Surviving the Storm pt. 2

I recently did a post on how to camp and hike in a storm as well as the dangers. You should, by now, know where to set up and when; how to position yourself; and how to avoid the dangers of storms. But what about waiting out a storm? What could you do when it rains all evening? How can you get dry during a storm? These are questions I have assessed and there are many answers to each. 

Okay, so you know a storm is coming. You set up your camp, already made dinner, and you are now in your tent. Now what? Well suppose you got wet while making dinner. The most important thing is to get dry. If it is even slightly chilly outside and you are wet, you can develop hypothermia. Your rain jacket is waterproof, so if you need to, you can leave it outside. If you are in a large tent, you can also drape it over your pack to dry. If you have a gear loft in your tent, you can hang clothes there to dry. If you do this, be sure to put a towel down as to not soak your sleeping bag. 

If, before you set out, you know it is about to rain, you are better off bringing a bigger tent or a hammock. If you bring a smaller, one person tent that is just big enough to sleep in, you will be uncomfortable trying to do anything in it. If it rains for a full evening and you have a larger tent, you can sit up and read or whatever it is you do. With a hammock, you can sit sideways in it like a chair so you don't have this problem. However, if you are camping in a hammock, you may have difficulty undressing without getting wet. Unless you are skilled and experienced in hammock camping, you are probably better off bringing a tent if you know it's going to rain. 

The big concern I have always had is "if my tent is wet and I pack it up to hike for the day, will it mold?" Unlikely. I have a buddy who, at one time, packed his tent up when wet and didn't get to airing it out until about 2 weeks later and it didn't mold. Of course, this depends on your climate. If you are hiking a trail and are packing up to move on with intentions of pitching your tent that night, you won't have any problems with mold. However, there are some things you can do to prevent mold. First, when the trip is over, set your tent out for a couple days to dry. Second, if you had your tent put away when wet, turn the stuff sack inside out to allow it to dry as well. 

As far as clothing, the sooner you get it dry, the better. When in your tent, wring it as much water as you can, then hang it to dry. If you have any type of fabric that absorbs water, be sure to dry it out because it can mold quickly. If it is a waterproofed material, it will take longer to mold. When you are only doing a few day trip, you shouldn't have to worry about drying anything out until you get home. But if you are doing a week or longer, be sure to dry everything out as you go. 

You already know to wear clothing to keep you dry, but in the morning, you could get pretty miserable treading through mud. If you suspect it's going to rain, be sure to have good waterproofed shoes. In addition, you want some good, waterproof gators. These will keep your pants dry and keep from getting water in your shoes. 

As far as what to do to wait out a storm? Well, I normally take a book along. This is a great way to pass the time. Every once in a while, I'll take my harmonica and could play it for hours to occupy myself. If you hadn't made dinner yet, you certainly can do that. However, there are some things to be aware of. 

When cooking in your tent, gases from the stove create carbon monoxide which is very dangerous. When cooking, be sure you have plenty of ventilation. If your tent has a vestibule, you are better off cooking in it. When in the tent, be sure your stove in on a flat surface. It could be bad if your stove tips over and lights your tent ablaze. Best thing to remember is avoid tipping the stove over, and be sure to have plenty of ventilation. 

The main goal is to keep as dry as possible and minimize how much gear gets wet. Be sure you dry out all you can, when you can to avoid mold. Overall, camping in the rain can be a pleasurable experience. On the other side, it can be miserable if you don't prepare right. If you have any questions or tips, please comment. 

Surviving the Storm

With the fall season on us, so is the rain. There's just something about falling asleep to the sound of the rain drops on a tent and the smell of the precipitation. I always enjoy a good rain and especially watching a good storm. I even find it somewhat enjoyable to hike or cycle in it. With that being said, being out in a storm can, at times, be dangerous and even lethal. Therefore, it is essential to recognize when a bad storm is coming and what to do when it does. It's also good to know how to prepare yourself for hiking or cycling in the rain. 

Many people don't like hiking in the rain because of having to walk while wet, but if you know how to be ready for the rain, it can be a good experience. The first step to being ready is looking at the forecast before heading out. If you are going on a month trip, or longer, sometimes that can be difficult. Of course, you don't want to take anything you won't need, but you don't want to be caught in a storm without rain gear. I carry a lightweight cycling rain jacket that can be rolled up and stowed away in a small pocket. This is always a good idea. If you don't know if you will hit a storm or not, you should be prepared with at least a jacket or poncho. There are many lightweight, thin rain jackets out there that you can choose from. With my rain jacket, I also wear nylon, water proof Guide Gear pants. They are not rain pants, but the rain rolls right off of them and they dry quite fast. You can find a cheap, lightweight rain suit that comes with a jacket and pants and is easy to pack. You can go with just a jacket, but if you don't have waterproof pants, it could get miserable. 

Ideally, you want a jacket, pants, and hat that will keep the rain off of you. In addition, you want to always preemptively prepare for rain by waterproofing your shoes. You can find waterproofing spray at any shoe store or Walmart.  Not only does this protect from rain, but also from dew in the morning. If your shoes have mesh on them, it can be a little more difficult to waterproof them. It can be a bad deal if you get your socks wet. Walking in wet socks can cause trench-foot and ruin the rest of the trip. 

In addition to waterproofing yourself, it is essential to waterproof your gear. Most of us carry gear that can be ruined by the rain. The first step is to have a pack cover. If you don't have one of these, I highly recommend getting one. These are the most elementary way to keep your pack dry. They hardly take any space in your pack and can be taken on any trip. In my opinion, every pack should have it's own cover that stays in the pack all the time. However, this won't completely waterproof the pack. 

