Planning A Camping Trip When It's Raining

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 27th, 2010

Did you think all camping enthusiasts sat at home and bemoaned their fate during the rainy season? Nothing could be further than the truth! Veteran, hard-core campers don?t let a little or even a lot of rain dampen their adventurous spirit. Much like Gene Kelly who picked up his umbrella and went ?Singing and Dancing in the Rain?, true campers pick up their tents and happily go ?Camping in the Rain?. And if they are lucky, the rain may just let up long enough to let them indulge in some rambunctious singing and dancing around the campfire at night.

While camping in the rain is certainly no picnic, with having to endure slushy puddles and wet socks; it can be fun if you carry along the right attitude. Think of every puddle you step into as an amusing story to regale others with at future campfires. Soaking wet, ?putting-up-the-tent-in-pouring-rain? stories sure beat ?putting-up-the-tent-under-the-moonlight? stories any day.

Choosing the right tent and packing the right gear can help make your rainy camping trip a tad drier, at least while you sleep at night.

Choosing the Right Tent

Choosing a good quality, rain-proof tent is most important. You may be able to endure anything a rainy camping trip throws up at you while you are awake, but there?s nothing faintly amusing or interesting about a tent that sprouts a leak when you are tired and fast asleep. Read the label carefully and ensure the coating of the tent is waterproof; not water-resistant.

Tents with ?bathtub floors? are especially designed for camping in the rain. The entrance way forms a lip and is not as flat as the rest of the floor. These tents also have a full fly sheet, which has a sufficient overhang so as to prevent the mud from getting splashed upward.

When camping in the rains, chances you are will be spending a lot of time indoors. Buying a large-sized tent will help you and your camping buddies stay sane longer.

Packing the Right Gear

Always carry one or even two spare set of clothes, a towel and a change of shoes. Wrap them all up in waterproof bags so that they stay dry no matter what. Other handy necessities are the same as for any camping trip in dry weather and would include a first-aid kit, torch and most important of all, a lighter. Soggy matches do not a bonfire make.

A pair of rubber slip-ons would come in really handy if you need to make short trips to check on something outside the tent. They are easy to slip-on and slip-off at the front door.

Though an umbrella may sound like a strange choice for a camping trip, it is invaluable for keeping things dry when moving them from the car to the tent.

Consider carrying along a tarp to lay on the ground under the tent. This helps protect the floor of the tent from tearing and letting water get inside. Make sure the tarp is smaller than the tent?s floor and is completely under it. A larger tarp will collect the rain water that runs off your tent and cause it to collect between the tarp and the tent floor.

A pack of cards and a couple of board games are all you need to round off your camping trip in rainy weather. t