You can enjoy camping in the rain as much as in the sun, enthusiast says

Posted: February 20, 2022 4:32 am

Few Americans consider camping in the rain. After all, it can be really unpleasant. You are stuck in your tent with nowhere to go.

Many would-be campers who set out to go on a trip only to find that the weather turns nasty are likely to cancel the whole thing before they depart or, should they already be on the camping trip, they will probably leave early for home. They simply are not ready to deal with the rain.

It does not have to be that way, insists Mark Wilcox. He says he actually enjoys camping in damp weather. He is convinced you would enjoy it, too, if you knew how to go about it.

Backpacking in the rain

For example, Wilcox recently went on a 100-mile backpacking adventure. Several of the 90 days he spent on the trail were in the rain. He had fun on those days, too. When he took friends camping on Thanksgiving it rained all day on the second day of their long weekend away. Yes, they had fun, too.

Wilcox is convinced that camping in the rain can be as much fun as camping in the sun. That is if you know how to go about doing it right, he is careful to add.

Get out and explore

An outdoor enthusiast and author who lives in Texas, Wilcox wants to inspire you to get out and explore the world around you wherever you are. Even when the weather turns bad.

He is co-founder of Camping Forge, a digital magazine, and has written several books, all aimed at creating interest in camping, including advice on setting up your tent and staying where you are when it rains.

True, you will need the correct gear and you should make the right preparations.

Suggestions on how to cope

Here are some of his suggestions:

• Take the right rain gear with you , such as a raincoat or a poncho. You never know when the weather might turn foul. If it does, you will be ready.

Wilcox advises that you wear rain suits with pants and jackets. They are most likely to ensure you remain dry than ponchos, which are more suitable in light rain or mist.

He also recommends taking a pair of rain boots with you to avoid getting your shoes stuck in mud or your shoes wet.

• Set up camp in an area that is well protected from the rain. Check out the area in advance to ensure you will be in a good spot should it rain. If it fails to rain, you will be just fine, too.

• Look for a campsite in which you can rent a shelter.

Many campgrounds offer campsites that have primitive shelters Wilcox says. You will still sleep in your tent, but the shelters offer a roof as well as a picnic table. You can play games, cook, and enjoy one another’s company without having to be stuck in your tent to avoid the rain, he explains.

• Should the campsite in which you intend to stay not offer shelters, take a tarpaulin with you, Wilcox advises.

By doing so you can set up your own shelter by hanging the tarpaulin over branches or setting it up so that it acts as a shelter for you, enabling you to enjoy camping without being stuck in the tent when it rains for a long period of time.

• Take crafts and games with you.

Ensure that the children (and you) will not be bored should you be rained on. Wilcox says he likes to listen to podcasts when he watches the rain.

Even being stuck in the tent beats being stuck in a cubicle at work, he adds.

• When you are done camping, dry out your tent before you put it back in storage.

If you put a wet tent in long-term storage the chances are that the tent might become affected with mildew, which will ruin the tent.

As soon as the rain stops at home, let your tent dry in your backyard, Wilcox suggests.

• One added incentive: The campsites are far less likely to be full during the rainy season.

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