Got roasted for my tent setup in the rain last fall

My buddy from Bend saw me just throw a tarp over my tent fly during a downpour in the Gifford Pinchot. He said, 'Coleman, that's just funneling water straight down the sides.' He was right, my floor was soaked. I bought a proper rainfly with a 6-inch ground gap and used it on a trip two months ago. It stayed bone dry through a whole night of rain. Anyone have a favorite trick for wet weather besides just a good fly?

4 comments

4 Comments

miles_hall3mo ago

That ground gap is key, but 6 inches is actually a bit much for most rain. You only need about 2 or 3 inches of space to stop splash-up and let air move. A bigger gap can let sideways wind-blown rain sneak under there easier, especially if it's really coming down.

danielnelson3mo ago

Totally, I learned that the hard way with my own shed. A smaller gap kept the floor way drier during storms.

daniel1401mo ago

Ha, yeah I used to think you needed more air space under there too, like a good 6 inches at least. But @miles_hall actually makes a really good point about wind-blown rain sneaking under a bigger gap (never considered that, honestly). I've been rethinking my whole shed setup after reading these comments, gonna try something closer to 3 inches instead. Funny how the conventional wisdom isn't always right, you know?

wesleyb203mo ago

Ugh, tell me about it. My first shed was practically on stilts, looked ridiculous and the floor still got soaked in a bad storm. @danielnelson is right, you really don't need much space at all. I found that sweet spot is way closer to the ground than most people guess.