Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Post by sittingsideways on Feb 23, 2009 18:34:24 GMT -5
So this will be my first Roo, and im very guilty of being overly excited and im totally planning way to early, but i cant help it.
Food and camping supplies isnt a big problem, i have that all planned out... but one big thing me and my fellow first time roo'ers are talking about is if it does rain... and from what i hear it WILL rain... but if it does rain and rain hard? how have you guys dealt with it as far as not getting a lake underneath your tent, and so on and so forth.
I work at REI and im going to be getting tarps and tent footprints, but i heard that even if you have those things you may still get a nice little lake underneath you. But this is what my fellow employee has mentioned, he said for me to make sure that the rain fly on my tent is put on correctly, and maybe even an extra tarp on top... then around the tent to dig a very small trench and then funnel the trench away from me and my neighbors. Is this something that is allowed? Any other ideas?
Post by candyflippedaround on Feb 23, 2009 18:40:15 GMT -5
my friends had two cots they used to sleep on last year so even though they got puddles in their tent they slept a few feet above the ground and therefore dry
It oured last year but our tent was nice and dry - we have two EZ ups- put the tent under one - right infront of the car and then ran a tarp from the car to cover both EZ ups and tarps on the sides - no wet tent
Post by Steel_City_X on Feb 23, 2009 21:15:20 GMT -5
The flooded tents that I had seen at Bonnaroo and before had some or all of the following:
Placed in a low spot and when it rained a river flowed through the tent
Had a ground cloth that extended beyond the edge of the tent, all water hitting the tent took a shortcut under the tent and was trapped by the waterproof tarp.
Did not have a rain fly in wet climate
had a tarp overhead that concentrated the water under the tent
was just flat out a cheap tent - something you'd use in your backyard - spend more money and get a real camping tent, otherwise you are gambling with getting [all your stuff] wet.
Our neighbors spent two nights miserable in their car because they had everything in the tent get soaked.
Post by krunchykat on Feb 23, 2009 21:26:56 GMT -5
No matter what type of tent you buy you should use a waterproofer on it - even the bottom. Just make sure that you or anything in your tent does not touch the walls or sit within a few inches of the edge of the floor when it rains (it for some reason makes it easier for the water to pass through the fabric. Staking your tent down tight is one of the best ways to avoid a swamp under it.
Had a ground cloth that extended beyond the edge of the tent, all water hitting the tent took a shortcut under the tent and was trapped by the waterproof tarp.
That's what happened to me. I tucked the edges of my tarp underneath after setting it up, but apparently I didn't do a good enough job, because Friday night there was some water in the tent. Thankfully nothing too bad, but not something you want to deal with after a long night of raging.
A poorly done ground cloth is much worse than no ground cloth whatsoever.
In 90% of instances you will be fine without the extreme precautions like a trench and tarp over your tent. Good waterproofing and a canopy over the tent will handle most rains we are likely to encounter.
Not a bad idea to bring an extra tarp and if the conditions look like an extreme downpour is possible, take extra precautions.
Post by wonderllama on Feb 23, 2009 21:44:06 GMT -5
Also, it's a good idea to set your tent up and do a couple of practice runs before the trip. Depending on the tent you buy, rain flys can be confusing and the setup can be difficult, or at least not make any sense. It would seem like it would be a simple thing on all tents, but its not. Make sure you can set your tent up correctly and in a reasonable amount of time. Once you get there and parked, the land grab happens quickly, and depending on the time you may have shows you're anxious to get off to. You really don't want to be held back spending forever on pitching your tent, or get frustrated and leave it half done only to have wind/raind mess your stuff up. If you're really worried about rain, maybe set it up in your backyard or something, toss a cooler in there, and leave it out for a rainy night. If your stuff gets wet inside, you'll have time to do something about it before the trip. The more experience you have with your tent, the less of a chance there is of rain being a problem.
Post by billclinton on Feb 23, 2009 22:39:18 GMT -5
I think digging a trench would be a complete overkill. Last year all we did was stake our tent down, and all was well even with the little bit of precipitation. This year I plan on having a setup in the back of a truck, so no tent worries.
