How To Camp In The Rain And Still Have Fun

Don’t let bad weather spoil your fun! Here are some great tips on how to camp in the rain and still have loads of fun!

You nervously tap refresh on the weather app and triple check the forecast– partly cloudy with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.That doesn’t sound too bad, right? It doesn’t matter though because your car is packed, the cooler is full of camp treats, and you are way past time to get the down payment back on your reservation.

You knock on wood and head out for your annual family camping trip. Everything is going well until that chance of thunderstorms turns into monsoon season and all the great hiking you planned gets swept away in the torrential downpours.

And don’t even think about roasting marshmallows tonight. Ugh.

Sometimes the weather can ruin our best-planned vacations. If you are camping, you can still have fun in the rain! Depending on what kind of camping experience you are creating, you may be limited in your choices. However, there are still plenty of fun things you can do even if it rains! Here are a few tips to help you if you need to camp in the rain and how to have fun!

Prepare your gear for the rain

Waterproof is going to be your best friend when you are camping! Make sure your tent and your supplies are waterproof. Here are some rain ready items you want to have on hand:

Waterproof tent (unless you’re RV camping)
Tarps
Waterproof jacket or ponchos
Waterproof bag or cover for the bag
Waterproof bag for trash

More waterproofing ideas

In addition to waterproofing your materials, you want to make sure you are prepared in other ways. Make sure you have food handy that doesn’t need to be cooked in order to eat, shoes that you can wear in the rain, and a way to get to these materials if you can’t keep them in the tent.

Prepare your campsite

The next thing you want to consider is your campsite. You want to avoid camping next to a river or on an incline where water will likely end up causing flooding to your campsite.

If you can, choose a site that is on elevated land. Make sure there are no overhangs or any drainage issues with the land you are camping near. These could cause muddy walking trails or a pile of water on your tent every hour.

You can use tarps to create rain-free areas to get you to and from the tent! I recommend setting these up if you need to store items in your car or in a bin so you can get to them without getting soaked.

Have activities you can enjoy in the tent

Sometimes the rain doesn’t last long. For these moments, have some games and activities handy that you can enjoy while you are in a tent! Bring coloring books or notebooks for the kids, some toys they could play with, or even make your own memory game.

Bring a deck of cards or other card games, play charades, or tell stories in your tent. If you have limited tent space, be smart about what you choose since you won’t have much room.

Go out and play in the rain

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the great outdoors! You may want to avoid trails that have the potential to flood, but you can still head outside and enjoy nature.

Bring a poncho and have an extra change of clothes handy for when you get back to the campsite. Make sure to wear bright colors if you choose to leave the tent to make it easier to find you.

Camping in the rain doesn’t have to ruin the whole trip! Keep these tips in mind when planning your trip just in case it rains.

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How To Camp In The Rain And Still Have Fun