It is good to also waterproof the inside. You can use your waterproofing spray to spray down your pack. I recommend getting a waterproof liner for your pack. You can find these all over the internet and they range in size and price. You can also look at dry bags. However, dry bags can get heavy and can take up space. What I do is use a contractor bag. These are heavy duty trash bags. They are a little weighty, but are pretty close to the weight of a bag liner. They are also thicker than regular trash bags so they won't tear as easily. I don't always use it because every time you use a pack liner, it takes away space that could be used for gear. I will, however, use it if I know it's going to rain or if I'm hiking in damp climate. The bags can also be cut down and used in panniers. 

Panniers can also be waterproofed from the outside. Most panniers come with rain covers. But if you really think you will be riding in a lot of rain or planning on doing some long rides, I recommend a waterproof pannier. There are many brands out there that make panniers that are essentially dry bags. A major brand is Axiom. When it comes to waterproofing your pack, there are many options and you can get creative. There are also some backpacks that have a big, built-in dry bag. 

But now that you and your pack are ready for the rain, let's head out! Although, what if you hit a BAD storm? Some storms can be bad enough to tear guy-lines  and tents, blow your tent over, or flood you out. So what can you do to minimize damage of an unexpected bad storm?

First, let's prevent getting flooded out. In camping basics, we know to always set up camp in the high grounds. The higher you are, the less chance you have of getting flooded. With that being said, too high of ground can result in lightning strikes. So you want balance it out, being high enough to avoid the flooding and low enough to avoid lightning. 

Avoiding lighting can be quite tricky when camping. We all know that if hiding from lightning, you don't want to be near any trees. But if you want to avoid strong winds, you want the shelter from the trees. The best way to set up is a little ways away from the trees, enough to avoid the lightning. Set up downwind from the trees. If all possible, find a campsite that is near a ridge and set up downwind from the ridge. This will ensure that you are sheltered from the wind and partially sheltered from lightning. Now, the ridge will push the rain from the clouds and you may get more rain than you would if you weren't next to a ridge, but if you are in a tent, it won't matter. One note to remember, hammocks are dangerous in thunderstorms. If a tree is truck by lightning and you are tied to it, it could be lethal. If you know it is going to storm, you're better off to bring a tent. On another note, if you are camped near trees (even in a tent) you run the risk of falling branches. 

Now, let's position the tent for the storm. As I said earlier, you want to shelter the tent from the wind. Wind will damage your tent more than rain will. For the most part, we try to set up in the timbers to be sheltered from the rain. I know I said that you want to set up away from trees, but I do have an exception. I often camp in an area that is all timber. If you are where it is 98% timber, you can find a lower spot in the woods, still avoiding the low flood spots. Where I often camp, there is a hill that goes down to a deep ravine. It is well sheltered, low enough to avoid lightning, and the rain flows away for the camp. This is ideal! Unfortunately, this not the case in most locations. But if you can find a heavily woods area, you will have a lower chance of lightning strikes in your camp. If you do camp In an area like I described, keep away from the ravines and creeks. If they flood, so will your camp. This is especially true In desserts and rain forests. 

Now that you have your location, let's set up the tent. If you have a dome tent, there is no particular way to set up to deflect the wind. However, if you face the door down wind, it will minimize the rain getting in your tent when you enter and exit. When you set up your tent in the rainy season, be sure to put the rain fly on before going out on your day hike. It would be a bad deal to be on a hike and have rain in your tent. If you own multiple tents, be sure to bring one that has a rain fly that reaches the ground, or at least well covers the netting on the tent. I have a small tent the has a small rain fly. It only covers down to where the netting meets the fabric of the tent. In this case, when the wind blows, rain can blow under the fly and into the tent. 

If you have a shaped tent as in the picture (like my Eureka! Solitaire) point the small end into the wind. If it is a thinner tent, point it into the wind as if it was an arrow. Doing this will minimize the wind blowing the tent over. It is ideal if you have guy-lines in the middle of the tent to hold it down. This will also help to keep the wind from pushing the tent. 

If you are hammock camping and come across and unexpected storm, there are ways to keep yourself safe. If you have a rainfly for the hammock, you can find 2 sturdy branches (or trekking poles) and put them in the ground about 20 ft. apart and tie off your fly to them, as if you were tarp camping. If nothing else, you could use trees, but still sleep on the ground. That way, if lightning does strike, you will be at lower risk of it conducting into you. 

Lastly, if you are caught in a lightning storm before camp is made, you should take standard precautions. Find low ground and crouch as low as you can, keeping only your feet on the ground, and keep your head down. You are better off to put your pack on the ground away from you. Of course, these are standard actions for lightning storms. However, if you know a storm is coming, you're better off pitching camp before the storm hits. In all reality, being truck by lightning is a rare occurrence. In 2013, there were only 23 fatal lightning strikes. If you would like to see more on lightning strike statistics go to this link: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/fatalities.htm. 

If it is cold outside and you know rain is on it's way, you need to set up camp right away. If you get wet and it's cold out, it can take 30-60 minutes to go into hypothermia. When you develop hypothermia, it is too late to set up your tent and get a fire going, so be sure to set up camp early. (Keep your eyes open for a future post on hypothermia.)

These are basics for preparing and protecting yourself in rain and storms. This topic is flexible for innovation so experiment and you may find more ways to protect yourself and your pack from the rain and storm. Stay tuned for a future post on post-storm camping. Any questions or other ideas, please comment.