Ok, so you're camping with your best friend Bob and using his camping tent. The problem is he picked up a "bargain" tent and you can see daylight through the uneven seams. He didn't bring any seam sealant and the weather forecast has called for heavy showers.
You just drove 400 miles to camp and you definitely don't want to head home because of a little rain, but getting thoroughly soaked doesn't sound appealing either. You know this could get miserable, but luckily you've known Bob for years and had the fore-thought to pack a few extra things... the first being the Acme Stop-a-snore nose strips, just in case. Hopefully your camp mates next door won't complain too loudly this time about camping so close to a human sawmill, but that's another story altogether...
Even though Bob checks in at an imposing 6 feet 6 inches and 277 lbs. (126 kg) you know he's a sensitive guy. You can still vividly recall the last sappy greeting card commercial that made this otherwise musclebound man's man eyes water, and he said it was from chopping onions... the previous day. Sure Bob, Ok.
Being careful not to hurt his feelings you leap into action, and suggest that it would really be a bummer to get his brand new tent wet on its first outing. He looks at you strangely, and says smugly "Uh, isn't that what a tent is for?" Bob may snore, but he's no dummy.
Well it was worth a shot trying not to offend him, you think to yourself. "Yeah, good point Bob," you respond. You move to your hastily constructed fall back plan.
"Bob," you say. "I was thinking. I can see daylight through every one of those seams, and we're going to be getting some heavy rain here soon. I think we should do something so we don't get drenched." Bob looks at you and says, "What are you some kind of wimp, are you going to melt or somethin'?"
(Hey, don't look at me, he's your friend.
Well you tried to be polite right? "No Bob, I just thought that when that rain starts to stream down your face it might trigger a flashback to one of those tear-jerker greeting card commerci-".... Bob is out of his chair and after you quicker than you can say Hallmark, just as the first telltale drop hits him squarely on the cheek and proceeds to roll down his face and off his chin. This is enough to stop him mid-sprint, and he asks what you have in mind.
You pull out one of the tarps you brought with the grommet tie-down holes and some rope that you wisely thought to bring along. You tell Bob to help you tie it up between the trees just above the tent. You tilt the tarp at an angle so the rain can run off it onto the ground and down a slight grade behind the tent. This will keep the vertical rain from falling directly on the tent.
Since the rain is coming from the West you also place a tarp vertically between two other trees to shield his tent from any wind-driven rain that might try to blow in at an angle from the West.
Four hours later with the rain outside the tent pouring down around you, Bob mumbles a "Thanks," under his breath as he drifts off to sleep. Minutes later he's snoring like a dull rusty buzz saw cutting through a fence post full of nails. Ahhh, nature in all its peace and glory...
How could you have helped Bob avoid getting a bad tent in the first place? By forwarding him this tutorial of course.
And the snoring... well, you're on your own.
Although tarps aren't the ideal solution, they can work in a pinch to help keep you drier.
Next, is your current tent too small? Do you need more room?
If you have a great tent you really like, but it seems to be getting a bit small lately due to more equipment, more friends, or a larger family, take a look at a screen house tent.
Screen house tents are great because they keep rain out and the bugs away. Move a picnic table inside and they are nice for playing games when it's raining or to keep the bugs at bay while you read. They're also very handy for keeping pesky houseflies away while you're eating dinner. The high roofs and large open screens provide plenty of room to stand up and move around too. The drawback is that they can take up a bit of space in your car, so if space is already at a premium in your car you might want to consider just getting a larger camping tent.
You just drove 400 miles to camp and you definitely don't want to head home because of a little rain, but getting thoroughly soaked doesn't sound appealing either. You know this could get miserable, but luckily you've known Bob for years and had the fore-thought to pack a few extra things... the first being the Acme Stop-a-snore nose strips, just in case. Hopefully your camp mates next door won't complain too loudly this time about camping so close to a human sawmill, but that's another story altogether...
Even though Bob checks in at an imposing 6 feet 6 inches and 277 lbs. (126 kg) you know he's a sensitive guy. You can still vividly recall the last sappy greeting card commercial that made this otherwise musclebound man's man eyes water, and he said it was from chopping onions... the previous day. Sure Bob, Ok.
Being careful not to hurt his feelings you leap into action, and suggest that it would really be a bummer to get his brand new tent wet on its first outing. He looks at you strangely, and says smugly "Uh, isn't that what a tent is for?" Bob may snore, but he's no dummy.
Well it was worth a shot trying not to offend him, you think to yourself. "Yeah, good point Bob," you respond. You move to your hastily constructed fall back plan.
"Bob," you say. "I was thinking. I can see daylight through every one of those seams, and we're going to be getting some heavy rain here soon. I think we should do something so we don't get drenched." Bob looks at you and says, "What are you some kind of wimp, are you going to melt or somethin'?"
(Hey, don't look at me, he's your friend.
Well you tried to be polite right? "No Bob, I just thought that when that rain starts to stream down your face it might trigger a flashback to one of those tear-jerker greeting card commerci-".... Bob is out of his chair and after you quicker than you can say Hallmark, just as the first telltale drop hits him squarely on the cheek and proceeds to roll down his face and off his chin. This is enough to stop him mid-sprint, and he asks what you have in mind.
You pull out one of the tarps you brought with the grommet tie-down holes and some rope that you wisely thought to bring along. You tell Bob to help you tie it up between the trees just above the tent. You tilt the tarp at an angle so the rain can run off it onto the ground and down a slight grade behind the tent. This will keep the vertical rain from falling directly on the tent.
Since the rain is coming from the West you also place a tarp vertically between two other trees to shield his tent from any wind-driven rain that might try to blow in at an angle from the West.
Four hours later with the rain outside the tent pouring down around you, Bob mumbles a "Thanks," under his breath as he drifts off to sleep. Minutes later he's snoring like a dull rusty buzz saw cutting through a fence post full of nails. Ahhh, nature in all its peace and glory...
How could you have helped Bob avoid getting a bad tent in the first place? By forwarding him this tutorial of course.
And the snoring... well, you're on your own.
Although tarps aren't the ideal solution, they can work in a pinch to help keep you drier.
Next, is your current tent too small? Do you need more room?
If you have a great tent you really like, but it seems to be getting a bit small lately due to more equipment, more friends, or a larger family, take a look at a screen house tent.
Screen house tents are great because they keep rain out and the bugs away. Move a picnic table inside and they are nice for playing games when it's raining or to keep the bugs at bay while you read. They're also very handy for keeping pesky houseflies away while you're eating dinner. The high roofs and large open screens provide plenty of room to stand up and move around too. The drawback is that they can take up a bit of space in your car, so if space is already at a premium in your car you might want to consider just getting a larger camping tent.
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