How to dry rain gear in a small tent.

I acquired a new Scarp 1 made by TarpTent, and love it for many of it's well designed features & functions. But on a recent backpack I encoundered a problem someone probably already has a solution to. Like most other ultra-lite shelters, Scarp 1 has no room in the tent or vestibule to dry out a rain jacket and/or rain pants.

On a recent trip to the Rockies, I was a nervous Nelly whenever rain threatened, because I didn't know if I could get it dry. Surely other Lite Gear folks have dealt with this problem. Please share your solutions. Thanks

When in the tent, I roll my rain gear inside out, so the wet side is inside. I don't want wet stuff rubbing against my dry clothing or my sleeping bag or causing condensation inside my tent.

When conditions are wet, unless you are where you can build a fire, the only thing you have to dry out clothing or sleeping bag is your body heat. While your body heat can dry stuff out in your sleeping bag, it will compromise your insulation. Barely damp is one thing, but wet is another.

If my hiking shirt, pants and socks are wet, they go into a plastic bag inside my sleeping bag while I sleep in my dry base layer. Yes, the hiking clothes are still just as wet the next morning, but at least they are warm. If you have synthetic clothing and your layers are thin, your body heat will dry them in 15-20 minutes once you start hiking.

Of course if you can build a fire you can wave stuff over it (not too close!). Your clothing will be well smoked and at least partially dry. I normally don't build fires so would do this only in an emergency (if my insulating clothing or sleeping bag got wet).

The trick is to keep your insulating clothing and sleeping bag dry at all times. Do whatever is needed to minimize condensation in your tent.

I have posted another picture at PBF however this may illustrate the point a bit better.
The Scarp is provably one of the most suited solo tents to have a hanging clothes line under it..
Just install a line starting from the top of the inverted V strut , going up to the outermost clip that holds the inner up and down again to the other V strut.
This still allows to attach the inner up losing about six inches of floor width, but that still gives you about 26" of usable width.
That blue mat is 20" wide
Franco

( the tent is up in my bedroom...)

Dash
why worry about your rain gear being wet? Isn't it designed for that?
As mouse said - in your tent, roll it up (actually bunch it - wet on wet) so its wet inside and dry outside, then when you put it on it should only be wet on the outside, and thats the way it was intended.

BUT if you have enough room you can close up a tent and sun light will make it warm, and thus dry - relative humidity - and things will dry out in your tent in the sun. Tent drying is a critical winter skill.

BUT always set priorities - sleeping bag stays dry at any cost, other things may have to stay wet, or only dry out a bit. Its one of the problematic things about multi-day snow camping trips where you are moving camp everyday - how to stay "DRY ENOUGH". How to roll up and carry a wet tent? Hopefully you have an extra large stuff sack because a wet tent will not roll up and stuff as small as a dry one - and thats a fact jack.
Jim

I've learned that, if a wet tent is a possibility, I prefer to put the tent into two smaller stuff sacks. The fly is usually a lot wetter than the inner (at least for a few days.) By storing them in separate sacks, you prevent the wet fly from making the inner tent even wetter, which means you've got a chance at it being a little dryer the next time you pitch it. (On packs like the Osprey Atmos and Exos, some of which have divided outside pockets, you can do the same thing by putting the fly in one pocket, and the inner in the other - saving the weight of two stuff sacks.)

Great idea for the double wall tent, Glenn! (I haven't used one in a while). For a single wall tent, wipe down the inside walls if necessary; wipe off the outside just before taking it down (unless it's raining hard at the time) and then give it a good shake just before stuffing. Of course, you'll have everything else packed up and inside your pack before you take the tent down! And of course you have some kind of towel (I prefer "Handi-Wipes" because they're lighter and dry faster) to do this with!

The wet tent issue is one reason I use one of the outside side pockets of my pack for my tent. A second reason is that I want to be able to get at my tent and set it up without opening my pack should it be raining. A third reason is to be able to stop and dry it out should a "sun break" occur during the day.

