How do you manage in constant rain?

[sadjack]

I have been reading psmiffy's log -
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/psmiffyontour2009

Excellent read by the way.

I have only ever done 2 tours and whilst the first was wet, there was always a part of the day that I could dry things out and my inner tent never ever got wet through.

Having read the above (well the first few days worth) in which it seems there was constant rain, it occurred to me, how do you manage to keep dry?

I am sure I will encounter this sooner than later, I'm doing the C2C and the Reivers Way later this month, bound to rain!

So psmiffy and you other experienced tourers, how do you cope? Or do you just endure?

Sleeping in a wet tent is one thing but if that means your sleeping bag etc gets wet as well it must be very uncomfortable.

It seems to me the odd day of rain is one thing, but day after day must be a real test in organisation and will power

 

[sadjack]

Thank you Lee

 

[Dayvo]

I have a good tent, sleeping bag and exped sleeping mat, which go a long way to making your trip more enjoyable; once your moral is down, continual bad weather won't improve it, but if you're snug, dry and comfy (boring though it may be - hence the need for a good book), then that helps a lot. And if you have good panniers, then your gear will stay dry, too.

Bad weather doesn't last indefinitely, you just have to endure, as you said yourself.

 

[sadjack]

Thanks Dayvo.

Do you have any tips to keep the inner dry when putting up / taking down the tent?

Maybe I am over thinking this

 

[psmiffy]

Over the years I have cycle camped in prolonged rain in New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Spain , France, etc etc I find having a plan is a good idea

To start with I have a good quality tent
Secondly it is big - probably too big - the weight penalty is something I can live with to be comfortable

This last year I used a home made ground sheet under my sleeping area - not important in keeping things dry but it did make quite a lot of difference/was an improvement in keeping the inner dry over several days

I am sort of semi paranoid about things getting wet - my panniers have never leaked but I always pack things in plastic bags - helps in being able to find things anyway

Panniers, waterproofs etc when wet live in the rather large porch of the tent and the dry contents that I need for cooking dinner and sleeping are decanted into the "living area" - never the twain shall meet - the porch is large enough that I can cook indoors in comfort in the space not inhabited by the wet things - assuming that I have chosen a decent place for the tent - not parking in dips and a slight slope if possible so that water runs away from the tent - pretty much comfy all the while

The tent is big enough that I can totally pack up inside in the morning

I get the tent inner down as fast as is practical - ignore the rest of the tent and pack the inner seperately from the outer to keep it dry

I never stop to dry stuff out during the day - the keeping stuff dry is a regime I rigourously adhere to - I have never had to use a b & b because things were too wet (although in NZ i was once refused camping because it was raining too hard -> 40mm/hr - the system worked there in persistant rain for many days of a prolonged intensity that I have never encountered in Europe)

 

[psmiffy]

Thanks Dayvo.

Do you have any tips to keep the inner dry when putting up / taking down the tent?

Maybe I am over thinking this

I do not think you are - as I said above

If you have been on the road all day in a deluge the last thing as Dayvo says you need is to be uncomfortable

I frequently read accounts of people just abandoning the whole thing -never camping again just because they cannot keep warm and dry -its not tricky

When camping some people seem to positively revel in hardship, others endure it - me I like to enjoy my camping whatever the conditions

 

[xilios]

I agree with psmiffy, a good, large tent is the way to go. We use a Jack wolfskin worlds end rt, t's a three person three season. We have spent a few days inside this tent in stormy weather without any problems, just had to get out and check the guy lines once in a while. The vestilube was big enough to cook in and hold all the gear.
Its a bit heavy, it actualy works out just under 3kgs pp but well worth the weight penalty.
Same goes for keeping our things dry, even though we have ortlib panniers we still sort our stuff out and put it into large (34X44cm) heavy duty ziploc bags. They work great because I just leave a small opening in the zip than I just lay on it to remove the air before closing it completely so everything packs very small

 

[sadjack]

Interesting stuff psmiffy. A well thought out routine no doubt helps.

It maybe that my tent is the weak link as there is not much of a porch but it has served me well so far. However in continual wet weather I may struggle. Taking in some of your advice though, it maybe that keeping the inner separate from the outer when packed is the key.

From my limited experience, when in wet conditions, just getting in and out of the tent creates muddy puddles on the outside and its hard not to bring the mud and wet in with you.

My tent is a Vango Spectre from 2008 which has only one smallish entry/exit.

Still it was cheap and light enough at the time (£69 quid and 2.5kg) and good enough in dry weather.

