How to Set Up a Storm Proof Tent

Knowing some tips about how to set up a storm proof tent, will likely save you a lot of heartache and inconvenience. It might even save your life, and at the very least increase the chances of you enjoying your next camping holiday.

Setting up your camping tent the right way, and in the right place can make a huge difference to how you end up weathering a storm. Obviously, there does come a time, when a bad storm will just become too much for any tent, such as some extreme weather conditions. To maximize your tent being storm proof, you also need to make some preparations, long before you actually set out on your trip.

There are some things you can do, however, that will improve your chances of riding out a storm with little or no problem, and save yourself from things like water in your tent or even worse, your tent blowing down around you!

The very first thing you can do is to choose the best tent you can for standing up to a storm, both for wind and rain. You want to consider the waterproof nature of the materials used in its manufacture, and look at how the tent is made, such as how well are the seams constructed? Does the tent have a fly? And if not, should you get one anyway?

Some tents claim to be waterproof without a fly, such as the Coleman Instant Tent, and a lot of customers report this has been their experience, however, as a matter of precaution, it seems that a little extra preparation could save the day.

The first thing you should consider doing with your new tent, is applying a suitable waterproofing agent. To do this you would erect your tent at home and apply the waterproofing treatment, which often comes in a spray form, and also make sure you go over all the seams with a sealer, often a wax type product that will help plug stitch holes in the seams.

Preparing your tent like this just makes common sense, and personally I would do this even for the tents that claim to be waterproof unless the manufacturer specifically states it could be a problem for the tent fabric.

Keep in mind, that the more waterproof the fabric of a tent, the less it will breathe and the more likely you will have issues with condensation from people breathing inside the tent, which is why it is important to be able to maintain good ventilation, even during a storm, and this is another point to keep in mind when purchasing your tent. Consider this as well when you are setting up your tent.

This is also where a big enough fly, or an extra fly comes in very handy, even just for allowing some portion of windows to be open enough to allow air circulation.

So even if your tent is ‘waterproof’ it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a fly on hand, and as an extra precaution have an extra fly and or tarp with you to improve your chances of staying dry. I don’t think you can be ‘over’ prepared when camping.

Another thing to consider, when choosing the site to set up your tent, is the possibility of falling trees. Storms and strong winds can obviously increase this danger, and while this is not related to water, it is certainly a real risk to think about in a storm.

Storm proofing your tent includes avoiding potential problems when you are setting up your camp, such as taking into consideration things like flash flooding and the direction of strong winds. Your campsite location can certainly impact on your chances of weathering a storm well.

It is always prudent to check weather forecasts prior to heading out on vacation, and obviously, if the expected bad weather is likely to be too bad, then postponing your trip might be your best option. Just another tip that could be helpful as a further preparation, is to always have some spare clothes, towels etc. in your vehicle, just in case of the worst case scenario.

Obviously, planning right from the beginning, from when you purchase your tent, and how you plan and prepare before your trip as well as your choice of location can all impact on how to set up a storm proof tent.



Source by Lynne Carey

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