Maybe you all have missed this
"Like most other ultra-lite shelters, Scarp 1 has no room in the tent or vestibule to dry out a rain jacket and/or rain pants. "
Hence my picture....
(of course if you have both the OP and me on "ignore" you would not know what it is all about)
Franco

I don't have anyone on ignore, Franco, but, to me, trying to dry the outside of a rain jacket or pants by hanging it inside the tent when it's raining just gets everything inside the tent that much wetter and is totally unnecessary--the rain gear will just get wet again as soon as the OP goes back out in the rain. As Jim said, the outside surface of rain gear is supposed to get wet!

When it's cold and wet, nothing is going to dry inside the tent, hung up or not, and it will just make things damper inside unless there is an external source of heat. Of course if it turns warm and sunny, everything will get dry, but the drying will happen faster outside the tent in the breeze rather than inside. You have proved that there's room for a clothesline inside the tent, but what in the world for?

I've been through spells of constant rain lasting as long as 10 days at a stretch in the Rockies, so I do know what I'm talking about.

Yeah, I did kind of digress there. Must be the onset of geezerdom: someone says something, then the old guy goes off on a tangent, usually ending up with, "... five miles, in the snow, uphill, both ways" or "...you kids don't appreciate how good you've got it!"

Oh, wait a minute - I did it again.

I tend to agree with the other posters: if you're in an area where all-day (or all-night) rains are common, you're probably wasting your time trying to dry out rain gear in any small tent - and maybe even any large tent. It doesn't have anything to do with the tent; it's more about the high humidity levels not letting things dry out at all. Although the Scarp seems to do a particularly good job of allowing you to hang things, it can be done in other tents; you just don't end up with much room to sit up or move around. In prolonged rain, where there's a lot of moisture in the air all the time, the best you can do is try not to get things any wetter than need be.

However, if you're in a climate where you get your rain gear wet walking in the 2-hour afternoon shower, after which it clears off and the humidity is low, you can dry things out in a well-ventilated tent (which, I believe, most Tarptents are.)

Where I hike: you stay wet, and protect your sleeping bag.

Gee, I don't know. One moment people are complaining that there is too much ventilation in the Scarp , then I figure out the way to keep the moisture level high enough to help your skin and give the Brits the environment they like so much and you whinge about increased condensation...
We are in the middle ( OK, hopefully 3/4 of the way) of a draught here but has been raining on and off for two days. I have had the washing out on the line for two days. Maybe I will transfer it under the Scarp....(so there)
yes we are all correct. If it is still raining and there is no breeze all you will do is get your gear less wet...
However it may help in some situations, for example when you don't want to show off your frilly knickers to some less opened minded campers.
Franco
(sorry , no pictures this time because you really have upset me now. Maybe a bar of chocolate will make me feel better)

Hey, Franco, if it will help get you in a good mood: I hear Henry is coming out with a new Tarptent...

(Of course, I didn't say when.)

With so many new models in the past year, it sounds as though Henry is on a roll!

Franco, I hadn't thought about hiding the panties inside the tent, although mine are definitely not frilly and not little, either.... I tend to decorate little trees with mine!

We'd be happy to send you some of our rain--we just had a weekend of it after a week of cloudy, cool weather (i.e. no views from ridge tops). We're supposed to have 100% sunshine after July 4 in Oregon, but not this year!

With so many new models in the past year, it sounds as though Henry is on a roll!

On a PM one of the members here commented about the many choices. My replay was that (after the Scarp2) he was safe as Henry would be busy with that. The very same day Henry was playing with the floor plan of the new shelter...
Franco

No rain please.. I'm headed up high this weekend!

