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Thought I was a pro at setting up camp tarps until a storm near Big Sur
For years I always pitched my rain fly super tight and low like everyone said to. Then I got stuck in a freak downpour near Big Sur last spring and realized I had zero airflow under the tarp, everything inside was soaked from condensation. A guy at the next site had his fly pitched way looser with more gap on the sides and his tent was bone dry. Has anyone else found that the standard 'tight and low' advice just doesn't hold up in certain weather?
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paulperry1mo ago
Wait, "everything inside was soaked from condensation"? That's wild. I always figured tight and low was the only way to go, never thought it could backfire that hard.
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hayes.tara1mo ago
Oh man @paulperry, you have no idea how bad it can get. I learned this the hard way with an old tent in the Pacific Northwest. You gotta crack those vents open at night, even if it feels wrong. Leaving everything zipped tight traps all your breath and body heat, and that moisture has nowhere to go but onto your gear. I woke up with my sleeping bag feeling like a wet sponge and my phone screen fogged up so bad I couldn't use it. Now I always leave the fly's vents cracked and a small gap at the bottom of the tent door, just enough for airflow but still bug proof. Saves you a soggy morning for sure.
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