If you have ever camped in Florida, then you are well aware that this is a wet affair. Or it can be.
So how do you stay dry despite Florida’s intermittent rain? The most important thing to think about is your tent. Camping can be a harrowing experience if you are not prepared, so take these steps to stay dry.
Your tent should be:
- made in the last twenty years
- pitched over a tarp (makes clean up easy too)
- sprayed with water repellant or sealer
Before you pitch the tent, look for rocks or sticks that could slice the bottom of the tent. Make sure that your tent is on top of a hill, and make sure the rain cover is properly secured. When it is raining, be sure that nothing is touching the walls of the tent, because this will cause water to seep through.
Some new tents are made with awnings. This gives you shelter for chairs, a table or all your other supplies if it rains. Also you can pull your water-sensitive supplies under the awning before you go to sleep incase it rains in the night.
So are the tents with the awnings really better than regular tents? It depends on how irritable you are when wet. If you don’t mind getting a little moist then just seal the tent, attach the rain cover, and pitch on top of a hill. But if you want to be able to sit outside rain or shine, then check out the awning variety.
