Best Kind of Tent for Camping in Rain
sawr...@smartt.com
I need some advise on what kind of tent would withstand constant rain.
I would also like the tent to be fairly compact and lightweight. I am
not sure what kind of money I'll need to spend to get one like this.
Based on my knowledge of tents, my main requirement should be to look
for one that is very well-ventilated with a waterproof fly to
withstand the rain. What other requirements should a tent have to
handle constant rain?
Many different tents offer different types of ventilation (some have 2
doors on either end to get a cross-breeze, some have mesh tops and a
no-see-um door, and some have mesh all over). How do you pick which
one offers the best ventilation? Is just one large no-see-um door in
a 2-person tent good enough ventilation - or the more the better?
Also, another quick question. I saw a tent that I liked (Moss) at
reputable (and overpriced) camping gear store running at about $350.00
(CAD) and then saw an EXACT model (different brand name-Northern
Escape, different color) at my local Canadian Tire for $140.00 (CAD).
What exactly are you getting in a tent by buying a more reputable
brand name? Is it worth it to spend over twice the price?
Any advice you can offer, or direction you can point me in, would be
much appreciated.
Thanks for your help!
Paula
sawr...@smartt.com
David B. Avigdor
What you're getting for the higher price is probably more durable
materials.
I've been real happy with Eureka tents for good functionality
(especially rain protection) and reasonable price. Two big mesh panels
are very nice, but both don't need to be doors - one can be a window.
An additional design factor in addition to those you mentioned is a
waterproof floor. Floors should have zero or one seam across the
bottom, well seam sealed. The seams between the floors and the walls
should be at least several inches above the bottom.
Eureka Timberline is a good basic model - you can probably find it at
Campmor for about $100.
David Avigdor
Licensed Adirondack Guide
Mrs. Glen
sawr...@smartt.com wrote:
> I need some advise on what kind of tent would withstand constant rain.
> I would also like the tent to be fairly compact and lightweight. I am
> not sure what kind of money I'll need to spend to get one like this.
>
> Based on my knowledge of tents, my main requirement should be to look
> for one that is very well-ventilated with a waterproof fly to
> withstand the rain. What other requirements should a tent have to
> handle constant rain?
There's something else that needs mention about "constant rain," and
that's the ability to stay inside and dry without developing something
akin to cabin fever. Sitting on the floor the top of my head is 48" up; I
won't even consider a tent that doesn't give at least that much head
room. Consider that you could be inside and awake for hours on end.
> Many different tents offer different types of ventilation (some have 2
> doors on either end to get a cross-breeze, some have mesh tops and a
> no-see-um door, and some have mesh all over). How do you pick which
> one offers the best ventilation? Is just one large no-see-um door in
> a 2-person tent good enough ventilation - or the more the better?
The more the better. But look for a rain fly which comes all the way
down, not just part way, then you can get ventilation with shelter from
the storm.
> Also, another quick question. I saw a tent that I liked (Moss) at
> reputable (and overpriced) camping gear store running at about $350.00
> (CAD) and then saw an EXACT model (different brand name-Northern
> Escape, different color) at my local Canadian Tire for $140.00 (CAD).
> What exactly are you getting in a tent by buying a more reputable
> brand name? Is it worth it to spend over twice the price?
You have to make your own judgment about material quality and after-market
service.
> Any advice you can offer, or direction you can point me in, would be
> much appreciated.
Good luck.
> Thanks for your help!
> Paula
> sawr...@smartt.com
You're welcome!
liv2padl
the best kind of tent for sitting out a constant rain is ONE THAT DOESN'T
LEAK !!! Headroom is also good, but I find that when I'm stuck for a
couple of days I tend to read and doze alot ... and read and doze ... and
doze ... and dozzzz ... zzzzzz.
Don't need much headroom for that. :-)
Mike Nowacki
liv2padl wrote:
> I find that when I'm stuck for a
> couple of days I tend to read and doze alot ... and read and doze ...
I tend to cook and eat. I usually bring along a cake mix or the
ingredients to make a cobler or coffee cake. I'll spend the entire day
cooking, eating and playing chess or playing cards inside the tent.
