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Why does nobody talk about how heavy a wet tent is
Last month I packed up camp after 3 days of steady rain in the Smokies. My old 4 person tent must have gained 5 pounds from all the water soaked into the fabric and poles. I had to stop twice on the hike out just to shift the load. Has anyone else noticed their gear getting way heavier after a storm?
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victor_robinson1mo ago
Wet tent weight is basically a physics problem nobody warns you about. The fabric soaks up water like a sponge plus the poles trap moisture in the joints. Did you ever try weighing it on a scale to see exactly how many extra pounds you're hauling?
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the_wesley1mo ago
Oh man, that's my tent's secret party trick - it gains weight every time it rains, almost like it's trying to punish me for not drying it out before packing. I swear mine must have absorbed half a gallon of water that one time, made me feel like I was carrying a wet dog on my back.
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gibson.avery1mo ago
Is it just the water weight though, or is it the way the wet fabric turns every strap and buckle into a slippery wrestling match while you're trying to stuff it back in the bag? Plus, you gotta factor in the extra mud and grit that sticks to everything when it's wet, probably adds another pound of dirt by the time you're back to the truck. Did you ever weigh your tent dry versus after a storm just to see how bad it really gets?
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