I read these threads regular and it seems lots of poor 'ole tents with mould or damp, that dont get dried out properly. I love this part of coming home after a week away or weekend making sure our tent is all ready for our next trip, We went away this bank hol and had to pack up a damp tent. When we got home this is the first thing we got out the car and open loosely in our spare room. The same goes for all our gear before it goes to its storage room everything gets a good wash and packed away for the next trip.
Do others like this part of camping?? or is it a chore??
i love getting the tent out for a final drying out/airing the day after we get back - it always seems to be sunny too.
we put the tent up in the garden (it only just fits) but check it's dry and wipe any dirt/bird poo off and then brush any dried mud off the bottom of the SIG. then we air the inner tent and sleeping bags on the washing line and wash the mattress topper. even sponge off the air bed if it needs it. then wash up all the various food/beverage storage pots and the plates and mugs from the final breakfast.
all this i enjoy, but i loathe the amount of clothes washing after a 10 night+ stay
Me too!! we all must have a routine ,I love seeing my equiptment all clean & ready for its next out!! Its such a shame hearing people asking advice regarding damp/mould. Even if its raining outside I still open loosely to aid drying untill I can get it out in the garden andgive it a good clean and mop the footprint - love it!! while camping I enjoy just pottering and tidying my tent, some may call me sad!!
i enjoy pottering and having a tidy when camping too Novice123!
i go in the tent and say "there's more grass in here than there is outside" and then dig out my mini dustpan and brush!
i wouldn't say i'm tidy to the extreme though, as even with a camping cupboard there always seems to be things getting stored on top of it. but i do like to get it and keep it organised as much as i can. but then saying that i have been known to sponge the living area ground sheet off whilst away if it gets muddy
yep,its nice to get everything clean and fresh for the next trip,and yes I clean up while away too...dustpan and brush always at the ready,,I even straighten the bedding in the mornings ....OCD,,,,me?,,,,,never
------------- March- Padstow
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I pack clean tea towels, loo roll and paper bags into the box, after cleaning and repacking the kit, before it goes into the cellar, then I know its good to go if we decide to have an impromptu camp.all I need to think about is clothes and food.
Should I still air out our tent? It was dry when we packed it away apart from a little mud underneath the SIG. Dont want to get it out again if we dont need to as it was a pain to get back in the bag in the first place. However, I dont want to find it ruined when we go again.
------------- When there's a knock at the door, why do dogs always think its for them?
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well i put my tent up in the back garden yesterday, hoovered it out, washed the ground sheet plus all the equipment...... and then ended up staying in it by myself last night!! i just couldn't resist!! now its all covered in grass again and i will prob have to clean it all over again before i pack it away properly!
it's a miserable, heartbreaking chore for us as it's a reminder that our holiday's over and done with for another year...so depressing...!!
we don't have room in the garden to pitch our tent so if it was perfectly dry and free of bird poop when we packed it away at the campsite it goes down into the cellar as is (we can rid it of any dead bugs etc that escaped detection when we next pitch it), otherwise it's dried in stages out on the patio...however we do clean the footprint and stove before we store them away...everything else would have been cleaned at the campsite...
My after camping starts before camping! Everything fits like a jigsaw into a walkin cupboard of dimensions 5'L x 3'W x 8'6''H and that also houses water tank, ironing boar d, hoover, mobile aircon unit, etc. I have everything that is in plastic drawers listed, list of where, how and what goes in main stack.
After camp I sweep out tent and if dry it goes in bag. Footprint goes into a big black bag - the ones for recycle bins - and is then hosed and mopped, left to dry then repacked in clean black bag. Gas cooker cleaned and repacked into box. So it goes on. Anything comes in a box, out of box to pack in car, back in box to store. If tent is wet I can either drape it over big steel rotary dryer or in common room - and await comments from other 'oldies' who think I'm brave, or mad to camp
Is it a chore? Not really as it's part of camping. Just takes a bit longer and I don't need to rush.
------------- Mavis
It is easier to smile than frown so share a smile every day
I have to say I try and do as much packing prep as possible on site. Cookers, pans, crockery etc is all cleaned and bagged up. I have a dust pan and brush with me and brush the tent out before we take it down. I have learned about the perils of condensation over the sleeping pods and now make sure that I part unhook them to give them a good airing and ensure that the inside of the tent is dry before packing (I even have a few microfiber glove like shammy cloths which are fab for eliminating moisture!). If dry - the airbeds get a wipe down and left out to air as we pack the rest of the kit up.
If the tent is wet then I HATE HATE HATE having to dry it out at home, but it is a needs must I suppose! I have never cleaned the footprint (but it hasn't really needed it in all honesty).
We have a trailer with lid this season (yay!) so try and pack the vast majority of stuff so it is ready to go for our next trip. I just keep a list of what we need to replace (washing up cloth, t towel, toilet roll and such like) so I don't forget anything next trip. The stuff that won't fit in the trailer gets stored in a few massive crates in the garage ready for the next trip.
Totally agree with the washing though!! We were away for 5 days and to say there was 4 of us I feel I have been washing FOREVER!! What is going on?? Probably not helped by having to wash the sleeping bags this time round as well.
We don't have the room to re pitch or air. Luckily it was dry when we packed away and even footprint was dry. Would like to know any tips for drying if wet? Tent mainly. We could manage footprint over rotary washing line.
------------- Kent. Aug '10
Sussex. May '11
Wales, Aug '11
Hayling Island, Aug '13
it was pouring down when we put our tent away last week, we came home on sunday and i was night shift that night, i havent had time to get it dried off, we live on the coast with a very large grassy (green belt) area..i am off from tuesday and praying for fine weather to pitch the tent and get it all cleaned up and aired off.
Everything else gets a clean before we pack it all away when de-camping..lol I hate coming home, and always want to stay longer when i am away.
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Topic: After Camping
i just couldn't resist!! now its all covered in grass again and i will prob have to clean it all over again before i pack it away properly!
