need help from experienced tent campers

[disneynewbeemom]

We will be tent camping in FW for 8 nights in October. We just bought a tent. What do we need to do to the tent to get it ready for camping? Should we put something under the tent when we camp? Should we hang something over the tent to protect us- is this possible to do with a large tent? Please keep the advice coming. The drier I stay, the happier my family will be!! Thanks.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

You should practice setting up and taking down the tent a few times before you use it the first time, just to make sure you have all the parts and know how they work.

I'm assuming your tent comes with a rain fly - this is an important piece that goes over the top of the tent to help the rain funnel away from the sides of the tent. Make sure you know how to put that on properly before you go.

We usually put a tarp under our tent as an extra layer between the ground and ourselves. We don't stake it down or anything - we just fold it up to be just smaller than the floor of our tent, and put it on the ground right under where we set up our tent.

We also use air mattresses or foam ground pads under our sleeping bags inside the tent. We find these help us to get a better nights' sleep and diminish the impact of any unevenness of the ground under our tent.

Have fun camping!

 

[disneynewbeemom]

Does anybody put a tarp or canopy over their large tent? If so, how do you do this?

 

[clkelley]

I tent camp quite a bit.

As the earlier posters said, set that tent up ahead of time to make sure all the parts are there and you know how to do it.

Yes, you need a ground cloth. Many folks use tarps and tuck the edges under. I buy a roll of the 6 mil plastic and cut it to fit my tent (1 inch smaller all the way around). I also cut a second piece of plastic to fit and it goes inside the tent. At Ft. Wilderness I also bring the .1 mil painters plastic sheets and lay them down first under everything else. The sand at Ft. Wilderness gets really gummy when wet and is hard to clean off of your groundcloth. At the end of your trip, just throw the nasty cheap plastic away.

I don't put tarps above my tent, I just seal the fabric extensively. I use seam sealer and seal all of the seams, then I get the spray fabric sealer and seal the fabric. I usually do several coats. A large tent usually takes about 5 or 6 cans of the stuff.

I do put a shelter (EZ Up) at the entrance of my tent so that I can relax outside in my chair even if it is raining. That also gives me a place to hang my rainsuit/poncho outside the tent and I can leave my shoes outside the tent.

 

[leprechaun]

We have a 10x13 cabin tent that we always put a ground cloth under and if we are going to be one spot for a while we use a 20x30 tarp as extra foul weather and sun protection. The 20' edge is in line with the 13' edge of the tent. After we stake down the tent we place the rain fly and the tarp on the tent frame before they are stood up this way we do not struggle triing to slide the tarps up and over the ridge. Once the tent is standing we stand up three adjustable tent poles, one the same hight as the ridge and two the same as the sides to hold up the 30' end of the tarp. Then everthing is guy wired, tied down, and staked down, whalla you have an extra 20'x13' of space out of rain and direct sun
It takes about an hour, if I get help it takes longer!

 

[disneynewbeemom]

clkelley -- I saw your tentsite photos on another thread. That is what I need! We have a 14 x 12 tent and will probably be bringing a smaller tent to put some of our stuff in. The tent has a 88 inch center height. Will the EZ ups be tall enough to accomodate my tent size? My husband would much rather do these than fool with tarps above the tent. I liked your idea for the plastic. I'm surprised that you can fit all of your stuff on the campsite. Please keep the advice coming!

 

[clkelley]

Absolutely. My EZUps were only clicked "up" to the first level. I think there is at least one, maybe, two more heights.

Carol

 

[disneynewbeemom]

Where do you buy EZups? Is it the same thing as a sun shelter?

 

[clkelley]

I got one of mine at Wal-Mart. The brand is "First Up". In the camping section.

The second one I got at Dicks Sporting Goods. The brand is Quest.

Any camping type store, (Cabellas, Gandor Mountain, Bass Pro Shop, Dicks) or camping section of a department store will have some brand of instant set up shelter.

Most retail for $80 - $95 for a 10x10, if you keep looking at different times per year, they go on sale for about $50.