Therefore I like a tent with some headroom as well as a large vestibule
that I can cook in. Actually I don't cook in the vestibule, I have the
pot and stove just outside the vestibule tilted slightly away from the
tent so that if it did spill it would spill away from me. My tent also
has two doors and two vestibules so that even though I'm cooped up in
the tent I can have both doors wide open for fresh air and a view even
when it's pouring out.
If I'm alone then I'll read and doze. If my wife is with me, we'll play
other games. ;-)
Cheers,
Mike
--
Mike Nowacki
EXPEDITION LEADER, INC.
Makers of the CANADIAN SHIELD, 4-Season, Composite sleeping pad.
Bucktex/membrane/open cell foam/solar blanket/closed cell
foam/waterproof nylon
http://www.expedition-leader.com
ArtRobins
>> > I need some advise on what kind of tent would withstand constant rain. I
would also like the tent to be fairly compact and lightweight. I am not sure
what kind of money I'll need to spend to get one like this.
<<<
I have been very satisfied with the Sierra Designs Stretch Dome as a great
refuge in a storm, including prolonged torrential rain and high wind. It's not
light and it's not cheap, but it's good.
Art Robins
Andover, Mass.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
hiking, backpacking, bicycling, photography, dancing, tea drinking
(not all at the same time, however)
Allan Beck
sawr...@smartt.com wrote:
<snip>
: Also, another quick question. I saw a tent that I liked (Moss) at
: reputable (and overpriced) camping gear store running at about $350.00
: (CAD) and then saw an EXACT model (different brand name-Northern
: Escape, different color) at my local Canadian Tire for $140.00 (CAD).
: What exactly are you getting in a tent by buying a more reputable
: brand name? Is it worth it to spend over twice the price?
Just out of curiosity, what Moss tent were you looking at? For most
of them, 350 is a very good price (I spent just over 500 on mine...but
that was a Triton.) If you buy from Moss rather than from Canadian Tire,
you get a whole whack of advantages:
--better materials; Moss uses some of the most durably coated and
waterproof materials in the business, they are in fact about
6-8 times more waterproof than many other reputable brands (Eureka,
MEC, etc) and if you like I can quote references for this.
--better construction; rather than using seam tape or forcing you to
use seam seal, Moss uses thread that swells when it gets wet, which
blocks the needle holes. Also, the poles are Easton aluminum poles,
which are arguably the best available
--better service; the poles on a Moss tent are guarenteed. If you break
one--doesn't matter how--you can send the pole in to them and they
will replace the broken section
--little touches that make it better; the zipper pulls are reflective to
make them easier to find at night, the stakes provided are actually
decent, that sort of thing.
In case you haven't noticed, I like my Moss tent...<grin>
----------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Friesen "The opinions stated are my own and
Nortel are not related to company policy."
Ottawa, ON
"That is the top of the calibration target, that is _not_ in fact a monolith."
--NASA TV commentator, 7/5/97, discussing an image of a black
rectangle silhouetted against the Martian landscape
Jason Chartrand
Just my ideas for Cdn Tire tents ... this last spring I bought a northern
escape "bike n' hike" tent from CT. It cost over $100 ... I was a
newbie, what can I say? I needed a tent in a hurry, and now I'm
kicking myself ...I'll maybe get 3 seasons worth out of it, maybbe 4
if I am gentle. For the same (similar) money I could've got a
timberline 2 ... I know what tent I am buying next. I also saw the same
tent in Backpacker magazine (but "made" by Texsport), and it was
just over $50 American ... If that gives you any idea what Can.
tire is about ...
Jason
: Also, another quick question. I saw a tent that I liked (Moss) at
: reputable (and overpriced) camping gear store running at about $350.00
: (CAD) and then saw an EXACT model (different brand name-Northern
: Escape, different color) at my local Canadian Tire for $140.00 (CAD).
: What exactly are you getting in a tent by buying a more reputable
: brand name? Is it worth it to spend over twice the price?
: Thanks for your help!
: Paula
: sawr...@smartt.com
--
-----
Jason Chartrand "The true worth of a
jcha...@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca Race must be measured
http://www.ualberta.ca/~jchartra By the character of
Its womanhood"
-- Mary Mcleod Bethune
Bill Tuthill
It seems you've gotten fairly predictable answers so far, ranging from
"buy my Bibler" to "buy a [mass market] XYZ tent".