Nearly impossible to get the gear dry while is raining. That is the trouble with shelters designed for only fair weather. It is a cold clammy miserable situation and it does not need to be. A good tarp and a tiny wood stove/chimney is good for any season and only weighs 2lbs. plus the weight of whatever tarp you choose and thats for 2 to 4 people. Life is good sitting beside a little wood fire (no trace wood fire)even when its raining or snowing. see my other posts for pictures or google chimpac for other forums

Yeah, I have noticed your other posts on at least 4 other forums. 2 of them make sense with your wood stove posts, but not all. What gets me is why you only put up a few posts about your stove and tarp, and then nothing else. It seems you are only interested in selling everyone the idea that your stove tarp is the greatest thing since sliced bread. You also seem very confident that it works in every situation. So, why is it so important that we all bow to the idea of a wood stove/chimney?

The thought of packing around a 2 lb. wood stove, needed most in areas (near or above timberline, where summer rainstorms often end in snow) where fires of any kind (including stove) are forbidden due to lack of fuel, is enough to make my knees ache big time!

In case you hadn't noticed, this is a lightweight backpacking site.

I prefer to regulate my body heat according to conditions and keep my critical insulating gear dry. I've done this for many days at a time and gotten along just fine.

One, not everyone goes in the depth of winter when they can pull a pulk, or hikes with a pack animal, or wants to carry a few pounds of metal.

Two, some of us can't burn wood where we camp. Wood stoves count as campfires and restrictions on fires above a particular elevation are there to protect that environment and the tiny amount of wood available there.

"How to dry rain gear in a small tent."

Simple answer: It ain't gonna happen. And even if the raingear dries a little that H20 has to go somewhere.

Unless.....the sun comes out, the humidity drops, and the temps rise.

But if that happens you wont be drying your raingear in the tent.

Maybe you should have phrased the question differently. How do you stay dry in the rain?

Then we would be talking about things like using a durable pack liner, waterproof sacks for sleeping gear and clothing, pack covers, ponchos vs rain jackets, and the point at which one realizes the weather isn't just a passing thing and pitches the shelter. If you can work out how to stay dry, you don't need to worry about trying to dry stuff. If all that's wet is your rain gear... what's the problem? roll it up inside out and leave it in the vestibule.

Tarp/stove combos may work well for certain people in specific situations. But they also carry limitations. And two pounds might as well be two tons for many on this board.

Also, there is no such thing as a no trace wood fire. Even if you completely bury the ashes you have changed the soil and the absence of the wood you burned (which would otherwise decompose to enrich the soil) is your trace. I might buy your pitch if you carry in your wood, carry out your ashes, and confine the fire to the stove. But I doubt that's what you do.

IF you have plenty of ventilation (not the case with most tens, don't know with the Scarp) AND it's not too cold AND you're not cold, you can do what I sometimes do, which is to keep my wet rain jacket on inside the tent and dry it with my body heat. BUT you have to be very careful and VERY aware of your overall body heat situation so that you don't get chilled. I put on warm pants, and a warm hat and sometimes gloves so that I maximize heat retention everywhere except my torso and maximize heat loss from my torso, and I can dry my jacket out pretty well and pretty quickly. I've done the same thing snow camping when my jacket gets wet from snow that is just barely snow. But again, this requires a high level of caution and awareness of what you're doing so that you don't get chilled.

trainrunner
said
""How to dry rain gear in a small tent."

Simple answer: It ain't gonna happen. And even if the raingear dries a little that H20 has to go somewhere.

Unless.....the sun comes out, the humidity drops, and the temps rise. "
_______________________________________________________________________________

Trailrunner - depends - sometimes simple logic just ain't true. Like here in high desert, it can be raining and drying at the same time. The relative humidity is not necesarily 100% just cause its raining, AND if its warmer in the tent, it could be lower humidity in there.
Jim

Yes, anything is occasionally possible under unusual conditions. Sometimes an eclipse turns day into night. But when most people discuss things here they're usually talking about the norm and not the exception.

I've always found it difficult to dry anything in a tent, which I've attributed to the lack of airflow. Things will drip off most of the moisture, but tend to stay damp, in my experience.

I prefer to have equipment and clothes that can handle being constantly wet, as I refuse to let weather deter me (limited vacation time and all that).

In case you hadn't noticed, this is a lightweight backpacking site.

