Camping Skills

Storing away a wet tent for any length of time is a recipe for disaster and could end up costing you hundreds of pounds.

Words and pictures by Iain Duff

Page contents

• Why do you need to dry your tent?
• Tackling damp on the campsite
• What to do when you get home
• Where is the best place to dry a wet tent?
• Can you dry your tent in the house?
• Can you dry a wet tent in the washing machine or tumble dryer?
• About our magazine

Why do you need to dry your tent?

It’s one of the laws of camping that, no matter how warm and sunny it’s been during your stay, on the morning before you’re due to pack up and go the sky will darken and the heavens will open.

Not only does that mean you have to take down your tent and pack away your gear in the rain, but you also have to work out how to dry your tent. Packing away your tent when it's wet is a recipe for disaster.

Whether it's polyester, polycotton or traditional canvas, if you pack a tent away into a bag when it is still damp it could cause irreparable damage.

The biggest issue you’ll face is mould and mildew, which will make the tent smell bad and eventually can cause the fabric to rot away, leaving it only fit for the bin.

Tackling damp on the campsite

Your battle against mould and mildew starts before you even leave the campsite.

Ideally, you should try to take your tent down when it is dry. But as we’ve already established, this is usually impossible.

So if it is wet at packing up time, short of extending your stay until the weather improves, your only option is to pack it away wet. Shake off as much water as possible and wipe more off with a clean, dry cloth or a towel.
If the tent is still damp and you have room in the car, drape it loose over the luggage in the boot rather than putting it in the bag.

What to do when you get home

When you get home, unpack it straight away and leave it out to dry as soon as possible. Just leaving it in the bag for a few days can cause irreparable damage.

The reality is, there are no real shortcuts to getting your tent dry, you just need to let nature take its course. Be patient and wait until the tent is completely dry before you pack it away.

Where’s the best place to dry a wet tent?

If the weather allows and you have the space, peg the wet tent out in your garden for a few hours, until all the water has evaporated. Then take the tent down and pack it away immediately.

If it’s still raining, or if you don’t have a big enough garden, you’ll have to think of another way. Rather than pitching the tent, you could hang the tent over the washing line, the whirly or even the children’s trampoline.

Assuming they are watertight themselves, your garage, garden shed or even a greenhouse could be good alternatives when it comes to drying wet tents. String a couple of washing lines across the inside and hang the tent over them, using clothes pegs to keep them in place if necessary.

Can you dry your tent in the house?

Drying in the house is not ideal. No one really wants a huge, damp piece of fabric draped across their living room when they’re trying to watch Britain’s Got Talent. But if you don’t have a garden or an outbuilding you can use, then it might be that you’ve got no alternative.

Before bringing it in, wipe away as much excess water as you can to prevent any damage to carpets and furniture. A staircase with a banister is a good place to hang your tent out and, if it's folded out properly, the tent will be dry in no time, especially if you can put on the central heating.

A clothes horse set up in a conservatory is another good option but anywhere with enough space will do. A dehumidifier will speed up the process, or simply open a few windows.

Can you dry a wet tent in the washing machine or tumble dryer?

The short answer to both is a resounding no. As tempting as it might sound, putting your tent in the washing machine and putting on the spin cycle isn’t recommended.

For a start, the weight of the tent could be too heavy for your machine and cause irreparable damage and, even if it doesn’t, the action of the spin could damage the tent.

The heat of a tumble dryer will also cause damage to the tent, more than likely removing the waterproofing, and could even melt the fabric. So that’s a no-go, too.

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