Camping in the rain this Summer? Here are our Top Tips!

Because in the Summer of 2023, one of the wettest Summers I can remember, I spent a whole 10 days camping with the kids, transitioning from muddy festival camping, to a full week of atrocious British Summer rainy camping and we actually lived to tell the tale (and we still love camping! So that’s a miracle in itself right?!)

But along the way, we learned some things.

And I’m gonna share them with you! So you might also still love camping at the end of a wonderful British Summer too!

Camping in the Rain: Preparation

Ok. I’ll admit. I’m obsessed with the weather! But in sympathy with the meteorologists out there, with climate change, weather is becoming increasingly hard to predict in its minutiae.

But, you can see trends and you can see a weeks worth of storms and rain coming from a mile off! So if you are faced with a whole deluge of Great British rain? Well, you’ll probably see it coming before you set off.

SO preparation and having the right kit is key. I sound like a ninja. I am not a ninja, but I AM an overthinking ninja mum who really doesn’t like moaning, sooooooo. I like to minimise that risk wherever possible!

So what do I reckon is kit worth taking for rainy camping…

An extendable washing line and clothes pegs.

Hands down the best thing we took. We hooked it up along one side of the awning for coats etc to drip dry (because nothing was drying outside) and it was excellent.

A collapsible box for shoes and wet umbrellas

Because in torrential downpours, the umbrellas were great for the trips to the shower blocks, and the box kept all the wet stuff together.

A means of drying boots

Tricky. Rechargable handwarmers help, as does stuffing them with tea towels, or anything that draws moisture out! Or you might have a campsite with a drying room, in which case BONUS!

Extra EXTRA clothes

In particular socks and trousers and even PJs. But mainly socks. Because they WILL forget that it’s wet outside, they WILL step in a puddle on your porch, and they WILL complain about it.

A bathmat to dry your wet feet

This was literally my best and favourite thing last rainy RAINY summer. It was a cheap as chips, soft and cozy bathmat from Asda, that folded down super small, had a slip proof and waterproof back and that served as a ‘doormat’ into the main (and dry) part of the tent. So after you’ve taken off wet boots, you can step into the softness and dry any damp feet.

BLISSFUL. It’s funny the things you appreciate isn’t it…?

Picnic blankets with waterprooof undersides or additional groundsheets.

Now, our tent is getting on a bit, and if you have a super whizzy brand new high spec tent. You might not need this hack (although it does make the tent look pretty!)

We found that after a week of camping in torrential rain, the ground underneath the tent was so sodden it made the groundsheet of the tent a little damp. Putting a waterproof backed sturdy picnic blanket on top of this helped create another barrier between us and the damp.

Stuff to make it cosy (optional but…..)

I am a sucker for a fairy light. And when it’s chucking it down with rain in the evening, it’s getting dark, but it’s way too early for bed? They help create a super cosy vibe whilst you’re playing games to pass the time. Trust me, a little mental lift is what you need, because incessant rain is wearing.

And it’s SUPPOSED to be a holiday!!

Extra towels to mop up the extra wet

Ones you don’t mind getting irrevocably muddy.

Jigsaw mats for doorstep outside AND inside

These foam mats (picture above) were bought back in’t day when the kids were teeny tiny, but now they have been resurrected as a super practical doormat. We have two pegged down outside the awning, and two pegged down before you step into the main tent. It’s just another way of keeping the wet out of the main tent, and it works as a dry spot to leave wellies too!

Tarp or awning or both!

We couldn’t have camped in the week-long rain without this. Now yes, it does depend on your tent, because some have built in outside awnings, or larger inside seating areas, but our awning was our wet area.

And if you can attach a tarp too, you can create an outdoor seating area to keep dry from the rain, but still enjoy the warmer and lighter Summer (if you can call it that) evenings!

Duck Tape…

Because rain can come with ridiculously strong wind that breaks your tent poles and clips…

Definitely didn’t happen to us…

Take an extra table to keep things up off the floor level

Yes. It was that bad.

