Realized I was packing my tent wrong for 3 years

Last trip up to Big Bear I set up in the dark like always. Woke up with a puddle inside my tent. Some guy in the next site asked why my rainfly was touching the tent body the whole time. I had no idea it needed airflow underneath. Has anyone else missed something that obvious with their gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesley38529d ago

I read once that airflow underneath the rainfly is the biggest tent mistake people make.

elliotm7029d ago

Tbh I camped in the Smokies last fall and saw a guy with a rainfly actually touching his tent walls on all four sides. @wesley385 is definitely onto something, but I think the bigger mistake is people not angling their rainfly to catch the breeze. A lot of folks just slap it on flat and tight, which kills any chance of air moving through. I used to wake up soaked from condensation until I propped up one side with a trekking pole to create a gap. Now I always leave at least a six inch space between the fly and the inner tent on the windward side. Ngl it took me three wet trips to figure that out though.

jake_torres6826d ago

Hey man that exact thing happened to me two years ago in Joshua Tree. Woke up with everything damp and thought my tent was just crap. Turned out I had the rainfly pulled tight against the mesh on every side. Felt like an idiot when another camper showed me how to stake it out loose and let air flow through. Made a huge difference on the next trip.