Tent porch

[Amanda P]

Well, I'm with you, Rich. We use a bit of plastic in the porch. I can't say I've had any particularly productive use for the time it takes to put it there, but I have enjoyed having dry, slug-free shoes in the morning when they've been parked on it.

 

[rich p]

Well, I'm with you, Rich. We use a bit of plastic in the porch. I can't say I've had any particularly productive use for the time it takes to put it there, but I have enjoyed having dry, slug-free shoes in the morning when they've been parked on it.

Well, Unc, you're just frittering your life away

 

[Amanda P]

Damn.

I use mudguards too.

 

[chris667]

I use a rubble sack as a sort of doormat, my stuff lives on it overnight. Doesn't cover the whole porch area, so I'm neutral.

 

[Tedx]

I find it's just another wet thing you have to roll up and put away. Like most have said here if your panniers are waterproof let them get wet.

 

[Amanda P]

My panniers are waterproof, and they do get wet. (There's not really room for the six panniers we carry between us in our little porch). That's not the point.

With two of us in the tent, there isn't room inside it for anything much except us. We don't bring our shoes in, either, or it quickly becomes muddy or grassy or dusty or sandy inside. We don't cook in the porch (not with a petrol stove!). It's just a place to park shoes, waterproofs, handlebar bags, mugs, food, pans and all that sort of stuff, and the bit of groundsheet there means it doesn't all get damp.

The groundsheet itself becomes damp, sure, but it doesn't soak up any water, so a quick shake and it's ready to pack - in the "wet" pannier along with the tent, stove, pans and any wet clothes.

If you only camp when it's dry, on short, clean grass, then I agree you'd have less need for something on the ground on the porch.

 

[psmiffy]

Uncle Phil - From my point of view it is the oppisete - My tent has a rather large front - I bought the tent for early spring and autumn tours in Spain and Norway where I anticipated that it would be very wet - It was a good call - The rationale is that I can camp in the pouring rain, stuff all the luggage in the porch and unpack and repack the contents of the panniers in the porch without anything apart from the already sodden panniers getting wet - also having unpacked what I need in the evening I still have room to cook (by gas - what do you do about cooking if it is raining - thankfully when the weather has been bad I have always been able to find gas and not had to resort to the multifuel) while it is pouring with rain outside

I understand your system and do not disagree with it - no right way - its like everything else with cycle touring - it is what suits you

 

[marniecrittle]

I use a couple of supermarket bag for lifes to put my inner and outer tent in to make it easier to get them into the stuff sack. I lay these in the porch to keep things of the ground.

 

[Proud2Push]

I have enjoyed having dry, slug-free shoes in the morning.

Slugs, ugh! Last year touring in Cornwall, after days of torrential rain, I hand-washed some clothes and our silk liners, but when I took them out of the tumble dryer there were strange rubbery stains which I was able to identify as the remains of very clean slugs. The whole wash had to be done again. Getting back to the tent, we found slugs inside the panniers, inside the stuff sacks, inside everything. That was despite having a small groundsheet in the porch. After that we kept the panniers closed while they were off the bike.

I thought I just needed to take midge and mozzie repellent, now it'll be slug pellets as well.

 

[Crankarm]

That's gross .