Staying dry while camping in the rain can be difficult to accomplish. You want to be outside enjoying the fresh air and scenery. So how can you do both? Read on for a few tips and hacks that will help you have a great experience even when the rain is falling.
Staying Dry
Planning a camping trip months in advance brings with it plenty of uncertainty about what the weather will be when the dates finally arrive. You can watch the long range forecast leading up to your getaway and it might be calling for sunshine and a zero percent chance of rain.
Of course weather patterns can change in a flash and out of nowhere the day before you head out there’s suddenly an 80 percent chance of showers. Cancelling your trip isn’t an option but you hate the idea of getting soaked. Plus you know your gear will be a complete mess, making for a long and painful cleanup when you get back home.
Not the idea of the perfect camping weekend you had in mind is it?!
While you can’t change the weather, you can definitely be prepared so that you can make the most of a damp situation. All it takes is a positive attitude and a little extra gear.
Here are 6 tips for staying dry while camping in the rain:
- Setup on high ground
- Lots of tarps
- Step stool
- Rain gear
- Dry firewood
- Plastic bags
- Towels
- Clothesline
- Tent Heater
Set up camp on high ground
The most important thing you can do to keep your tent and gear dry while camping is to set up on high ground. Water flows downhill. It always has and it always will. So the best thing you can do is stay out of the holes where water will flow to and pool.
When you arrive at your site, take a look around and find the high point. As long as the ground is suitable for your setup, meaning it’s free of rocks, large slopes and the like, set up there. If the highest spot doesn’t look great for a tent, find another that might be a little lower but a little more comfortable. If need be you can always carve out a small swale around your tent to direct the water a little better.
Setting up underneath trees with a lot of branches can also help to keep an excessive amount of rain from reaching the tent.
Use tarps to keep dry areas around your campsite
Create your dry living space by using as many tarps as you need. If the weatherman is calling for plenty of rain, put a tarp underneath your tent to keep water from flowing into and saturating the tent floor.
Hang a second tarp over your tent. This is where having trees around your tent helps a lot as well. Using rope, tie the tarp to the trees around your tent and slope the tarp away from your tent so that water will not run back into it.
Don’t be shy with the tarps. They’re the best thing you’ll have to keep rain from falling on your head while also allowing you to direct the water away from your site and gear. Place as many as you need around your site to create dry outdoor living spaces and a camp cooking center.
What are the best camping knots to tie down a tarp?
The Alpine Butterfly Loop Knot as well as the Taut-Line Hitch Knot are a couple of great choices that will keep your tarp secure.
A step stool can help you setup rain guards
For a tarp to be effective, it’s got to be set up high enough. The problem is reaching above the tent and high enough up the tree while also being able to tie the darn thing. If you’re car camping, packing a small stool that can help you reach an extra foot or two will make a big difference and won’t take up a lot of space.
Rain clothing will keep you dry and warm
This is just as important for adults as it is for kids. If you don’t like wet clothing, bring along all the rain gear you’ve got so you can be covered from head to toe. A good rain coat, splash pants and waterproof shoes or boots will keep you from getting wet, cold and grumpy.
Combine it with waterproof socks and light waterproof clothing made of polyester, nylon or polyurethane laminate so the rain has little chance of soaking through. Plus don’t forget to change into dry clothing often as necessary and especially before bed.
Dry firewood is key to any good campfire
A warm and toasty campfire might be more important than ever for staying dry while camping in the rain. But getting that fire started and keeping it going can be a real challenge if the wood is wet.
If you expect that the wood at the campsite is already too wet to really use, bring some firestarter from home. Packing dryer lint into used toilet paper rolls is an excellent quick firestarter tinder item.
To keep your kindling and campfire wood dry, place it underneath the vehicle if it’ll be close by. Or keep it tucked away under a tarp or close by the fire.
Need a few tips on getting that campfire going? Check out this post on picking the best campfire wood and getting the fire started.
Plastic Bags and Ziploc Bags
If you’re expecting rain, pack important items and clothing in plastic ziploc bags so even if your backpacks get wet you’ll still have dry fresh clothing.
Packing away wet clothes, tents and other gear into the car at the end of the trip is not fun either. Bring a few large plastic garbage bags along so you can throw all of the wet gear and clothing together. Then sort it out when you get home.
Towels to wipe off your camping gear
Even when the rain stops, if the sun doesn’t pop out right away your gear will remain wet for a long time. Packing plenty of dry towels will help so you can wipe down the things you’d like to use right away like camping chairs and cooking areas.
Some extra rope and clothespins are a great idea so you can string up a clothesline and dry things out as much as possible while it’s not raining.
A Tent Heater can dry camping gear and keep you warm
Inevitably, you’ll want to spend some time inside your tent playing games or relaxing out of the rain. A good way to stay dry while it’s raining on your camping trip or to dry up and warm up is to have a tent heater inside. There are a lot of safe and efficient options that are perfectly fine for using inside.
How to dry out your camping gear
Wet camping gear will become moldy and smelly if you don’t take care of it soon after you get home for your trip. To dry out your gear, set up the tent in the back yard and let it air out. Similarly for other gear like camping chairs and tarps, open them up and let them dry. That way you’ll be good to go the next time you need it.
Camping in the rain can still be loads of fun
The most important thing you can do is keep a positive attitude! Don’t let a little wet weather ruin an opportunity to have fun with your family and friends. Let the kids splash around in the puddles and search for frogs. Just make sure to follow these tips so you have a dry campsite to come back to.
Thanks for reading these tips for staying dry while camping in the rain! We love writing about the things that make a real difference in your outdoor experience. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links in which case we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. We truly appreciate you taking the time to read our content and hope it has added value to your next camping and outdoor adventure.
