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Finally realized I was setting up my tent in the worst spots for 2 years
I was hiking the Long Trail in Vermont and kept waking up soaked, thinking my gear was failing. Then a guy at a shelter pointed out I was always pitching in low spots where water collected overnight. It was a stupid simple fix, but nobody ever told me to look for high ground with good drainage. Has anyone else had a basic camping skill take way too long to click?
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jessica92110d ago
Honestly, folks have camped for centuries without overthinking drainage and been fine.
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anthonynelson10d ago
Right there with you. I learned this one the hard way in the Smokies a few years back. Found what looked like the perfect grassy clearing, nice and flat, thought I was a genius. Woke up at like 2am to that awful sound of water running, whole bottom of my cheap tent was soaked. Spent the rest of the night curled up on my sleeping pad like a turtle trying to stay dry. Now I'm that guy who kicks at the ground for ten minutes looking for any little slope or dip before I even unpack.
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abbyp6111d ago
Oh man, I did the same thing for like three straight summers in the White Mountains. I'd set up in these nice flat spots that looked perfect at 5pm, then wake up in a puddle at 3am because all the runoff funneled right under my tent.
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