You did say "constant" rain. Here's the problem with constant rain: the
first night your body moisture condenses on the inside of the rainfly;
the second night this condensation drips on the tent body and onto your
sleeping bags; and the third night everything is wet. In typical rainy
weather, single wall tents are even worse.
What's needed is a tent with peak ventilation. These have started to
appear in mass market tents-- I've seen a small LL Bean hoop tent and a
small REI hoop tent with peak vents.
You can also go for a Noall tent. I believe all Noall tents have some
kind of peak ventilation. The Noall Serenity can be pitched rainfly first,
followed by tent body, in order to keep the tent body dry when you're
striking and pitching daily. They range in price from to $200 to $500.
See http://www.backcountrygear.com/tents.htm for pictures.
Ken Meinken
>>> > I need some advise on what kind of tent would withstand constant rain. I
> what kind of money I'll need to spend to get one like this.
><<<
A lot depends on where you are and what you are going to do!
What I have found to be the driest in a heavy rain is a hammock and a
tarp! That's good ventilation, something that is impossible in an
enclosed tent during a rain in high humidity! And, since you are off
the ground, wet sleeping bags are less of a problem.
This works well in the sheltered, high humidity eastern forests. I
wouldn't imagine it would be so good in open, windy areas.
Ken
gperry
On Fri, 14 Nov 1997 16:47:48 GMT, sawr...@smartt.com wrote:
>I need some advise on what kind of tent would withstand constant rain.
>I would also like the tent to be fairly compact and lightweight. I am
>not sure what kind of money I'll need to spend to get one like this.
I can't recommend a specific tent but here are some of my ideas about
tents,FWIW:
Tub floor (preferably w/o any seams in floor)
Full-length rainfly
Enough headroom to sit up in
Seal all seams well
Aluminum tent poles and clips rather than pole sleeves
(makes tent easier and faster to set up...but does create hi-
stress areas on tent)
Free-standing (easy to move if you have planned poorly in
picking your tent site)
Bring an extra tarp to serve as an awning to cook/sit under
(at least you won't be forced to be tent-bound)
G Perry
GEORGE NEWCOMB
In article <3478654f...@news.waymark.net>,
gpe...@waymark.net (gperry) wrote:
If your still looking for a good tent try a Walrus. I have a Lite-Star for backpacking and
bicycling. I also have a Warp 2 for the winter months. A friend of mine owns a Moss that cost
triple the price,it's nice but no better than mine. Every Walrus tent fits the criteria above.
Give them a try, you won't be sorry.
GN
Jeff Wilson
This whole discussion brings home to me how far we have gone
into the gear craze. As a boy scout, I slept many a night
in pouring rain in a canvas tent with no floor. In fact I
snow camped in one too. The trick is being methodical about
how you camp, not buying the supper deluxe "won't leak at
100 meters underwater" tent.
Right now I use a plastic tube tent. Its lighter than any
cloth tent. Yes, you can't play your guitar or cook in it
but its fine if your idea of a good time is playing in the
rain instead of living in a tent. One overlooked tactic is
to ditch the tent if you expect heavy rain. I don't mean
the Eire Canal. A boot heel ditch works fine and is easily
obliterated when you leave. A piece of plastic makes the
best ground cloth. Impervious, cheap, light and actually
pretty tough. Keep away from the walls and don't go make a
lot of trips outside.
Tom
> As a boy scout, I slept many a night
> in pouring rain in a canvas tent with no floor.
So did I.
I also used newspaper as a sleeping pad. But I was young and dumb.
I'll take a real tent and a thermarest over the "old days".
Tom Calhoun
Reply to adventu...@juno.com.spambytes - Remove the .spambytes
GI Joe Custom Backpacking Gear in 1/6 scale
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/9800/atgear.html
Rich
> This whole discussion brings home to me how far we have gone
> into the gear craze. As a boy scout, I slept many a night
> in pouring rain in a canvas tent with no floor. In fact I
> snow camped in one too. The trick is being methodical about
> how you camp, not buying the supper deluxe "won't leak at
> 100 meters underwater" tent.
