Sand? I'm stressed!

[ShellieR]

I love tent camping....my family loves tent camping but we have never camped where there has been sand. I am really stressing about the sand issue I plan on using your tips of the painters plastic , tarp, then tent then another tarp on the tent floor. I'll bring a mat for inside the tent and outside to wipe our shoes on. I'll tell my boys to take their shoes off before entering the tent. I don't think this will be enough to keep the sand out of my bed! Is it possible to just line the whole sand pad with tarps? Or will that create puddles of water?? Is there anything else I can do?

 

[stefa70]

I haven't tent camped for a long time but I can tell you that I also HATE sand, but can tolerate the "coquina shell" pad at the fort. It's not really sand but crushed shells, so while it's a pain when it's tracked into your tent, it doesn't have the same feeling as sand. Hope that calms your fears! You'll be having so much fun you'll hardly notice!!

 

[big kahuna1]

You can set the entrance of your tent up against the paved part of the site if you really hate tracking the coquina shell inside. This may help a little bit but that stuff seems to find its way anyway.

 

[MomofSixinSC]

I am a true princess and would have noticed even one grain of sand in my bed. We did not use tarps, painter's plastic, or even a carpet outside the tent. I did see some sand in the tent, but there was none in my bed. I did tell the children not to wear shoes in the tent, which they mostly obeyed. I would receommend a small dustpan and broom to gather up tha little bit that gets in the tent day to day, but we managed without that as well.

Praying your trip is a wonderful as our's was!

 

[Bearikens]

I've tent camped at the Fort several times and have found that I can drastically reduce the amount of "sand" tracked into the tent by placing the tent entrance next to (or on top of) the concrete, using a door mat, and bringing a small broom and dustpan. If, at all possible, avoid walking on the "sand" except when setting up and tearing down and remove your shoes before entering the tent...additionally, the broom can be used to sweep the sand from your shoes and inside the tent. The first trip my DW and I set the tent up on the concrete...this option works for those who have sufficient weighty items inside the tent (to keep it from blowing) and use cots or inflatable mattresses to sleep upon. Oh, almost forgot to mention that the "sand" is heavily compacted and I would also recommend bringing and using longer tent stakes than those provided by the manufacturer (I use those oversized nail stakes - can be found at Walmart and Coleman stores). The "sand" can bend inexpensive metal stakes and I have broken a few plastic ones as well.

Hope this helps

 

[mikeymouse1]

We used to be earth dwellers too and we had a big peace of Brady Bunch grass (indoor outdoor carpet) that we put out in front of the tent.We still use the rug with our camper. Camping World sells a plastic woven rug that allows water and dirt to fall threw.

 

[KristinU]

An RV awning mat outside of the entrance will help quite a bit too. Nice and big and most of the dirt and sand has been tracked off by the time you hit the door. It has made a tremendous difference for us with all sorts of ground material (pine needles, dirt, sand, etc.) They can be found online, at RV places, and I think at Wally World.