We are off for our first night camping tonight! The weather has looked great all week but now looks set to rain tomorrow :( we are still going to go but I know this sounds dafy but how do you tackle packing up in the rain?!
Try and get everything together in the tent and organised before starting to pack the car. Once everything in the car simply a case of getting tent down.
We also don't get dressed till the tent is down that way you have dry clothes to go home in, and don't get clean clothes dirty! Nothing worse than driving home and sitting in a car with wet clothes!
------------- Elaine
Easter Southerness
Jubilee TBA-
July - Blue Dolphin
We loaded everything into the car, spare, dry groundsheet that we used inside the tent to cover everything up then loosely bundled the wet tent on top and dried it when we got home. Like the idea about the clean clothes, we did wear cagoules but the car was very steamy on the way home!
We had to pack up in the rain yesterday, packed everything from inside the tent first then put the tent in black bags and put it over the washing line today in the sun, soon dries. Just dont leave it in black bags soaking wet for too long! :-)
Regardless of weather, I find packing as much as possible the night before a big help. That way if the weather is bad the next morning it is minimal trups ot the car. We have been lucky over the past few years and even the time it was wet most of the week, we managed to get a dry mornign to pack away. when I have done wet taking down, I have just shoved everything into teh car/trailer and sorted out at home.
Reverse your car right up to the door of your tent, and pack everything except the tent itself.
Keep an eye on the weather, if you know it's going to clear up it's worth your while keeping the kettle and stove out for a last cuppa before the final push - tents dry very quickly in direct sunlight or a slight breeze.
If all else fails, that roll of black bin liners you keep in your boot (if you don't keep a roll there you soon will) will hold a loosly rolled up wet tent and off you go home.
Try and get everything together in the tent and organised before starting to pack the car. Once everything in the car simply a case of getting tent down.
We also don't get dressed till the tent is down that way you have dry clothes to go home in, and don't get clean clothes dirty! Nothing worse than driving home and sitting in a car with wet clothes!
Not sure I could take the tent down wet with nothing on...
think it might upset someone...
or have I got the 'wrong end' of the stick
Similar theme to other posts..we use crates and stuff sacs for gear...when we arrive the tent (obviously) is first out followed by crates.....on departure day everything can be packed under cover ready to load trailer....then the last thing is the tent...if its wet then its shoved in bin liners...never had a problem
------------- Life is to short to miss out on getting your tent out
Quote: Originally posted by PigletandTigger on 15/5/2010
Plenty of black bags. Don't try to pack your tent back into its bag - just shove the bits in black bags and sort it out when you get home.
We go for Ikea bags, sturdier than bin-bags and much easier to lug about.
it takes practice you need to park the car quite close to the tent so that your missuss doesnt get too wet when she packs everything up and if the car is too far away you wont be able to hear her if she asks you anything, i also get the newspaper as sometimes it can take her a while to get it all sorted,
I bought a massive zip up laundry type bag from IKEA - black and white check pattern I think. Last year when we went to Northumberland the tent was sopping when we packed up - managed to shove the whole Vermont into it loosly and zipped it up - didn't leak at all. (There was a small pond in the bottom when we got home). Bag was about £3.50. We keep it folded in the botton of the proper tent bag now in case the same happens again.
(Note to self...buy another one for the Icarus!!!)