I like to leave camp fast in the morning. I have a hard time lingering with the day’s miles hanging over my head, so I usually pack up and zip out bright and early. I can always sit around later in the day, after all, and if I have a lot of miles to put away, I don’t have time for a leisurely breakfast anyway. On many of those mornings, my tent is soggy from condensation or overnight rain. If I’m feeling lazy, the whole sodden mess goes into my pack as I pledge to myself that I’ll deal with it later.
While it’s not the end of the world to unpack a still-damp tent at camp, there are ways to mitigate the mess. Not only is this more comfortable, but it’s also better for your tent’s longevity and can prevent mildew and odor buildup. Here’s how I’ve learned to keep my tent as dry as possible while maximizing efficiency during longer trail days.
You don’t have to dry your tent if it doesn’t get damp in the first place.
It’s kind of cheating to make this the first tip, but it’s pertinent, especially if you’re camping somewhere without precipitation but with potential condensation buildup. If you can, avoid camping in enclosed spaces surrounded by tall grass, in low points of gullies or valleys, or near water. All of these tent-pitching locations increase condensation buildup thanks to the higher humidity and increased ground condensation. Airflow is also important: If your tent has vents and weather allows, prop them open overnight or keep your fly partially open. This will help prevent condensation buildup inside your tent.
If your tent does get wet, snap that thing out.
You can exponentially speed up the drying rate by absorbing water droplets before you fold it up. Grab a buddy, hang onto all four corners, and snap the tent as hard as you can like you’re a fourth grader playing with the giant parachute in gym class. The more water you shake off before strapping it to your pack or stuffing it inside, the less you’ll have to deal with later. Plus, it’s kind of fun to see the water drops fly off.
If you packed a microfiber cloth or camp towel, now’s the time to use it.
Once you snap the tent out, you can take care of water in the corners or particularly soggy spots by wiping them down with a camp towel. (I try to hit any muddy spots here, which can help prevent material degradation from dirt and abrasion. It also makes it less gross to climb into that night.) If I don’t have a microfiber cloth, I wipe my tent out with an old sock (sorry), which is better than nothing.
Stop for lunch in a windy spot with good sun exposure.
It’s not often I choose to sit in the wind on purpose, but if I stuffed a soggy tent into my pack in the morning, I’m going to seek out an open, breezy spot to shake it out. My main stop during the day is lunch, so if my tent was wet in the morning, I try to time my lunch break for peak warmth and sun height. As soon as I stop, I take the tent out of my pack and lay it flat out while I eat. Anchor the corners so it doesn’t blow away; I also recommend adjusting it for best sun exposure and airflow as each section dries. This works best if you drape the material over brush, branches, or across taller rocks to maximize airflow, and don’t forget to shake it every now and again to clear actual water drops as they condense, which speeds up the process.
Secure it to the outside of your pack as you hike.
This isn’t as efficient as spreading the whole thing out during a lunch break on a breezy hillside, but on days where I don’t plan to stop as much—or the sun is particularly hot—I fold the fly into a large square to maximize surface area, then attach it under the Y-straps on the top of my pack, draping it down the back to catch as much moving air as possible. Every time I stop for water, I flip the tent fabric over to expose more of it to the sun and air.
Set up as soon as you get to camp.
Since I don’t sit around camp in the morning, I often finish my miles earlier and sit around camp in the evening. This is entirely personal preference, but it also gives me time to get the tent dry while the air is still warm and the sun is still up. Instead of flopping down immediately and elevating my feet, I set up my tent and shift it around for the best sun exposure as soon as I get to camp. On days when elevating my feet simply cannot wait, I drape the tent body and fly across branches or sturdy bushes and let the dry air do its thing.
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