5 Tips for Camping in the Rain

Late spring and early fall are wonderful times to go camping. But there’s always a decent chance for rain that time of year, whether you’re camping on the coast, in the mountains, or venturing out to the east side of Oregon and Washington. Our camping experts have put together five tips to help you stay dry while camping in the rain.

Bring plenty of Tarps. Your tent or camper are nice places to sleep, but they’re not ideal places to just hang out and enjoy your camping experience. Instead of cooping yourself up for days on end, use tarps to create outdoor living spaces. Some of the best spots to cover include your sitting area, kitchen (food prep) area, and a spot where your clothing and other gear can be stored and kept dry.

Coastal tip: be sure to pack plenty of paracord or rope to tie your tarps to nearby trees and bushes

Carefully place your tent. Choosing the right spot for your tent (or even camper) is important year-round. But in a rainstorm, it can be vital. Look for higher ground that is covered by trees. This will ensure you don’t wake up to a pond in your campsite, or worse yet a flash flood. Also choosing a place with trees makes it easier to tie up your tarps (see tip #1).

Staying warm. Building a campfire in the rain can seem difficult, but it’s not impossible. You just need the right equipment and combustibles. To start the fire, it’s best to have waterproof matches, a waterproof or windproof lighter, or a fire starter such as magnesium.

You also need tinder and kindling to get that fire going. Look for tinder under nearby trees. Dry pine needles ignite quickly and can easily catch your kindling on fire.

Any small bits of wood and twigs can be used as kindling. As any experienced outdoors person will attest, a hatchet is an essential tool in the art of making kindling. Simply chop along the edge of a piece of firewood to break and tear off your kindling.

Coastal tip: if you make extra kindling, keep it dry under your tarped area.

Once you have a fire going, feed it plenty of firewood to keep your gear dry and your fellow campers warm and happy.

Pack the right clothing. Before you go on your camping trip, make sure you bring along water-wicking shirts and long underwear, water resistant shirts, pants, and socks, as well as waterproof jackets, hats, and boots. Being well prepared means being well protected from the elements.

Dry your wet clothing. Hang your wet clothing and gear under a tarp that is near the campfire to dry out. Other options include hanging wet gear in your tent or camper.

Coastal Carries Your Camping Gear

Conquer the great outdoors with clothing, boots, socks, tarps, hatchets, hunting and fishing gear, and a lot more at your Northwest owned and operated Coastal. Stop by today and our friendly, camp-savvy folks will help you go home with the right gear for your upcoming adventures.