Thanks to all of you for your replies. I'm reassured now! SWMBO and I are a well oiled machine when it comes to putting the tent up now. Once the first argument is out of the way about who has done what wrong, we get on with it quite fast. I can never quite get the porch section pitched right though...
Any clues on my proofing question? I'm guessing it is a good idea to get a seam sealing kit and some proper pegs, the Vango pegs are made out of coat hanger wire and looking a bit sad, not what you need for a windy pitch!
Out EHU is all ready to go and we just bought a new fan heater, so inner should dry nicely whilst I do the traditional walk round and tension of the guys and straps whilst the girls unpack and get the tent snug.
Best wishes to all of you braving the rain over the next week or so, I'll be rooting for you!
Jim
------------- Beer makes you feel the way you should feel without beer.
Quote:
Can I reproof with NikWax whilst the tent is up and wet? It has been 4 years since the good old Vango was purchased, and I have not had to reproof it yet...
BUMP!
------------- Beer makes you feel the way you should feel without beer.
Quote: Originally posted by febe3 on 13/8/2008
enjoyed our camping trip over the last 7 days...bit wet and muddy ....but boy has it taken us a long time to unpack and clean everything up! As regards weather forcasts...they're not always right! I would always go anyway...you can always come home.....
Agree on just going irrespective of forecast but don't agree you can 'always come home'. My camping trips to far flung corners of the UK often take two days travel each way and transport in rural areas is thin on the ground these days.
If you hang around for the weather, you're never get anywhere - just go and pack appropriate clothing.
I would never let rain stop me enjoying my camping BUT I think its a different matter if you get days and days of endless rain. It happened to us when we were in Derbyshire 3 years ago. The tent didnt leak - but it was very drizzly rain and everything started to feel slightly damp. We have decent waterproofs but they never properly dried out and we dont have EHU so although it was summer it was actually quite chilly.
Entertaining the kids was no bother, we just put on the wet gear and went walking. It was more the practicality of having wet stuff everywhere and all being shut inside the tent that got to me.
It wasnt so bad that I would have given up and come home, but it was quite memorable for the wrong reasons really.
I dont think its anything to do with being a "proper" camper either - the weather really does make a difference.
Quote: Originally posted by smashing69 on 05/5/2011
Quote: Originally posted by febe3 on 13/8/2008
enjoyed our camping trip over the last 7 days...bit wet and muddy ....but boy has it taken us a long time to unpack and clean everything up! As regards weather forcasts...they're not always right! I would always go anyway...you can always come home.....
Agree on just going irrespective of forecast but don't agree you can 'always come home'. My camping trips to far flung corners of the UK often take two days travel each way and transport in rural areas is thin on the ground these days.
If you hang around for the weather, you're never get anywhere - just go and pack appropriate clothing.
.....have to say we didn't actually come home..well came home a day early...and as another post said the holiday was memorable for the wrong reasons really. We have camped in rain a lot, and since, but not constant rain as it was on this holiday. In fact we now now have a folding camper (heating, and off the ground!)cos we decided we couldn't bear being so cold,wet and uncomfortable on holiday again. Although our tent wasn't ruined, and we still have it, it certainly didn't do it any good, don't think the sig was built to camp on marshland (yes our feet did sink into it when we walked in the tent) and we'll never get all the marks off the walls (despite the care we took in taking it down..and the shower my hubby had to take afterwards before even getting in the car. Each to their own, but am afraid I don't like being cold and wet..but then perhaps I'm a wuss!
Wow, a 3 year old post and still going strong. anyway for what it's worth the last time we went family camnping in the UK, was the summer of 1978!, it rained solid for two weeks, at the campsite we were on in Cornwall.
Since then have only ever camped in the South of France, during July, and guess what, we have never had rain in all this time, not to mention wall to wall sunshine, and temps of around +40Deg C.
Quote: One minute a post from 8/08 and the next one 5/11, that's using the search box for you
Someone actually bothered using the search function? Surely you can't be serious!?!
Well, seeing as how the thread is now live (& relevant) again I may as well join in.
As people have said, rain isn't that much of a problem itself. After all, we are camping, yes? Part of the object of the exercise is to be out in the outside, yes? And if that outside happens to be wet & miserable, this is the UK and expected, yes?
...But it is the 'wet' part of that sentence that is important. There are a few things that are pretty much garanteed to ruin the camping experience. If you can't get a decent night's sleep for instance. Also, if you are cold.
If your clothes are wet they don't insulate as well and you get cold MUCH more easily. If you can't warm up then your fun is pretty much over.
Mistakes & accidents happen. Sometimes you will forget your heavy weather gear, or your sleeping bag will end up soaked or - even more seriously - your bread has got soggy & you can't have bacon sarnies.
------------- My opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.
Remember waking up one Sunday morning at the CCC's Speyside site surrounded by a lake - friend on the next pitch was in it! Thankfully we were heading home that day. Wet weather in a 2 man small tent is not amusing but if it's going to be wet but not that windy, I pack the tarp - stops the rain getting inside everytime you go out of the tent and you can get out of the wet weather gear before getting into the tent!
The right tent can make life a lot easier when it's raining, my vermont xl has a huge wet/porch area with a tanked ground sheet that takes all out kitchen gear, etc, we can throw down all our wet chothes,boots etc and then enter the dry living area with carpet and heater.
The Porch is so big I can just pull in my 2 man kayak every night!
I don,t mind camping in the rain, we both like listening to it, being snug. It's the constant non stop rain, which is the biggest bug bear. I have had this experience. Even with proper outdoor gear does'nt always make it bearable, As they need to be hung to dryout somewhere. This is were EHU comes in handy with the fan heater. If not it's more difficult, unless there is a drying room to hang wet coats ect. I found this essential when camping at Beddgelert last year at Easter without EHU. Having two lots of rain wear imo is essential. one drying out one being worn.
I try and make sure that the doors are sloped away from the tent, reason, stop drips going onto the ground sheet by the door, which I use to stand while taking boots off ect, also 2 mats one for dirty shoes and then step onto the other to keep mud abay.
I like listening to the rain too, a book and a mug of tea and I'm quite happy. The children on the other hand, are not and it's them I have to put up with! Well they're not so much children anymore, but surly teenagers and I'm sure some of you know how much fun that is!
Anyway since the thread is still relevant no matter how much time has gone by my top bit of gear in wet weather is the tent extension. It's great to have a 'wet gear' zone with no groundsheet and ban shoes from the actual tent itself. I also take my dirt trapper mat which keeps mud, water and wet dog paws generally out of the main tent.
In the past to combat kids boredom in the rain we have taken ourselves off to the cinema, or had a lingering dinner in a pub.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Camping in the rain: Question
