Campers always want to explore something new. They want to see nature closely compared to other people. Therefore, how can a camper not camp in the lovely fall season? It looks crazy if you say you want to go camping in the rainy season on the hammock. But, if you are a camper, you must love daring activities, right?
Hammock camping is more challenging than you think because it has multiple risk factors, especially if it’s raining. Hammock camping in the rain tip is the thing you would never experience in your life. In this article, I will explain how hammock camping in the rain tip can become safe, what precautions you have to take, and how to stay dry and warm.
There are multiple ways you can use to save yourself from drenching. You can save yourself from soaking in water by buying waterproof gear, choosing a camping spot which is at a good height, and using a rain fly or tarp. Still, there is a mistake most campers make and getting drenched, but you don’t need to worry. I will tell you what you need to do to stay safe.
Why I Like Hammock Camping in Rain
My habit of admiring hammock camping is developed by living in Northwest Washington– because of its rainy weather, which persists throughout the year. I must be courageous enough to face these conditions while camping.
I am very fond of hammock camping and enjoy sleeping in a hammock, particularly on my singlehanded tours. In reality, I would like to skip the hammock if it declares a prediction of clear weather.
But I have been using an expedition hammock for many years in the rain, chilly climate, and snow falling. As a matter of fact, l prefer my hammock instead of a tent. Although, there is a prediction of heavy rains for some reasons explained below.
Use your Hammock Rainfly as a Hangout Shelter
The main reason to use a hammock during rain while camping, despite a tent, is its quality of having different styles. Here I explain that the hammock covering sheet is not just attached to the hammock. Your tent is a covering sheet that is attached to the tent.
It is placed on the hammock on a vertical line with a rope that fixes it to the floor. It provides an excellent helpful place beneath this covering sheet and a beautiful area to sit, cook and wonder about in the camp.
While using a tent, you have to keep a rain fly and a covering sheet of waterproof canvas for going out of your tent in a dry and clean place. I always prefer to get the double advantage of my hammock and waterproof sheet simultaneously because I want to minimize things.
Suppose you are going for an expedition and mainly use hammock backpacking (if you use a car camp, then keeping an extra rain flap is not a good Idea). It’s an excellent deal to cook your food beneath your hammock covering sheet – which is only possible inside your tent on a secure basis. The hammock can be utilized as a chair if you are a small camper.
Stay Dryer In a Hammock
Here, I want to mention the advantages of sleeping in an airbed during a rainy period. First, your hammock is raised from the ground, and you find yourself away from the puddles and muddy floor. It is also beneficial to put off your wet dress and wear a raincoat under your hammock covering sheet before going to your hammock and sleeping gear.
You may also put off your muddy shoes underneath the covering canopy to avoid taking mud to your airbed at bedtime. Because the rain flap is not connected to the hammock, you can move its direction according to the climate requirement. You may quickly move the direction of a canopy by the direction of rain falling and blowing air.
How to Stay Dry during Hammock Camping in Rain
For this, you require the proper tools for camping in the rain. More than the best quality hammock is needed for rain camping, but you should keep the proper accessories. (the best quality hammocks are selling in the market nowadays).
So many things are necessary for rainy season camping, but a covering sheet is above all. Many camping hammocks are equipped with rain flaps, or others can be sold without them.
As for reasonable protection under the covering sheet, the hammock rain flap must be enormous to perform this duty. Individually I prefer to have too many big-sized rain flaps for hammock camping.
It helps me to set it up in various kinds of distinguished styles to get protection from wind, rain, and snow falling. With the help of a proper rain flap, you can easily make any complete protection shelter.
Usually, I like to buy a diamond-styled covering sheet that can cover the area around the tent up to so many feet, covering every side of my hammock. In the worst situations, such as snow falling, full-coverage four-season canopies are feasible if they offer thunderstorm doors for maximum security.
When it infers to it, the most significant element of hammock camping during rain is an okay rain flap.
1. Let The Shelter Be Your Helper
By this statement, you may think I am talking about rain fly or tarps, but I am not talking in this context. I am talking about your safety and security in the woods.
You might feel safe from the rain with the help of rain flies, but what about your surroundings? Tie up your hammock in that area surrounded by dense trees. It will be helpful for you.
2. Be Closer to the Cover
There is no specific direction; when the wind’s direction changes, the rain’s direction also changes. What about your sleep confidently believing that rain is flying above you, but the direction of rain changes, and you awaken with soaked cloth, even having rain fly over your head?
To avert this situation, you can hook your hammock near the rainfly so that all sides of the hammock are covered entirely with a tarp. Thus rain will not affect you no matter in which direction it is. You will stay safe and dry.
3. Protect Your Belongings
Soaking yourself in water is one of many bad things happening during rain. Moreover, rain can affect your stuff too, just like it can damage your clothes and accessories which you carry all the time.
In case you awaken and see your boots and jackets full of water. It would also be the worst thing, but you can keep your things safe by putting them inside the rainfly and covering them with a waterproof sheet.
You can keep your boots upside down by using a rock or stick to save from water soaking.
4. Tarp Size and Configuration
During your hammock camping tarp is the only protection from the rain. The tarp size matters because it is the only shield you have, but for now, the question is, what should be the size of the tarp? Your tarp is used for multipurpose like your shelter, your walls, and the protector of your stuff.
