We had a lovely w/e at Cheddar Gorge, and then yesterday as we were packing up, the heavens opened.
Everything got soaked that wasn't already in the car/roofbox (luckily I'd just put all the clothes away).
We got home and pretty much the 1st thing we did was put the tent back up, which was a good thing as I may as well have brought it back in a bucket of water, it was that wet! Let hope it doesn't rain again today.
And of course Friday we're away again for the bank holiday! We must be mad...
oh how annoying! The first time we went away we had to pack up in the rain and then re-pitch in the sunshine in our garden that very afternoon we got home! Just been away again this last weekend and had glorious weather so tent was all packed away nicely and it made such a differance. Hubby is a bit 'particular' about his beloved tent and so when he was last in IKEA he bought a really big zip up tough bag for about £4, his thinking is next time he has to pack away in the rain he can fold it all into that instead of ruining the actual tent bag, which seem to fit tighter each time we go! Then when he dries it all out it can go back into it's proper bag.
You lucky people at least have the luxury of a garden to pitch, poor old me had to hang the wet tent on the banister and down the stairs as the garden is very small. It took a week of moving it around to dry. Very frustrating.
Quote: Originally posted by paulsmith250 on 25/8/2009You lucky people at least have the luxury of a garden to pitch, poor old me had to hang the wet tent on the banister and down the stairs as the garden is very small. It took a week of moving it around to dry. Very frustrating.
Paul, I feel for you. We are in exactly the same position and have the same tent. Ours is a typical Victorian terrace with a small garden. Returns from camping usually mean the whole landing, bannisters and stairs swamped in meters and meters of green material. It's a real pain to roll up again as we have to clear the furniture from downstairs and lay it out there. A right PITA!!!
To put the tent away we went out on a largish public green area near our house and folded/rolled it up. Hardly discreet but needs must. The experience has tended to influence our expeditions away from definite wet weekends. I suppose that makes me a fair weather camper but hey.
i thank heavens we haven't had to pack up wet yet - have a feeling i might have to next time now I have said that . we have a garden but no way near big enough to pitch in so getting it dry will be a nightmare when it happens.
Last weekend away we had to pack up wet... had been a lovely weekend and though cloudy had been dry all morning, drying out the overnight rain from the tent.
Just as we had got all the insides out onto the grass it chucked it down!
Rain lasted long enough to soak everything, then once we had rushed to get everything into the car the sun came out :-(
I keep checking the forecast for this weekend though I guess what will be will be. At least we have a garage that we can use to drape the tent over when it's wet!
We have just got back from first trip and we had ythe heavens open as we put tent away - all got wet including inside - first thought was 'have we ruined it for good?' but having read this i feel a bit better about situation!
We have half put it up in the garden as it wont go up properly as not enough room - am hoping it is up enough for it to dry - other it will be in and over bannister for the next week
One questions (well lots actually but will start with this one!) everyone seems to go on about not touching inside of tent when it is wet? well not sure we didn't as it was wet everywhere and we had to get it down also the roof is touching the wet walls and allsorts - will this be a problem - should I swear off camping forever more? (as opposed to just swearing which i admit i did do a bit of under my breath!)
------------- Gina
Camping
Craft &
Home Education
Next trip - Chestnut Meadow Campsite, Sussex - Sept
Just been home lunchtime and it's been P*ssing it down . Still, sunny now (for a few minutes!)
I will admit that having the big garden is a godsend for sorting out the tent. We've had several friends use it in anger too, for that very reason!
As far as touching the tent is concerned, the problem is that you cause the water to wick through at that point when the tent is up, which means you get a drip!
When you're putting it down, drips _inside_ the tent are the least of your worries when it's raining! As far as I know, manhandling the tent in this way won't cause a problem, so long as you dry the tent out afterwards (and maybe clean off any mud etc on it!)
I'm not sure I've ever packed away dry while living in this country..lol...I just pack up and get home. I'll leave the tent a couple of days hoping for a dry day then no matter what the weather it goes up in the garden till it is dry.
Not fun packing up in the rain, I always take a roll of bin bags to put the soaked things in, then it's a house full of steam for a week while we dry everything off. Tent over the bannisters here too!
Oh I see - I thought that touching the tent allowed it to leak FOREVER!! duh!
Had visions of my tent proper mucked up for ever more! Anyway it has dried off and has been put away - hasn't put us off - going to the lake district in a couple of weeks!
------------- Gina
Camping
Craft &
Home Education
Next trip - Chestnut Meadow Campsite, Sussex - Sept
There isn't much you can do to save the tent getting soaked if it pours down when you're packing up, but if you back the car right up to the door of your tent, it may save your bedding & other equipment getting soaked while loading it into the boot.
Last year It was so bad I just rolled the tent up (no need to fold ) and just shoved it into the boot of my Berlingo and just let the water drain out. When I got home 2 hours later my knickers were still wet through. I think I left the tent in the boot till the next day!
I've never put the tent up to dry it alway on the patio of draped anywhere available indoors if still raining.
I started to pack up my tt last week while it was dry (yeah right) just unzipping awning and it poured down, i quickly whipped it off then give it a quick fold up and shoved it in the trailer out of the way, i think i will have to carry a wheelie bin bag to put it in next time because i was concerned about the trailer getting very wet inside with it being there, i have a cover for when doing a wet pack for the bed boards so that isn`t bad. i managed to get it put up again when i got it home and got it thoroughly dried out.