We used the table to keep boots and folded chairs off the ground, as well as anything else that you didn’t want accidentally getting flooded!

Camping in the Rain: Whilst You’re There

Ok… we’ve invested in an HGV to get the kit there (I joke…) and there’s always the chance that it’ll be better than forecast…. but if not…

Games…

Need I say more? Little tiny card games, or games in tins, or even a blummin great board game (that you love… possibly not the time to find out you hate a game and have nothing else to do…..) but games.

I get out whatever the weather. But sometimes the weather makes it hard to stay out for long and you may find you have a LOT of time to kill!

Hot Drinks

I mean….. of COURSE! DO I need to mention this? Maybe not. But like with the fairy lights, a little bit of ‘siiiiiigh’ is what you’re going to need.

And for grown ups….. you can always sneak a bit of Baileys in your hot choc!

Separate Areas for Wet and Dry

Apologies, I’m going to bang on about this (in case you haven’t already realised from the previous tips!)

However you set up your tent according to what you have available, in intense rain you are going to need somewhere inside to dry your outer layers. Or at least make them less wet than they were when you first wore them. If you don’t have a campsite with a dedicated drying area, then it’s all up to you baby!

Aside from the retractable washing line (see above - literal life saver) we kept the tent in three separate areas. The wet area, i.e. the awning (and yes, you needed wellies to walk around that, the flooding was REAL!) the dry area (the living area of the main tent) and the sleeping area.

That means, no wet boots, no wet clothes and NOTHING in the dry areas that were muddy.

It sounds a little bit obsessive, but it made SUCH a huge difference.

Now parents of toddlers or younger kids, I get this might not be a concept that is….. ahem… immediately grasped. But I suggest keeping the dry part closed until you are ready to get in.

Good luck and God speed!

Ipads for a wet morning

Or any early start for that matter! I get it. This is a little bit marmite as a tip. Because camping is to many, about getting back to nature and switching off from the real and digital world.

But when the rain is pelting down on the tent (ridiculously loud right?! Why IS that?!) there may well be a really freakin’ early start, particularly given the early sunrise in Summer.

So. Preload some films and games that don’t require internet and relax. (Ooh and don’t forget the powerbank!)

Choose a pitch that’s not at the bottom of a hill or next to a stream

It feels like a given, but it’s really tempting on a sunny day, to pitch up right next to a lovely stream. But should you be faced with torrential rain, that stream may just decide to make its way right through the middle of your tent!

Jokes aside, a lot of campsites will warn if there’s a risk of flooding, but also if you’re forecast a lot of rain, it’s probably best not to be either at the bottom of a hill (where the water can collect) or in a dip, where you could find yourself in the middle of a big puddle!

Thunderstorms

Yup, we had one of those too!

Remember when you were a kid and you counted between seeing lightening and when you heard the thunder? It’s actually a pretty decent way of assessing how far away a storm is. The fewer counts you make, the closer the storm is.

If it’s incoming and headed right your way, best to leave the tent and head to the car (this acts as a Faraday Cage) or the shower and toilet block before it’s overheaf.

Use the dry windows to dry stuff!

If the sun shows its face, even for a couple of hours, DRY DRY DRY! Make the outside of your tent some kinda drying laundry affair, and DRY AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

The sun may be rare, but it’s still Summer sun and can be pretty potent if you manage to see it!

If you can get a fire going, do it to keep cosy

Hi, I’m Sam and I managed to build a fire that kept going through a thunderstorm. Lifetime achievement unlocked!

Love to build a fire. And if you know there’s a downpour imminent, make your fire healthy, hot and BIG (not so big it’ll burn your tent down though!) and it’ll keep going through the rain, well… a 10 minute downpour. True story.

Love a fire pit and if your campsite allows it, get it going whenever you can!

So there you go…

As always, my blogs are constantly evolving and as I learn new things, or find a new hack, I’ll update it!

So bookmark this page and keep heading back for more!

Happy Camping!