Erecting in the rain with a footprint.

[DoristheCamel]

I have somehow been extremely lucky and since I have bought my current main use tent I have never had to put it up in the rain. We have had the odd light shower but thats it.

I don't know why but this year I feel that my luck may run out.

The thing that puzzles me and would like to know what others do is.......When using a tent footprint what do you do if its absolutely peeing it down?
My tent has a sewn in groundsheet so Do I just put my tent ontop of a wet footprint?
If it showery I may be able to wipe it but what is the best thing to do if its just a wet day with no breaks in the rain because no matter how fast you are that footprint will get wet.

I am camping for 2 weeks so surely it will go mouldy/fousty underneath? A few days wouldnt worry me. Unlike plastic on grass that can absorb moisture - plastic on plastic cannot.
Any ideas or suggestions? What do you do in the wet?

First time we put our new tent up the rain was relentless so we just pitched it ASAP on the wet footprint. We were only camping a couple of nights though so just left it and it was fine. Eventually all the water just pooled at the lowest point which fortunately was near the edge of the tent (hadn't got in the sewn-in groundsheet part of the tent).

If you're away a couple of weeks it might be best just to pitch wet if there's no break in the weather then wait for a dry spell to investigate. I agree it could go manky so maybe just be prepared to re-pitch but a couple of days on a wet footprint won't hurt if you have a quality waterproof tent. If you have to wait longer than that for a break in the weather you'll probably be wanting to think about moving on anyway!!

Thanks. I am wondering if perhaps I should just not bother with the footprint but the underside of my sewn in groundsheet is spotless and if it is wet weather I like the reassurance of an extra layer.

I attach an extension to my tent - so lifting it or part of it to investigate a few days later sounds like a proper pain the bum and not something ideally I would want to do.

If I dont look though I suppose there could be an almighty stink and a nice foust fest going on underneath.

Ssorry to butt in, but can someone explain to me what a footprint is please?
Thanks!

We always pitch our tent on top of a thick old groundsheet to keep it clean, dry and to protect it from any lurking sharp stones. It makes it more comfy to walk on too.

ThatBloodyWoman A footprint is a groundsheet that you can buy to match the exact shape of your tent. You place the tent ontop to protect the sewn in groundsheet and it also helps with pitching as you can put your footprint down and work out exactly how much space you will have around youn on your pitch.

Last year we pitched on a lovely dry day...next day there was an almighty thunderstorm while we were out for the day. Came back to find a small lake around our tent. Campsite very kindly lent us some pallets so that we could at least access the tent, as the side where the door was was at least a few inches deep in water. The water obviously ran under the tent, creating a lovely muddy, squelchy mess under the footprint, and also between the footprint and the SIG.

The water level took the rest of the week to drain away completely around the tent, with continued squelching from underneath. We were dreading what we might find when we eventually packed away, but other than a very muddy mess (which took a lot of cleaning!) the footprint has been fine. We re-pitched at our second campsite, and then took home, intending to give it a good scrub when we got home. We then forgot all about it until this week when the kids had a camping party in the back garden. It was fine...maybe a slight damp smell, but nothing of serious note, and was fine after a bit of an airing on the lawn.

So as long as it's dry when you actually pack it away properly I wouldn't worry too much about a bit of rain and any long term effects.

Thats reassuring to know easylife.

Even if I have to pack up in the rain I always repitch in the garden to let everything dry out properly.

Tbh - I have the feeling this will be this tents last summer. Its done 4 summers and when I was away in June I noticed white flakey patches where the poles thread through, a sure sign the end is near.

Just means I get to go tent shopping over the winter.

Ah, thanks Doris -I thought it must be something like that!

In the wet, I find I pitch as early as I can and leave it to air out. Even if tipping down it can usually dry out reasonably underneath by bed time.

Make sure that when you go to pack it away at home, that you air & dry it fully, don't want mildew in there.