What is the maximum weight allowed for a stove to be on this Church of the Lite site.

To keep cults from preaching the rules should be posted. The way I calculate it I may

not be as heretical as you think unless using heat inside a shelter to get dry is

against all principles of righteousness.

windscreen,stove, fuel and containter total weight vs. 2lb. stove and chimney.

Maybe I can use titanium and become worthy.

What would be the penance or penalty for those who convert to be a chimney carrying heretic.

I have very little respect for someone who shows up in forums - online communities - and spends just about every post they make trying to convince someone to buy into something they are trying to sell. I for one refuse to buy items from people who do this, even if I was interested in the item itself. It may not be overt spam, but it's freakin' annoying.

Especially when you get all sanctimonious when someone calls you on it. Spam is spam, Sam I am, and you have earned my "ignore" hammer.

My stove (isobutane canister) weighs 3.5 oz. and a small fuel canister (enough for a week for me) is 8.1 oz. Total stove weight with fuel is 11.6 oz. A lot of people think my option is too heavy! If I switched to using alcohol as a fuel, the stove plus windscreen would weigh half as much but the fuel plus container for a week would probably be close to the same (the weight advantages of alcohol stoves disappear with longer trips because the fuel is a bit heavier). I've been considering a switch, but the canister stove is so convenient that I probably won't.

I've already noted that using wood for fuel is definitely not an option and is, in fact, illegal in the Rockies and in the Cascades near or at timberline, where I prefer to backpack. Even if fires aren't prohibited due to high fire danger (an annual event in Pacific Northwest summers), there isn't enough fuel at those altitudes to allow campers to build even small fires without stripping the place of its last dry twig (unfortunately common in more popular spots).

Silicone-coated nylon tents or tarps, which most of us use because they are considerably lighter than their urethane-coated counterparts, are also not flame-resistant, so using a wood stove inside would be highly dangerous.

A wood stove is practical only for those who, in winter, use pulks (sleds) to haul their stuff, or for horse packers.

If you want to carry a 50-60 pound pack, go for it. Most of us prefer to carry half that weight or less and be far more comfortable. Some of us (me included) physically cannot carry such loads. In fact, I had to give up backpacking altogether after a knee injury, until I discovered lightweight gear, mostly thanks to this site. Try going lighter, you'll like it!

Are you here on this forum only to disparage those who don't buy your products?

You see, what we have never heard from you is "Oh,yeah, you're right, my stove/chimney would not be appropriate in (national parks, alpine zones, etc). It would be nice to have a rational conversation with you in regard to the advantages AND LIMITATIONS of your approach. (I hope you are aware that you are not the first to think of this approach or speak of it on this forum.)

Since you appear to be either incapable or unwilling to recognize that there are always tradeoffs with any solution (and people who make different choices are not being willfully stupid but usually have a legitimate basis for their decision), it is extremely difficult to trust your comments because they certainly fit all the criteria of shameless marketing -- whether that is your intent or not.

Hey, I've been interested in the tent stove idea ever since looking at the Titanium Goat stuff and would be interested in a reasoned discussion of the topic. I'd even be interested in hearing a shameless marketing plug comparing your product to others already in that market space. However your approach here so far makes it difficult for me to rely on the value of your words -- much less consider buying a product from you.

