Tent camping in rain?

FoudaFaFa

Near ocean.Dont expect downpours or Tstorms but light to steady intermittent rain. Hate to cancel as only chance to get away from rat race for a while. I got all the info from REI about waterproofing tent....No kids coming so no wet cold kids to worry over. Will have tent and a tarp for covering Weather to be mild 60's cloudy/rainy.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ideas for... tent camping in the rain? is the question I like to make it short so people get the jist of the question since the answers cutit short otherwise
ideas for ...things to do to pass the time your past experiences etc
been camping before Yes but always looking for ways to improve I have plastic bins ready to go so I have the basics ready like matches kitchen stuff etc
thanks exp Dave and Denver I love the army and air force way comparison! And the reminder of the tsunami made me giggle too And it is in an area for that as well.

Answer
1. Use a rain fly. You do not want the rain to be falling directly onto the tent as it will wick thru.

2. Make sure you have good drainage around the tent. Do not pitch the tent in a dry stream bed as it will not be dry for long. You may have to trench around the tent to keep water from going under the tent.

3. If your tent uses stakes, there are two ways to drive them in.

ARMY WAY... the stakes are driven in IN LINE with the tent ropes. That way in a high wind, the stakes come up and the tent is not torn to pieces. After the storm settles down, you re-pitch the tent.

AIR FORCE WAY. the stakes are driven in at an angle away from the line and tent. That way the stakes can not pull loose from the ground. In a big storm the tent will stay up until it hits its failure point then it will be ripped to shreds. After the storm settles down, you go buy a new tent.

4. Pitching the tent on TOP of a hill or UNDER a tree is not a good idea, specially if the tent uses metal support poles. Make sure you are well above the high water/high tide/storm surge mark.

5. Make sure the door of the tent faces away from the prevailing winds. If straight on, the rain will get blown into the tent. At an angle to the wind your flaps will flap all night.

6. There is no such thing as water proof. Bring an extra tarp and clothing, specially dry socks.

7. If the ocean suddenly recedes from the shore, do not stand there watching it! Run as fast as you can to the highest point you can get to immediately. Do not bother trying to collect your stuff, just run. The receding water is the first half of a tsunami. You do not want to be sitting down on the beach when the second half arrives.

What is the most wind resistant tent you can get for beach camping?

porkstar3

My wife and I are camping on the beach at Galveston Island State Park this spring/summer. We currently have a Coleman dome tent, but it tends to really bend and flex in the wind. We're looking for something a little more sturdy. We usually keep most of our gear and stuff outside the tent under a gazebo shelter, so storage, gear lofts, vestibules, etc. are not that big of an issue. We want to make this a longer stay than normal. A more sturdy tent that doesn't cave in and use up all the interior space will make all the difference.

We'd like plenty of room if possible. My wife and I are both....uh...."full figured" so the person capacity needs to be a bit "negotiable.".

Answer
You will need to spend a little more to get a stronger tent. You can stay with a Coleman but at the price range several other tent makers are better priced for a rigid tent. I like the Coleman Heka x tent for a rigid tent design and yet still affordable, their next level tent the helios x3 is an expedition class with expedition price to go with it.

Getting away from Coleman to REI brands they have a strong Multi season called the Mountain 2 with high ratings that is cheaper in price then the Coleman Helios.

Anyway the key to having your tent hold up in the wind is having it set properly to the wind, the low end facing the predominate wind direction and having some kind of wind break. a picnic table, tree, your car, a large pile of drift wood, whatever you can find.

Good luck!

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Is there a particular brand/type of camping tent that is more sturdy in high winds?

porkstar3

My wife and I go beach camping a lot during the summer. We have a very nice Coleman tent, but it doesn't handle wind very well. I usually sleep with the side of the tent whacking me in the face most of the night.

Answer
A "mountaineering" tent is designed for high mountains and high winds which works OK in freezing temperatures, but may be a bit too stuffy (and damp) in moderate climes. Mountain Hardware makes a few excellent models: http://www.rei.com/product/732212

Stephenson's Warmlite tents with optional stabilizers can survive in winds up to 160 MPH, according to them. http://www.warmlite.com/tents.htm

Here are some tips for setting up any tent in high winds: http://www.bicycletouring101.com/CampTentHighWinds.htm

Anyone been to Harrison Beach Campground? Any recommendations for where to get a good packing tent?

