Annual Family / Friends camping trip this year to South Jersey. Looking like 80+% chance of rain for the weekend. Other than the usual Tarp over tent / campsite, have any other tips to survive. We can't cancel as there's about 30 + people going, and we go no matter what.

EDIT : I forgot to add, we have a bunch of camping spots, and 1 main spot where we all meet for breakfast / lunch / and dinner.

Mud football games if you don't mind getting wet. Columbia OutDry Extreme if you don't like getting wet.

Coolmax or polypropylene socks dry faster than wool (but stink faster. Bring a few pairs to rotate drying & wearing. Blast the insides of the socks and shoes with foot spray with Tolnaftate/Tinactin antifungal).

Do NOT bring cotton socks. Sealskinz neoprene socks don't absorb water, but will get clammy.

I'd have extra rechargeable usb power packs to keep phones/tablets going for people goofing off on them while it rains.

Maybe a battery powered fan(if you have a prefered battery standard for drills and other power tools see if you can get a fan that takes the battery). That way if you are stuck in a tent you can have some extra air flow.

Past that books/ebook reader to sit back and relax.

Cots will keep you and your gear dry at night. A good rain suit will keep you dry in the worst of rains.

A few large tarps or pavilion for social gathering...

Go to You-Tube. Type in "Camping In The Rain"
You will be amazed at the number of videos that may help you!
I liked the one from Kenneth Kramm. But that is just me!
So let us know how it went. With pictures of course!
Anyone using a hammock? If so,I would like to know how they,
like it in that kind of weather?

Good luck, and have fun!!!

PITA45

I love camping in the rain with my hammock setup

Don't set up a tent in a depression that could fill with water. Most camping areas have been used enough that the ideal tent locations have settled and make nice little bowls that collect 3" of water.

If you use a tarp under the tent, don't extend the edges beyond the rainfly.

Done it many times. Bring a good shovel and take the time to dig good drainage gutters to rout the water away from tents, awnings ect. In my experience it makes a big difference.

Hammock is the way to go in the rain....or when it's dry...



All my tent using friends get jealous in downpours.

Embrace the suck.  Sounds like many of my days in Boy Scouts.  A tarp or vestibule over the tent entrance where you can remove wet clothing, especially shoes/boots.  A large tarp over the central area for folks to hang out in and play cards or other games, eat together, etc.  Also very important, when you get home be sure to remove all wet items from the car and wash them or I can guarantee you'll find them in a couple of days to a week.  

Well it was a good weekend. We were expected to get hit with a nor'easter coming through. We got crushed with heavy rain and thunder throughout the night and most of the morning. Set up 2 big canopies with picnic tables under them for everyone to gather and for our campsite "kitchen". I set up a 10 x 10 tarp over my tent just in case. Dug trenches along the sides to guide the water away. All in all, no one really had any problems. A little bit of boredom with the kids because they couldn't swim in the lake, but we got through it. I was concerned because last year we got hit with a thunderstorm and heavy rain, and I lost my tent and everything in it.

Glade you had a great time! Anyone using a hammock?
Just curious,
How did you lose your tent last year?
Oh! I believe I suggested picture.....
So!!!



PITA45

This.

I was in CO a few weeks ago and we got hail for about two hours. My tent (Kelty 2 man Salida) was bone dry while several others had major water intrusion. Mine had a good plastic sheet underneath, which didn't extend past the sides, and was on a slight slope so the water ran away.

A good tent, properly pitched in a well chosen location should keep you dry. Being cooped up in a tent for hours on end can get boring though.

I have some pictures of my kids having fun, but forgot to grab a few of the set up. I got washed out last year because of my location, poor tent set up, and a freak thunderstorm that killed us with 3 inches of rain in less than in hour. I was in a bit of a low spot, and Water rushed under, and around my tent,  ripping out the stakes, and collapsing it. Complete loss. Had to sleep in the truck that night.

Where abouts in Jersey?

We do Turkeys Swamp a lot (Freehold County, I believe). We often get rained on. For one of the worst weather weekends, we setup two pop-up canopies back to back, made tarp walls, and played a movie using a laptop and projector.

Bring out an Airsoft gun and kids will patiently wait their turn for a chance to shoot it. I set up some solo cups about 10 fee away, keeping the kids under shelter. I also use it as chanced to teach firearm safety.

One mom always has a trunk of arts & crafts stuff.

Fish tend to bite more in the rain.

... mostly, just have to keep warm and not be too afraid of getting wet. Kids all enjoyed the time with friends they only see once or twice a year.

Best camping in the rain is done in a 30+ foot toy hauler.  Lots of inside space for movies and popcorn.  I have seen me do it.  30+ people is a bit much as you run out of beer much too quickly.

We go to a private campground / lake in New Gretna. We do private more for the kids, so that they have a bathroom.

Sorry for your bad luck! On losing the tent!
Glade no one was hurt! Experience is the best teacher.
But not all ways the kindest!!!
Well the other good that came out of your mishap was;
You did not stop camping! A lot of people would never went camping again!
And you have one great story to tell around the camp fire!!!
So what is the next adventure on your list? Remember to take pictures!
After all that is why God gave you a phone with a camera in it, Right?


PITA45

Glad your trip worked out. My father took us camping a bunch growing up, and it seemed like a camping trip we had planned was a pretty good indicator of rain that week.

But we survived, and still enjoyed the whole thing. Some good tips are in this thread.  

When its warm, I usually wear crocs or similar on my feet, since your boots will get wet anyway and stay soaked for days. So I just wear my (fake) crocs and save the boots for hiking.

Good idea on the charger or power for phones and devices, these days most kids and even adults can't pass a day without their smartphone.

If you are car camping and you know it will rain, there are plenty of canopy set ups you can buy to save the weekend. But as long as it is just a rain a not a severe wind condition, $40 at home depot or walmart will get you a blue tarp, some cord, and a few spikes or tent stakes. Then you can set up a simple tarp canopy to keep an area dry. Here in the northeast, you can hardly find a camping spot without trees everywhere. So, in a pinch, you set your ridge line tight between two trees, and throw your tarp over it. Tie back the corners and midpoints to the ground or to other trees. This will work fine unless it is really windy. Then, you might have to hunker down more.

But you could still set up a basic, utilitarian shelter for a modest outlay that will help save the weekend. It is not that difficult, and field guys should know how to rig such a shelter. The hardest part is probably reaching high enough on a tree to set your ridgeline a good 8 or 9 feet up for headroom, knowing how to tie a line to keep it taut. If you had no other gear and needed a post, buy two 2x4's for $6, notch the top, and use them for your posts.

Years ago in the army during field exercises, we became experts in throwing up a poncho shelter in just a few minutes that would keep you (reasonably) dry. I always rucked a spare poncho with bungies on the corners, and some 550 cord, and could have a low poncho shelter set up in 2 minutes, tying off to the nearest small trees. You would want something far more spacious for a weekend trip, but the principle is the same.