Tent Camping Rain Flies and Tarps: What you need to know

Tarps and rain flies are essential accessories to your tent for tent camping.

The tarp goes on the ground completel;y underneath your tent (no textending out from the tent or it will trap rain) and serves to keep the botton of your tent protected from sharpp objects, moisture and keep it clean, making take down and packing up mush easier.

Rain flies are meant to cover the tent in rainy weather, and you take them of in hot dry weather to stay cooler. The rain flies that come with tents are usually barely adequate. They will keep you dry in a light or moderate rain that's relatively brief. Almost none of them, even the most expensive tents, we'll keep you dry in a heavy and prolonged rain like an all day rain or heavy thunderstorm . So, you always need to have a rain proof tarp to be able to put over the tent in case there is severe weather. some of these are custom designed I like this one that has two poles for support and then and rope to tie it down That works if you're in the middle of an open field just well without any trees or anything else to tie it to.

Like all camping gear, you want a rain fly and or tarp that is

• Fast and easy to put up and take down,
• Effective
• Sturdy and won't break on your trip,
• Lightweight

Selecting a rain fly or tarp

Size

Rain flies need to be big enough to completely cover the tent. The rain that comes off of the rainfly will have enough force and volume that it would go right through any tent and soak you if it doesn't drain directly onto the ground not your tent . so you definitely need a tarp or rainfly which is larger than the footprint of your tent. taking in mind it must also have a slope to it, so the water does not pool up in it

Tarps used as a ground cover are the opposite, they must be smaller than the footprint of your tent. If any part of the tarp extends out from underneath your tent Any rain water that comes off of your tent will then collect underneath your tent and soak you from beneath. tarps can also be heavier and thicker than a rainfly when they are used as a ground cover.

Rain Flies

I like this 12 ft by 10 ft "Hammock rain fly" with support poles, since you can use it in flat open areas that have no trees to tie the fly to.
The manufacturer says it is water pressure resistance up to 3000mm for extreme weather. It has 2 Height-Adjustable Poles and the height can be adjusted from 17" to 90". It is made of 210T polyester fabric. Besides the tarp, you get 2x Poles, 8x Stakes, 8x Guy Lines, and 1 Carrying Bag.  The whole ting weighs about 6 lbs.

Tarps

These are much more basic. Anything that is water[proof will work, such as the cheap blue ones sold at WalMart.

• a ground tarp
• a rain fly and/or tarp over the tent (on rainy days)

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