<snip>
I'd venture to say that most of us started with the cheapest, frills-free
equipment, or did without the equipment. But as time goes on, if you
choose equipment wisely and take care of it, you end up with a variety of
stuff. Most tents can be seam sealed to adequately exclude water. If you
find yourself couped up in a tent for hours during the day, it's nice to
have a little room, especially if you're not backpacking alone. If you're
trying to convince a potential mate that backpacking is a great activity,
it makes sense to carry a few extra comforts.
People should quit making excuses for the "luxury" stuff they take Out
There with them. You are entitled to anything you're willing to carry.
Some people who disagree would like to imply that taking more than the
bare minimum is blasphemy.
--
your favorite State Soil Scientist of South Carolina
remove "spamnot" to e-mail
DsrtTravlr
I got a question. I live in the desert. For me to go camping in the rain, I
have to go camping, and then it rain a couple of days later. Unlike people
from areas where rain is common, I do not go if it looks like it is going to
rain. My experience is very limited.
We went to Escalante, Utah last summer. The summer before, it rained a total
of 20 minutes in 16 days. This year, it rained six out of nine days. And I
mean rain. We done good for a couple of flatlanders, and I learned a lot.
Luckily, I had purchased a large Eureka tent, and it did real fine. The one I
had last year would have leaked like a screen door.
Anyway, back to my question. I want to buy a tent for someone who lives in
Rain Country, Louisiana. Without me going back through all the posts, and
without taking up any space here, please e mail me with your suggestions. I
want an 8x10, and want to spend under $300.
TIA,
Steve, the DsrtTravlr
Pride is when you know what you can do.
Ego is when you have to tell someone.
Kenneth Cline
In article <347C60CA...@gv.net>, Jeff Wilson <jrwi...@gv.net> writes:
|>
|> Right now I use a plastic tube tent. Its lighter than any
|> cloth tent. Yes, you can't play your guitar or cook in it
|> but its fine if your idea of a good time is playing in the
|> rain instead of living in a tent. One overlooked tactic is
|> to ditch the tent if you expect heavy rain. I don't mean
|> the Eire Canal. A boot heel ditch works fine and is easily
|> obliterated when you leave. A piece of plastic makes the
|> best ground cloth. Impervious, cheap, light and actually
|> pretty tough. Keep away from the walls and don't go make a
|> lot of trips outside.
Please don't dig trenches around tents - in many (most) campsites, the
trenching is not so easily obliterated, it increases erosion and scars
the campsite. Besides, picking a good tent site is much more helpful in
protecting against rain.
Ken
cyli
And, unless you do it just right, you're apt to direct the water to
your tent, rather than remove it from the area.
Yes, site selection is the very best way to go. Even an inch or two
of level difference can matter. Take an extra bit of time to look for
the better ground and you'll do much better than if you'd trenched.
I'm in luck because my favorite campsites are on sandy river islands,
but even there it can make a difference to pick a good spot.
Also, do look at where people have camped before. The most popular
spot on a site is generally chosen for good reasons. You'll still
want to check it carefully, as it might have been chosen by a lot of
people with sheep mentatlity. Or it'll have a great view. Or it's
been a nice dry year up until you got there. Or they like to tie their
fly to the convenient trees.
On 1 Dec 1997 20:46:38 GMT, cli...@silver.fox.cs.cmu.edu (Kenneth
Cline) wrote:
>
>Please don't dig trenches around tents - in many (most) campsites, the
>trenching is not so easily obliterated, it increases erosion and scars
>the campsite. Besides, picking a good tent site is much more helpful in
>protecting against rain.
>
>Ken
-------
"If I die of curiosity, who will entertain you with naive questions?"
I only answer my mail on an average of once every two months. Be patient.
DsrtTravlr
>(Kenneth
>Cline) wrote:
>
>>
>>Please don't dig trenches around tents - in many (most) campsites, the
>>trenching is not so easily obliterated, it increases erosion and scars
>>the campsite. Besides, picking a good tent site is much more helpful in
>>protecting against rain.
>>
>>Ken
>
>
Yes, this is totally true. No matter if you have to sleep all wet for a week,
your tenting area turns to goo, and everything you brung gets soaked, DO NOT
EVER TRENCH AROUND YOUR TENT.
These unsightly marks cause erosion, and can last for centuries. Why, a little
known fact is that tent trenches caused the preliminary erosion that added
water to the reservoir that burst and caused the Johnstown flood disaster.
