How do you keep your tent free from dirt?

[dsneybride]

Hello all! I am taking my family tent camping at the world for Thanksgiving! Its also my dh and dd birthdays that week. We have been camping a few times years ago and I am very excited to do it again. The only thing I dont like about it is all the dirt you get in the tent. Anybody have any ideas of keeping most of the dirt out?

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Welcome to the Disboards!

Keeping the dirt out of a tent is not easy at the Fort. The coquina/sand sticks to shoes and feet. A couple of tips:

-If possible, set up your tent so that the entry sits right on the edge of the concrete slab. If you can do this, then no one will be walking through the sand to get in the tent.

-Set out mats for everyone to wipe their feet before entering the tent. If possible, have everyone remove their shoes before entering the tent, or set up a place right inside the tent for this. Have a mat outside to wipe feet, and then another inside to stand on to remove shoes. Back in my tent camping days, I had the kids wear flip flops around camp (which is fine at the Fort, but obviously wouldn't be OK at some place with a lot of rocks and such), and this made it easy to remove their shoes before coming in to the tent.

These two tips should cut down on the sand problem. But, even if you do this, that pesky sand will get in your tent. The only thing that you can do about it is to be sure to have a whisk broom and dust pan, and use it often. I had a friend who used a really fine brush instead of a regular straw type whisk broom, and that seemed to really help with the sand.

Have fun!

TCD

 

[mamaloya]

I keep a rug outside the tent that is strawlike, very stiff. It will scrape the dirt from shoes. I also keep a bin outside for shoes. I also have a rag rug just inside the tent. The kids know to wipe their shoes on the outside mat, remove a shoe, put it in the bin, put that foot inside on rug, then repeat with other foot. LOL I also keep a small whisk broom inside the tent and I sweep up often. If I catch a kid tracking in, that kid gets to sweep. Once they figure out how much fun it is to sweep, they learn to keep the dirt out. LOL

Something that I want to get for future trips is one of those indoor outdoor rugs that are 4x6. I figure if that have to walk over that before even getting to my first rug, it will help.

BTW, we also do the flip flop thing when around the campsite.

Hope this helps a little and I didn't ramble so much as to make no sense at all. LOL

 

[dsneybride]

Thanks!! Those are great ideas. My dds are 3 and 7 so we will see how well the little one does! I was also thinking of bringing my dust buster for what does make it in.

 

[ElementCamper]

I do the same tips above, setup tent so the front door is next to the concrete pad, and no shoes in the tent!

Years ago I found a wet/dry rechargeable dust buster on clearance, no idea where. It not only sucks up the dirt but if the tent does get wet inside it sucks up the excess water too.

I also take those rubber interlocking mats like you buy for a shop floor or play room and those are my tent 'floor.' It protects the tent from any grime that does get in.

 

[mamaloya]

Elementcamper, excellent tip on the interlocking mats. Awesome. I was wanting something for the inside of the tent but something that packed small. It will also make it a little softer. The kids may be willing to sleep just in sleeping bags and eliminate the need for all those air mattresses (except mine of course. LOL) I am gonna have to look into them.

I also want to find the wet/dry dustbuster. I had the regular rechargeable one years ago and have one for my car. They are great. Wow, more stuff to put on my list.

 

[photo_chick]

Get the dust buster. While I have not camped at the World, I have camped. A dust Buster also works great if you get invaded by ants or need to suck up spilled soda and chips.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Don't let your feet get dirty.

WELCOME to the boards !

 

[dsneybride]

Now why didnt I think of that Frank?!?

 

[clkelley]

When I did a lot of tent camping, I actually used 3 ground cloths at the Fort.

The first ground cloth was the really thin painters plastic that went directly on the sand.

The 2nd ground cloth was 6 mil plastic cut to fit my tent about 1" smaller all the way around

The 3rd ground cloth was also 6 mil plastic cut to fit that went inside my tent. Makes sure that any seepage you might have on the floor stayed under that plastic and not soaked into your stuff.

The thin painters plastic gets thrown away at the end of the trip.

I always had a rain/sun shelter that covered the entrance of my tent, so that I could chuck my shoes into a bin, and also take off any rain gear and hang it outside the tent.

I don't do flip flops, but have a pair of rubber soled slippers that I can get on and off easily.

 

[stacktester]

I keep a small shop vac in the trailer with a brush on the end. It works great to get sand up.