Out of interest psmiffy, and without starting a "which tent" thread, what tent do you use?

 

[sadjack]

And thanks xilios.

Seems like an appropriate tent and some well thought out routines are the trick

I do find a sense of satisfaction from camping that is not there with B&B. But I do like to be near a pub for a decent meal too

 

[psmiffy]

An MSR velo - which is sadly getting time expired and no longer made - had 6 years hard use -very rare that it remained pitched for more than one night - cost £350 but unit cost per nights camping at around 50days per year and 135 last year was money well spent

 

[Dayvo]

Couple of good posts there by Smiffy!

No, you're not over thinking about it, you just have to make sure that you have what you need for a prolonged tour.

The basics - a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat are the most important, IMO. The initial outlay might be beyond your budget, but the right equipment is an investment that will benefit you repeatedly. After a long hard day in the saddle, you want to be as comfortable and refreshed as possible: what price a good night's sleep, day after day?

A large enough and cosy tent will most certainly improve your mood if you're experiencing bad weather.
I met and cycled briefly with a couple in Australia who, to keep things simple, had their own 'water-proof' bivvy bags. One and a half days of very heavy rain they were soaked (and all their equipment) and were very close to quitting.

Also it is a place of refuge. They weren't just soaked to the skin, they also had nowhere to go/hide/retreat to, and they couldn't even share their misery together in the same space.


Good panniers are also important as you want your stuff to be dry and wearable.

Most tourers, in their early days, take far too many 'unnecessasy' things, so take the bare minimum: divide your packing into categories, such as, kitchen, bathroom, garage and wardrobe, with a section for firstaid, maps etc.

Once you get the bug, you really won't want to do anything else!

 

[sadjack]

Dayvo, I have the bug!!

But I am keen to learn from those more experienced, so thanks for the input

 

[Dayvo]

Dayvo, I have the bug!!

In that case, you'll go far, both literally and metophorically!

We all have to start somewhere!

Good luck, and ask away!

 

[psmiffy]

Couple of good posts there by Smiffy!

No, you're not over thinking about it, you just have to make sure that you have what you need for a prolonged tour.

The basics - a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat are the most important, IMO. The initial outlay might be beyond your budget, but the right equipment is an investment that will benefit you repeatedly. After a long hard day in the saddle, you want to be as comfortable and refreshed as possible: what price a good night's sleep, day after day?

A large enough and cosy tent will most certainly improve your mood if you're experiencing bad weather.

I met and cycled briefly with a couple in Australia who, to keep things simple, had their own 'water-proof' bivvy bags. One and a half days of very heavy rain they were soaked (and all their equipment) and were very close to quitting.

I can see this sort of approach working but you have to be very lucky - if you read my journal you will see that if I am wild camping I will often not put up the tent but just Bivouac - but only in good weather - you have to be a complete optimist or have deep pockets for B & B if you do not have a tent

Also it is a place of refuge. They weren't just soaked to the skin, they also had nowhere to go/hide/retreat to, and they couldn't even share their misery together in the same space.

When it gets beyond the pale you need somewhere to hide - one year I got caught out crossing a 1950 pass in Northern Greece by snow - I stopped and scuttled into a horrible layby and put the tent up - temperture fell to -6°C but I had hot food and coffee - kipped OK - was woken early in the morning by a snow plough going past - the driver gave me one of those looks - foot of snow on the ground and on the top of the tent

Good panniers are also important as you want your stuff to be dry and wearable.

Most tourers, in their early days, take far too many 'unnecessasy' things, so take the bare minimum: divide your packing into categories, such as, kitchen, bathroom, garage and wardrobe, with a section for firstaid, maps etc.

Once you get the bug, you really won't want to do anything else!

I probably verge on having too much stuff but it is very rare that when I unpack stuff at home I cannot say "mmm that was useful" - every tour I consider the terrain (and geology - there is not much point in taking a water filter if you are going to cycle through a dry limestone landscape) and time of year and pack accordingly.

 

[markg0vbr]

separating things in to plastic bags is a given, also some of the super absorbent clothes to wipe the tent down as you are packing it and a net bag for wet thing to hang on the back of the bike if there is a brake in the rain.
i have a ultra light one man tent, it may sound odd but i take a large golf umbrella it is fantastic. it fits to the side of my trike seat. when it rains i can just pop it up while i put my rain gear on, sat on the trike seat cooking or just reading my book. the important thing is you listen to ideas take the best and do some trials, find what fits you.