How to Set Up Camp in Rain: Complete Wet Weather Guide

The Mindset Shift

Here’s the truth: camping in the rain can actually be amazing. The sound of rain on your tent, the fresh smell, the solitude (fair-weather campers stay home). But only if you set up correctly.

The difference between misery and magic is technique.

Before You Leave Home

Gear Prep

• Seam seal your tent — Factory sealing degrades. Reseal every season.
• Waterproof your gear — Pack clothes in dry bags, not just your pack’s rain cover
• Test your rain fly — Set it up in the backyard. Know the system before you need it.

What to Bring

• Ground tarp (footprint)
• Extra tarps for cooking area
• Quick-dry towels
• Plastic bags for wet items
• Change of dry clothes in waterproof bag

Site Selection (Critical)

Where you pitch matters more than how you pitch.

Do:

• High ground — Water flows downhill. Be uphill.
• Natural drainage — Slight slope is good. Flat with no runoff = puddle.
• Tree cover — Reduces direct rainfall on your setup process
• Firm ground — Mud gets worse. Start on solid ground if possible.

Don’t:

• Low spots — They become ponds
• Dry creek beds — Flash flood territory
• Under dead trees — “Widow makers” are more likely to fall in storms
• Exposed ridges — Lightning and wind exposure

The Setup Sequence

This order matters. Each step protects the next.

Step 1: Tarp First

Before anything else, string up a tarp over your setup area. This creates a dry zone to work under.

Quick tarp setup:

1. Tie to two trees (or use trekking poles)
2. Angle it slightly so water runs off one side
3. Make it big enough to cover your tent footprint

Step 2: Ground Tarp

Lay your footprint where the tent will go. Fold edges UNDER so water doesn’t pool between footprint and tent floor.

Key: Footprint should be slightly smaller than your tent floor.

Step 3: Tent Body

Here’s where speed matters.

If your tent is fly-first (REI Quarter Dome, MSR Hubba):

• Set up the fly, stake it out
• Then clip in the tent body underneath
• Interior stays dry the entire time

If your tent is body-first (most tents):

• Work fast
• Have stakes ready
• Clip in the fly immediately after the body is up
• Don’t stop to organize yet

Step 4: Fly Tensioning

A saggy fly = wet tent. Water pools in the sag, seeps through seams, and drips inside.

• Pull fly taut at all corners
• Use guylines for wind resistance
• Create an air gap between fly and inner tent

Step 5: Vestibule Setup

Stake out vestibules fully. This creates:

• Protected entry/exit zone
• Gear storage out of the rain
• Cooking area if needed

Once You’re Set Up

Wet Gear Protocol

• Never bring wet gear inside the sleeping area
• Use vestibule for boots, rain gear, wet layers
• Have a dedicated “wet zone” and “dry zone”

Entry/Exit Technique

1. Open vestibule
2. Sit on tent threshold
3. Remove wet layers in vestibule
4. Enter tent in dry base layers
5. Store wet items in vestibule

Ventilation (Yes, Even in Rain)

Condensation is your enemy in rain camping. You’ll wake up wet from the inside if you seal everything.

• Leave vents cracked
• Don’t zip inner door unless absolutely necessary

If It’s Already Raining When You Arrive

Sometimes you don’t get to prep. It’s pouring and you need shelter NOW.

Emergency Speed Setup

1. Don’t unpack everything — just what you need
2. Tarp first (always)
3. Body up, fly on, stakes in
4. Get inside
5. Organize later from inside the tent

Cooking in the Rain

Vestibule Cooking

Controversial but common. If you cook in your vestibule:

• Keep stove near the opening (ventilation)
• Never inside the tent body
• Be aware of CO risk in enclosed spaces

Tarp Kitchen

Better solution: string a separate tarp for cooking/hanging out. This becomes your “living room” in rainy camp.

Drying Out

During Rain Breaks

• Drape wet items on bushes/rocks
• Open tent to air out condensation
• Wring out what you can

The Next Morning

Even if still raining:

• Shake out fly before packing
• Pack wet tent in separate bag from dry gear
• Dry everything at the next opportunity

Common Mistakes

1. Footprint larger than tent — Creates a water collection system
2. Saggy rainfly — Pooling = dripping
3. Vents closed — Condensation makes everything wet from inside
4. Wet gear in sleeping area — Moisture spreads to everything
5. Ignoring site drainage — You’ll float

The Bottom Line

Rain camping isn’t about avoiding water. It’s about managing it. The right site, the right setup sequence, and the right gear separation keeps you comfortable when others would be miserable.

And honestly? Some of the best camping memories happen in the rain.

Embrace the wet. Stay dry where it counts.