The $5 tarp trick I'd been doing backwards for 5 years

Last rainstorm I finally realized I was putting my tarp under the tent instead of over the rainfly, which explained why I was always waking up damp. What made it click was watching a neighbor at Big Bear set up their site in like 10 minutes while I was still wrestling with soggy fabric.

3 comments

3 Comments

jordan_henderson134d ago

@harperp24 I had the same problem for years with water pooling under my tent using the tarp underneath. Switching the order to put the tarp over the rainfly fixed it completely for me.

harperp244d ago

The groundsheet under the tent trick worked way better for me once I flipped the order. Cheap blue poly tarp from Harbor Freight cut to size keeps the bottom dry better than anything.

singh.harper1d ago

Wait, are you saying @harperp24 had it exactly right but backwards from what people normally do? Wild. I always just threw the tarp under the tent and called it a day (huge mistake). Water would run right under and pool up against the floor. Flipping it over the rainfly makes way more sense now that I think about it. Gonna try this with my old Walmart special next weekend.