Many Indians used to trench around their tents in Northern Arizona eons ago,
and BLAM ! The next thing you know, you got a canyon going there.
So please be extra cautious. We don't want any more Grand Canyons, especially
in the Appalachians or the Adirondacks. Not to mention they drive the
environmentalists and perfectionists crazy.
So, remember, boys and girls. Even if there is no good site
available.............even if you will get wet to the bone and get
pneumonia.........even if you have to hike on in the dark for several miles, or
not even sleep that night...........do not trench. There are many many GOOD
campsights that thousands of hikers before you have simply missed or ignored.
Maybe they were just too pretty, and people said, "Oh, I can't camp there. It
is too pretty. I don't want to leave any trench scars. I will leave that area
perfect so others will be able to enjoy it and ignore camping there also."
Better yet, stay at home, sell your gear, buy more computer stuff, and work on
converting offenders to see the wrong they have been causing.
I know I am going to get right on it.
°Ţą
Steve, the DesertDestroyer wrote:
>Yes, this is totally true. No matter if you have to sleep all wet for a week,
>your tenting area turns to goo, and everything you brung gets soaked, DO NOT
>EVER TRENCH AROUND YOUR TENT.
and a bunch of other trite attempts at sarcastic humor which I deleted.
Personally, I've never found trenching to be necessary anywhere in the
western half of the US. In the eastern half I couldn't say though
(ignorance).
Never been wet either. Guess some people don't know how to choose a tent
site (arrogance).
And as to the best tent for the rain, my girlfriend once spent six weeks in
summer living in my basic little Eureka Timberline II on an archaeological
dig. Major daily afternoon thunderstorms, but she reported that she never
once got wet. Fly was treated, however, with silicone.
signed,
TheLordofArrogance
David C. Bittner
In article <ifjed.671...@nmsua.nmsu.edu>, if...@nmsua.nmsu.edu (АоБ)
wrote:
> Personally, I've never found trenching to be necessary anywhere in the
> western half of the US. In the eastern half I couldn't say though
> (ignorance).
My own experience in eastern Canada (specifically Ontario -- Algonquin
Park, the Bruce Trail, Killearney Park, Temagami) is the same. The only
time I've ever had to deal with a wet tent was when I took a brand new tent
out before I sealed the seams and it rained cats and dogs the first night
out. Picking a good spot seems to much more effective and is much easier
than digging a trench.
--
David C. Bittner
Edmonton, AB
dbit...@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca
Perry West
Kenneth Cline (cli...@silver.fox.cs.cmu.edu) wrote:
: Please don't dig trenches around tents - in many (most) campsites, the
: trenching is not so easily obliterated, it increases erosion and scars
: the campsite. Besides, picking a good tent site is much more helpful in
: protecting against rain.
Some of us can remember why we trenched and why we no longer trench. A
long, long time ago (and I'm sorry to say I can remember) tents were made
from canvas or (even longer ago, which I'm happy to say I can't remember
first hand) buffalo hide. They had no floors. The ground cloth was the
cloth or whatever (we used our ponchos) on the ground to act as a floor.
It was very necessary to trench around these floorless tents to prevent
(actually minimize) the intrusion of water.
Modern tents have bathtub floors that completely eliminate the need for
trenching. If the tent is well built, maintained, and used with care, a
ground cloth is not needed. However, I recommend using one to prevent
the bottom becoming punctured.
Regards,
Perry
Doug McDonald
°Ţą wrote:
>
>
> Personally, I've never found trenching to be necessary anywhere in the
> western half of the US. In the eastern half I couldn't say though
> (ignorance).
>
The only two place I have ever found trenching necessary
were in Kashmir (where we camped in drained fields) and
in Kentucky, where we camped in a USFS "designated spot"
(i.e. forbidden to camp in the good areas where trenching
would not have been necessary.) I have no inhibition
againt trenching or any other politically incorrect activities
if I am forced to camp in a less-than-the-best location by
bureaucratic regulation.
I feel that I should do the absolute best I can to protect
wilderness, but if there are bureaucratic regulations,
it is by definition not wilderness.
Doug McDonald
eric cartman
Brilliant! I suppose you just throw your garbage out your front door to
spite the regulators.