First Time Tent Camping, Very Nervous about Waterproofing

[jpthom17]

I have done a lot of camping in all sorts of situations and in different types of tents. My one suggestion would be to try and sleep off of the ground (i.e., on an air mattress or cot). Not only will you be more comfortable, but if you do leak any water into the tent during the night you won't wake up to find yourself wet and miserable- this has definitely happened to me!

Being prepared ahead of time will make for the best camping experience and it sounds like you are well on your way. Have a great time!!

 

[tiggerdad]

Good luck I have never boiled water on a grill with charcoal.

I use a stainless steel pan actually sitting in the coals when I have a firepit. Granted now, the bigger the pan the harder it is. Playing around with it last time at the Fort I started the charcoal on the grill and then let the grid down as low as I could get it to the coals. It didn't get boiling as quickly but it did eventually get going.

I only did it as an experiment since I had a water heater and had already cooked dinner on the grill. Seemed a waste of charcoal to just let it burn out...

If you have a hotplate this would probably be a better option and work more efficiently.

 

[JanL]

"A regular tent camper on the disboards suggests putting a tarp on the inside of the tent floor. Just in case water comes inside somehow, it will go under the tarp and your stuff will stay dry."

The inside tarp needs to be about the same size as the inside tent floor. Lay the tarp down and pull up each corner and clip (I use clothes pins or office binder clips) it so it forms a short wall or lip on each side of the tarp. This gives you an inside "tray" with a channel between it and the tent walls. Condensation goes down the wall into the channel. Any water from the ground outside goes under the "tray" so your stuff stays dry. When time to break camp, roll the tray up and take it outside to get rid of any dirt that has been tracked in. This saves having to sweep the tent and helps the tent floor last longer.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Ok, regular camper here, and I wanted to give my 2 cents on a few things.

1. the tarp under the tent has a couple of main jobs, but rain proofing isn't really one of them...it is to protect the bottom of the tent from damage and tears mainly...in fact, if the tarp sticks out too far, it will channel water under the tent...so IF you have a tarp, tuck the edges under.

2. without the waterproofing, yes, anything touching the sides or rainfly would cause the water to leak in...also check the rain fly to make sure there is nothing on the outside pushing on it...a small impression can fill and leak.

3. If you really need a tarp...don't buy a tent tarp...go buy a large sheet of plastic from the hardware store cut to fit. The heavier painter's plastic they put down when painting...works well, costs much less.

4. Keep your clothes in large ziplock or space bags...just in case.

Enjoy...I love the sound and smell of rain while camping.

 

[TinaLala]

We purchased an Ozark Trail, 3 room, 12 person cabin tent. The seams were all factory sealed with some type of tape. The tent is labeled as being water resistant. A note from the manufacturer said the tent shouldn't need to be waterproofed, but it couldn't hurt. I didn't care, I covered the whole thing including the rain fly and the windows in some waterproof spray made for tents by Scotch. It was about $4 a can from Walmart and it took about 6-7 cans to do the job. We also ran seam sealer around any seams that didn't have the tape, including where the bottom of the tent and the tent walls meet. I can't think of anywhere else I need to waterproof. Someone told me not to let anything inside the tent touch the walls because of wicking of the water into the tent. Is this true? We purchased tarps to go below the tent floor even though the tent floor itself is a tarp like material. I did not get one to go over the tent cause I thought this would look ridiculous and not allow us access to the site because of this giant freaking tarp over the entire camp site. Am I being too worried? Do tents usually stand up to rain without a problem? Can stuff touch the walls? Please, please help my mind rest or tell me how to keep myself dry.

Girl Scout leader here who loves tenting!

It looks like a great Tent. I'd still put a tarp under your tent as well as over, especially since the mini awning isn't going to keep anyone dry. condensation from dew accumulates on the nylon which can get fabric wet on the inside of the tent. Be sure to keep beds and items away from the edge.

Cast iron pans - be sure to use wooden or plastic utensils and bring oil to recondition your cast iron between uses. Definitely make sure you put cast iron back onto the fire when done cooking so it will burn off the bad stuff.

Look into making some monkey bread or banana floats easy supplies and really yummy!

Check out the camping threads here on disboards, lots of great resources. Make sure you bring bug repellant or dryer sheets work well. Or even sage thrown into the fire.

 

[tina.tina]

A hot plate is a great idea. I actually used one for a little while in my home when my DH accidentally dropped a coffee mug and broke the glass top on the stove.

 

[Teamubr]

I was going to follow them to the camp site with my car so that I had it and it was insisted that my car wouldn't make it because of the rough terrain... and that was all completely untrue.

Sounds like they had planned a weekend full of hazing. Not really the kind of scouting I recall. Oh well.

Good news now is, you have control (and your car) and it sounds like you have a great plan to make sure things go well. That, along with all the advice on here, and you'll have a magical trip.

j

 

[hsmamato2]

I understand OP,once you get 'soaked' while camping...it sticks with you! (camped once,4 day weekend, nonstop soaking rains the ENTIRE time,nothing was dry)
YOu will need to expect condensation/moisture in the tent, it's what happens, but nothing should be dripping in. (fingers crossed for my own aging tent this weekend) I personally dislike all the extra sprays for waterproofing, in my experience they don't work well. In some cases I would swear it makes things drippier- generally if you buy a decent tent, it is waterproof already. Bring an extra tarp just in case something starts leaking,you can always toss it over the tent if needed to keep it dry.
tent living, IMHO is always slightly damp anyway, it's just part of things. I try to dry the tent out during the days whenever possible. And I try to never touch the sides in the rain. Just keep some dry supplies in case something gets wet- like in a plastic bin.

 

[hsmamato2]

oo yes, good points.... I like sleeping up off the ground, I recently switched from an aerobed (RIP) to a folding cot..... I like the cot the best and I keep my clothes in a water resistant duffel under the cot, so I have breathing room there(you can tell I've gotten soaked before, won't do it again) plus inside the car is always dry, so last resort, pack stuff into the car till the rain stops. (I keep the snacks etc in the trunk anyway)