Warning: My rain fly turned into a giant puddle catcher overnight

I set up my tent near Lake Tahoe last weekend and forgot to tighten the rain fly on one corner. Woke up at 3am to about 2 gallons of water dumped directly on my sleeping bag from that sagging spot. Has anyone else had a rain fly disaster ruin their sleep on a trip?

2 comments

2 Comments

michael88018d agoMost Upvoted

Last time that happened to me I started pitching my tent with the rain fly already on, then made sure every corner had a solid stake pulling it tight. A little bit of slack anywhere and you get a bathtub situation. Haven't had a problem since I got religious about pulling the fly taut before I even open my sleeping bag.

evan_morgan8116d ago

Stake placement is half the battle. You gotta angle those stakes out at 45 degrees, not straight down. Straight down pulls out of wet ground way too easy. Another thing that saved me is running a ridgeline between two trees and clipping the fly to that. Keeps the whole thing drum tight even when the wind tries to grab it. And check your seams before you go out, a little seam sealer on the corners beats waking up in a puddle every time.