Your rain fly should be 1.21-1.52 meters in length compared to your everyday use of shade. The tarp should be 12 by 16 or 16 by 20 in dimensions for one person’s hammock during rain. The tarp configuration matters because the water will accumulate and become slack if it is not in the right shape.
The tarp which is considered best in shape is the one with an A-frame, low-pitched, lean-to-roof frame or diamond.
5. Watch out for dead branches
Dead and weak branches often fall off because of heavy rain. It can not only damage your gear, but it can also be fatal for you. It can be destructive for your tarp and rip it off. This most often occurs on rainy days.
To save yourself from these dead branches, buy a tarp with good resistance to wear and tear or try to avoid those trees that seem dead. For extra safety, you can cover your tarp with something more challenging, like a waterproof canvas sheet layer.
6. Rain repair kit
The essential hack is the rain repair kit, mainly used for hammock camping in the rain. The tarp is the only shelter most people have during camping, and sometimes it leaks or breaks because of a lot of reasons such as accumulation of water or speed of the wind.
But you don’t need to worry; buy a repair kit and keep it while camping. This kit contains some supplements, but you need to add strong plumber tape, spare ropes, or carabiners. The strong plumber tapes work as seam sealing for your tarp’s leak patches.
It can make it best by averting water from accumulating in one place, but it still leaks after using the tape; you must use seam sealant tape.
7. Drip knots and rings
While raining, water comes from the top by touching the tree’s stem and finding its path to the hammock’s rope and belt. After that, it moves straight to your hammock. It does not matter in what way you are shielding your hammock with the help of a tarp or rainfly.
It will end up soaking in water. You can only save your hammock from drenching by using drip knots and rings. These knots are formed into belts and cords used to stop water flow at the point of the knot.
8. Waterproof clothing and under quilt
It is more challenging than it looks like to camp in the rain. You also have to protect yourself along with your belongings. No one wants to get sick while camping, am I right? When it comes to protection, you can protect yourself by using a comforter and insulator.
It would be best if you use nylon in your blankets because it’s primarily waterproof and protects you from the wind. The one I use personally under my quilt is the wise owl parachute, which is my favourite—the good thing about that it is lightweight and offers extra comfort padding on rainy days.
You also need to wear extra layers of clothes such as woollen covering and a water-resistant top layer to save yourself from drenching. There are frogg toggs that are mainly used for this purpose. It consists of a thin layer like a raincoat that will save you from the breeze, air, and cold.
How to Stay Warm during Hammock Camping in Rain
Keeping yourself dry is the most significant for keeping yourself warm during an expedition. It seems very hard to get warm when you are wet or even a little bit wet from your dry condition, and this situation can bring forth a significant risk of low body temperature.
In the presence of a good hammock and a good rain flap, the proper cold-season clothes will be helpful to give you a warm feeling in the camp. Especially try to put on double or triple warm clothes to secure you from cold weather. In the same way, you can put on one or two warm clothes whenever you feel too hot.
Another necessary thing is your sleeping bag. Be sure to stay at a minimum of 10 to 15 degrees less than an ideal temperature. An article on the best cold sleeping bag will pinpoint you in the exact direction.
A hammock under a quilt is also a beneficial product while camping in the winter and rainy seasons. It is easily connected to the inside of a hammock to enhance insulation, which is why you stay warm.
A final thing that comes into contact is a heater (like my own, the Mr Heater Little Buddy), and it’s a marvellous invention while you are going for a hammock camping in severe cool weather. Still, it is bourdon if your campsite is away from your car Parking.
Gear You Need for Rainy Hammock Camping
Of course, rainy weather remains throughout the year, but it usually happens more frequently during spring and fall. While you are hammock camping, in the rainy season, it’s necessary to keep the good things like a hammock, hammock straps, a big rain flap, and an under-the-quilt.
Sleeping bags, winter clothes, and all cooking products are different things. If too much chilly weather is predicted, keep a portable heater to the gear. Summing up, we start with camping gear and set out the tent for your airbed and other things to help you start packing.
Other Rainy Hammock Camping Tips
Five extra tidbits are mentioned below to help you keep yourself dry during hammock camping in the rain.
- Large Tarp-a big sized covering sheet can give you the best protection from rain and wind.
- Covered Site-always try to locate your camp with a covering of trees. The trees will provide a strong wall or protection from water from your hammock setup.
- Twist Straps -wrench the edges of your hammock belts around the strap when it is slang out to stop water from running down the strap into the hammock.
- Drip Lines-use strings, cables, and shoelaces, As a wire to get downwards from your hammock to the floor (keep away from your tent) to keep your sleeping area from getting the drizzling water.
- Hold Higher-hold your hammock slightly elevated off the floor to stop spreading water and sludge onto your airbed at night.
Final Thoughts on Hammock Camping in the Rain
The word hammock camping seems joyful, but it might be hard to function, especially at rainy times. It is impossible to find rules for hammock camping while raining anywhere. You must go through trial and error to find the best ways to do it.
As a suggestion, “Hammock Camping” is one of the comfort zones to relax and feel fresh. While talking about camping in the real world, you can also be the one who will camp in the rain by experiencing tricks to survive in between wind and rainfall.
This blog on hammock camping in the rain tips will be helpful. For the reader’s ease, I have already mentioned some best tips. So Be safe, and have an adventurous trip!