Post by bluecadet3 on Feb 23, 2009 22:45:02 GMT -5
And another piece of advice: Close your tent when you're not there. It will prevent water from getting in. Last year, in a mad rush to get to MMJ on time, I forgot to zip my tent and returned with a giant puddle and a soaked sleeping bag. It sucked but I got what I deserved.
The flooded tents that I had seen at Bonnaroo and before had some or all of the following:
Placed in a low spot and when it rained a river flowed through the tent
Had a ground cloth that extended beyond the edge of the tent, all water hitting the tent took a shortcut under the tent and was trapped by the waterproof tarp.
Did not have a rain fly in wet climate
had a tarp overhead that concentrated the water under the tent
was just flat out a cheap tent - something you'd use in your backyard - spend more money and get a real camping tent, otherwise you are gambling with getting [all your stuff] wet.
Our neighbors spent two nights miserable in their car because they had everything in the tent get soaked.
Avoid all this and you shall be fine (unless there is a torrential downpour, which is possible but unlikely).
Also, invest in an air mattress..that way if your tent DOES get wet, you're up off the ground. I'm a worrier too...last year when I thought it was going to rain all the towels, clothes, and blankets got put in the car, just in case.
Last year I came back to my tent and found it almost completely water logged. Not being in the right state of mind to deal with that I just grabbed the bottom of my tent about a foot away from the door, pulled it up and made a little canal for all the water to stay in so it wouldn't flow into my sleeping area. Then in the morning I dealt with it appropriately.
Another little note: There is also a down side to putting your rainfly on and that is it retains the heat. So trying to get that extra hour or so of sleep after 830 am when the sun is up and slowly turning your tent into an oven, is probably not going to happen.
Last year I set up a canopy (tarp) running off my neighbors EZ-up and going over my tent most of the way with no rainfly on the tent. It worked out quite well, the inside stayed dry except on one edge that was not completely covered by the tarp, it was not large enough. And I did not waterproof which I will do this year . So with some minor adjustments this year I think it'll be perfect. The best thing was I slept in almost every morning until like 10 hell on Sun it was like 12 my neighbors thought i was dead...it was a loooong Sat late night.
I don't care what you say about me, just spell my name right---P.T. Barnum "As I was walking up the stairs I met a man who wasn't there He wasn't there again today I wish to God he'd go away."
Last year we woke up on a waterbed! water had made its way on top of my footprint and under my tent - everything was dry - but wavy.
this year, im going to buy a new tent - something designed for summer only. i have a 3 season now from EMS (and it's awesome) but not enough ventilation for the hot sun in TN.
Post by Filthy McNasty on Mar 6, 2009 20:43:46 GMT -5
All I could say about the best rain prevention for your tent is put a tarp over and under your tent. I've done it lots of times, and it seems to work. One thing I can't stress enough, is if it is raining, DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING RESTING AGAINST YOUR TENT WALLS!!! I have had so many leaks in my tent from my bag touching the walls its not even funny. The humidity and dew on the side of the tent will get in somehow and run everywhere around the touching object... Also, have plenty of towels, so you can soak up any water that may find its way in. You don't wanna put your tent up wet and have it mildewed and smelly for the next year, or the next camping trip you go on.
"I want you to notice When I'm not around You're so fücking special I wish I was special But I'm a creep I'm a weirdo What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here" -Radiohead
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” -Benjamin Franklin
Post by Filthy McNasty on Mar 7, 2009 17:26:52 GMT -5
That's cool. I was just explaining how irritating it is to wake up with a wet bag cause it was touching the side of the tent. It sucks so much, but yet when I tell people who camp with me that, they laugh it off, and then they get a wet bag and I get the last laugh. Hahahaha
We had a tarp underneath of our tent last year and when it rained Friday night we had some water logged issues on some things on the floor of the tent, namely the bottom of my sleeping bag was soaked. That may also be due to it being like a 60 dollar tent from Wal-Mart. I'm buying a good $100+ probably this year to make sure I've got good stuff.
This word also has a underground meaning once you break it down. Let’s take “Bonn” for example and it actually turns into the word “Bone”. We all know gays use this word to describe the action of when they are fecal fisting their Cuban cabana boy at their sex bath house parties. Now let’s look at Roo, “Roo” is short for “Kangaroo”.So put the full true message together and you get“Bone a Kangaroo