Hey a stove under a tarp makes sense...some times. I saw your posts in the canadian winter trekking forum that Tomd loves so much (I don't blame him, I like it too, although I am only a lurker). That forum is for people who winter camp in a place that is extremely cold with no fire ban and lots of wood. Since they drag all their stuff on sleds, lighter is better, and carrying a 2 lb stove instead of a 10 lb stove is genius. You also posted about the stove in a wilderness survival forum. It makes sense there as well. In fact, if you would have posted about your stove on this site in the winter camping area, it would be a good fit for some. But, you fail to realize that it is not a good fit for most of the people on this site, especially when they only 3 season hike. 3 season in the lower 48 is a lot different than 3 season in Alberta. Also, a lot of people in the lower 48 can't have a fire (we call it a fire ban), even if it is in a stove. And, when you combine warm weather, fire ban and the lightweight hiking style, a 2 lb stove that you can't use seems a little much. But, with all that said, those things don't raise any suspicions. I meet people every day that can't see past their own nose. They always think they have the greatest thing and no one comes close. They usually can't take criticism. No big deal. What get's me is that you only want to talk about your stove, but not completely. You first put a post describing it with some tiny pictures that show no detail, then add a lengthy description of its features with no pictures. There is always a reference to google chimpac for other forums. But, in those other forums, it is the exact post, word for word. No additional information. Even in a forum with people that are truly at awe with it. So, why don't you want to show people how to make it? Why not make a how-to post with detailed instructions? Seems to me that you want to sell them and you are prepping the market for them. Fishy, very fishy.

To be completely fair, what is the weight of the wood I would have to carry for 1 week. You included fuel on one side of the equation, you need to include it on the other side too.

Yes, I'm serious, I'm usually in places with zero burnable material (high altitude deserts and mountains).

I do not dry ANYTHING in my small tent. My priority is keeping my sleeping bag dry and I do not want any extra humidity. I wring out wet stuff and put it all in a stuff sack set in the vestibule. Wet shoes also are under the vestibule. Only dry stuff comes inside the tent. I put on wet stuff for hiking - after a few minutes of misery, it gets warm when you walk. If you wear wool and wring it out good, it really is not that bad.

Have you tried hanging the raingear on the inner branches of a tree overnight? I do this often and although it never really dries, it ends up only damp in the morning. If you have the right kind of trees, there are small spots within the tree that never get wet.

I do have a one track mind or obsession. I am slow on the

computer and neglect to post personal comments when they

should be made. I have some comments now to make a few points

clear. Its about the chimney joint, a tapered sleeve butt

joint. Tapered chimney sections made with light metal are not

strong enough when joined the conventional way.

Using the new joint, a chimney is strong enough to be

centerpole and hold a mounted stove.

I have patent pending on the joint feature.

A titanium centerpole chimney (near 10oz.) could be used to vent a gas stove.


I am only building and testing right now and looking for

anything out there that is better.

Thankyou to the judges of equipment on the forum for the

encouragement and constructive criticism.

I recognize the need for a chimney is disputed. I am a

backcountry traveller also and would feel deprived if I had

to use a shelter without a chimney.

A wood burning stove in a tent is fun for a base/hunters camp. When I am moving camp each day I prefer a different shelter. I avoid using my Kifaru because it requires so many stakes-- just a high fiddle factor.

Kifaru and TiGoat both have good wood burning stoves for tents.

Thanks for the post. It really helps to know where you are coming from. I wish you the best in your patent process.

The stoves mentioned above are horizontal stoves which are not

capable of burning wood very slowly from the top down like

vertical gassifier type stoves. A slow hot steady heat is

needed for cooking, burning first the gas out of the wood

then burning all the charcoal that is formed by changing

the draft to only come in under the grate the charcoal is

sitting on.

Going back to the drying the gear idea, why keep it in the tent at all. The original post suggested his tent didn't have a vestibule. Why not make one with a garbage bag. Dry the wet gear with your towel, and keep it under your garbage bag vestibule. So what if the rain coat doesn't get completely dry. Just getting some air on it will help and you really didn't want that extra moisture in the tent to begin with.

That is correct about certain kinds of trees, conifers mostly, and spruce or fir especially. I know this well, but hadn't thought of it, I dare to admit. So thanks!

"The original post suggested his tent didn't have a vestibule"
The tent in question is the TT Scarp 1 , one of the few singles to have TWO vestibules...
If you look at my picture, the "clothes line would be hanging on the outside of the inner (folded in so that you can see the set up...)
Obviously for anything to happen you need some air movement, a still rainy night is not going to dry those bits apart from the drip/dry bit. Still, better than nothing.
Franco