Answer
REI has alot of very light tents,not the cheapest but their selection is good.

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What ultra light tent 3 season would you chose for backpacking.?

beach tents rei image

421

m trying to find a quality 3 season 2 person tent that weighs as little as possible. ...Ive found a few i like but if you have other suggestions please make them...... Im planning an around the world trip with a lot of camping, and beach camping so I need quality no-see-um mesh....... Which of these would you chose and why?..... 1. http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/zoid2.asp ..... 2. http://www.sierradesigns.com/tents.display.php?id=14 ..... 3. http://tinyurl.com/2jvg6u ..... 4. http://www.basegear.com/mountain-hardwear-lightpath-2.html .....please dont answer without explaining why you think your suggestion is best.

Answer
Tents are a very personal choice and some people prefer some features over others. One question I would ask is if you are going alone or will be sharing the tent with somebody. Keep in mind that when manufacturers say '2 person tent' they generally assume that each person is about 5 feet tall and weights 90 pounds. If you are sharing with somebody, than it better be somebody you know really well. :)

All of the tents above are respected models from respected manufacturers. One thing to consider if you will be camping on sand, is that the REI Qtr Dome is the only one of the tents above that is completely free-standing - all the others must be staked down to stand up. Free-standing tents are a big plus where the ground is likely to be really loose (sand) or really hard (slickrock). After a few less than ideal experiences with other tents, I always buy free standing ones now.

Another thing to consider if you have lots of gear to protect or it will likely be rainy is the size of the vestibule (the area outside the tent that is still covered by the rainfly) - small ones (like on the Flashlight) are next to worthless, especially if there are two of you.

I have an REI Half-Dome (a slightly larger version of the Qtr Dome) and it is an excellent tent - well designed, well ventilated and roomy. The Qtr Dome has the same attributes, but with a little less space (and weight). If there will be two of you, I would strongly suggest looking at the Half-Dome otherwise if it is just yourself (and you want the extra space), I would recommend the Qtr Dome.

Although it is not on your list, you may also want to consider the Black Diamond HiLight which just got rave reviews in Backpacker Magazines gear guide. It is a freestanding 2 person tent with a large vestibule that weighs in at 3 pounds.

WaterPROOF tent for camping on ocean beach?

Bonghuffer

Does coleman or any more respected tent makers offer an already waterproofed tent to withstand multi-hour downpours?

I'm sure that Coleman is like the Huffy/Murray of camping gear, so any camping pros out there please let me know whom for to be looking.
Already got reservations, thanks. Had a great old tent heirloomed, lent it to a friend who lent it to a friend... Now we realize that we need a new one and dropping a half thousand on one that we plan on using twice a year is tough right now. The coleman that she got has a way-too-small fly and seems as waterproof as my tee shirts. She's returning it as soon as it dries out. How are Eureka brand tents? Worth buying, seam-sealing and fly-sealing?

Answer
There is no tent that is completely "waterproof". Coleman is a leader in family camping tent gear and their products are treated and seams factory sealed for weather protection so they have a "weather protection guarantee" but that is vague at best. Any tent for it to have good resistance to the weather must be set up correctly and all seams sealed and the material rated or coated with water resistance material. I find that higher end tents have better designs for weather protection and dome style tents the best overall design. Again Coleman meets that need. Here is an article to help you choose a quality tent,
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/family-base-camping-tent.html

Now you stated you are interested in beach camping. First if you don't have reservations now forget it all beach camping in the state of california is by reservation only 6 months in advance. Next beaches are naturally humid and tents are always damp inside and out in any weather situation specially at night . To help with that you need a tent with very good ventilation. Again Coleman tents meet that need.

@Eureka is no different than Coleman except for tent designs they use the same comparable materials and methods of construction or weather proofing, it's comparing apples to oranges

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