Few things make for crankier campout mornings than waking up wet. To be fair, by the time morning comes you’ve often been up for a while, shivering and miserable and trying to fix problems that can’t be quickly fixed. If the weather’s also cold, it’s also a significant health risk, since wet saps body heat far more than dry cold. Here are some ways to keep dry when sleeping on the road. (Click here for a related article on keeping more dry during the walking.)
Shelter is dry
So you knew that part. But have you noticed how many broken-down barns there are in rural areas? More populous areas have garden sheds or work buildings. Any of these are less likely to get you shot than trying to barge in to a house that looks deserted. Given where I spend most of my time, I don’t bother carrying a tent in the bugout bag; if forced out at night my plan’s to find an old barn.
Old barns and other outbuildings are easy shelter, but take care about current residents and owners.
One key: Dust on the floor. Many outbuildings leak; some have running water on the floor during a rain. The areas that don’t tend to fine powdery dust.
Another key: Don’t get shot. Trespassing can be taken badly. The closer to an inhabited house, the more likely it is to be taken badly.
Be wary of neighbors. Just because humans don’t live in those buildings doesn’t mean *nothing* does. Small mammals like raccoons and skunks often den there, and feral cats, rats, and mice area all abundant (well maybe not right in the same spot, or it’s a pretty derelict cat). Old buildings are also good spider habitat, so don’t freak out and don’t reach under things with ungloved hands.
Slopes are more dry than flats
If you’re tenting or cowboy camping (just you and maybe a bedroll), sleep on an incline if it might rain. Also look for something that will divert water around you — a bit of a natural ridge or ditch — to park downhill from. I find foot-downhill to be most comfortable, but start high as some inching downhill tends to happen.
Tents should have waterproof floors that rise several inches above the ground before meeting the material of the walls. Check before you buy.
See how the waterproof material of this tent comes up a few inches? That helps keep run-off from being run-through.
No rain does not equal dry
If it’s humid at all and the temperature drops, dew or frost falls. If you weren’t expecting it, you and your sleeping stuff can get totally soaked. It makes the rain fly of a tent reasonable even on a clear night; or if you’re cowboy camping a tarp or your poncho on the top is helpful. A simple, light tube tent is very good for dew.
Water proofing helps things stay dry
Scotchgard and similar products can be sprayed on fabric and leather products to help them repel water. It helps the gear shed the moisture with a shake too, so you don’t have to carry the dew around in your backpack all day – that’s a big deal. I’ve found the stuff to work very well with dewfall and similar wet-but-not-soaking water contact. I haven’t yet managed to convert non-waterproof gear into honestly waterproof, able to shed a soaking, with the stuff. Your mileage may vary.
Dry is not always an option
All of these approaches help, but I’ve found nothing that keeps everything dry in a determined rain. We might as well expect that and plan for things to get wet.
Some materials are great when dry but lose their insulating power when wet. Down is a good example — it’s a Wonderful option for cold dry conditions, but not good if the gear might get really wetted. Synthetics don’t give you as much insulation per pound, but you get to keep the heat better when the product’s wet. Synthetics are cheaper, too.
Bonus tip: Sleeping warm, dry or not
There’s one aspect of sleeping on the ground you learn pretty quick when you try it: Below is more important than above. If air and ground are about the same temperature, the ground will suck your body heat much faster. For a more comfortable sleep, put the majority of your insulation underneath you.
Using natural insulators, like dry leaves or grass, (or shredded paper if you’re holing up in a more techno building) can serve the same purpose and leave you more coverage to put on top. If I’m stuck using one of these old decrepit barns for cover some night, that old hay bale’s going to be skinnier when I’m done. (The mice who live there may be annoyed.)