use a blow dryer to dry it out the rest of the way. Even if the tent comes out of the dryer without rips and tears, the dryer could have distorted or warped parts of the tent from the heat. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You have entered an incorrect email address! However, it rains during the pack down and now you have a wet tent. However, it is worth a try than leaving it to make moisture and mildew; and see it decompose it unusable fabrics.