It rains loads where I live so we’ve been using tarps for decades. I recommend using a much larger tarp which reduces the need for trenching. We also never let the tarp touch the tent/rain fly.
A bigger tarp would definitely reduce the potential need for trenching as long as the slope was agreeable. I'm curious why you don't let your tarp touch your tent. Is it a loading concern? Friction? I'd love to hear your thoughts if you don't mind sharing.
@@PraxisAdventures we have had trouble with tarps leaking when they touched our tent. Probably because they weren’t very good tarps. Our tent is very waterproof and has a full coverage rain fly so we really don’t need to use a tarp however, if you hang your tarp right when you get to camp (when raining) you can set up your tent without everything getting wet. We always hang our tarps and plan when we want it to drain, sometimes in heavy rain you still get a pool at one end of the tarp. Sometimes a clip and a tie out will keep it from happening but nobody’s perfect and you have to be flexible to adjust your setup, sometimes more than once.
It sounds like you have a lot of experience with this too! I always joke that whatever week, I set my camping trip, people should be warned because that's the week that we can all expect rain. I once drove up to our state campground at the base of a mountain and (due to the air rising over the mountain and cooling, it was raining ONLY right over our campground! LOL. Experiences like that and ones that you've had definitely are good teachers!@@Olyphoto7
@@PraxisAdventures There may be better answers, but for me, I find that ongoing rain showers put a fine mist (or high humidity) in the air. Eventually this dampens just about everything, even though my gear is technically "in the dry". Maximizing the ventilation helps decrease this problem.
I sleep in the back of my truck. I have a ladder rack and put a tarp over most of the truck. I have a nice air mattress and a sheet and 4 blankets 2 under the sheet and 2 to sleep in 1 under the sheet is a moving blanket to protect the mattress from punctures from my dog who sleeps next to me.
Try a picnic blanket with a fleece or ? Most picnic blankets are material on on side and material waterproof/ resistance. I use this with me and my dog. Lite weight stores little space. Helps protect from moisture top and bottom. Fries fast. Wash in Luke warm or cold water mild soap to up hold the water protection of the picnic blanket. You stay really warm and dry. Can oare with anything. Some are made different. Notice one on Walmart on sale with Sherpa on one side polyester? Water proof. Under 30. Most are on clearance now early fall. I found this all out by accident. My senior dog and I love them.
Don't set up on gravel. And don't have a tent with fly that lets rain splash on your bathtub floor. Tuck your tent footprint or ground tarp under the edges of the tent . That helps keep water from getting under the tent.
learnt digging the trench when i was in basic military training in 1986 .. that is why i always have a similar basic entrenching tool in my backpack during camping .. nothing too tough but it'll do the job nicely ..
Always good to have something and not need it than need it and not have it. An entrenching tool is so small too that even though one can use a stick or a rock to do the same job, it seems worth it to have the tool because it makes it so much easier. :)
Nothing beats the standard issue us military intrenching tool they have been in use since sometime in the 1960s. They are compact for travel, rudder, and extra sturdy, have one in my car.
I like your stick idea because there are some campgrounds where you are not allowed to tie things to the trees. Also, I have a similar folding shovel I have used for 50 years, although it doesn’t have a pick, and it still is in good shape.
Yeah, some campgrounds have a lot of rules. I tend to not much care for blanket rules, but in the case of campgrounds, I can see why they do it - and agree with them for doing so. The public (at large) is a pack of horribly irresponsible adult children who wreak havoc whenever allowed to do so. Some of the things I've seen people do at campgrounds (from drilling screws into trees to nearly starting forest fires... ugh. No wonder we in the public have a bad rap! ;)
I was on Ft Bragg in 1974 when I first saw one of the new entrenching tools in that style. They worked pretty good but if the jam nut isn't tight the shovel face will snap off. They did work for chopping roots and branches but not trunks. Good video. I like to set up a poncho/tarp over the tent too. I like the River Country Ponchos, they're only $10 and are the same size as my old Army ponchos that disintegrated in only 35 years. It fits the woobie but only has the 4 corners to tie in. Good Luck, Rick
I know a lot of these shovels talk about their use as a chopping implement, but I've never felt comfortable using them for any impact purposes due to durability concerns. That's why I always pack a shovel and a short machete.
Good for natural camoflage and kindling wood, by '82 they improved the jam nut and went with a larger rivet pinion pin. Still have 2 that I found on return police calls to bivouac areas. Great camper special and a good idea for winter driving.
I've seen over 20 videos on this subject, because i live in rainy country, but you're the only one who used common sense. All the others uses "high-tech" products, which doesn't work, no one is going back to basic; direct rain from above in one path (tarps over tent) and direct water from below, around the tent (trenches). So simple, thanks for reminding me.
That's a very good point that someone making a video about this topic would do well to include in such a video... ;) Thanks for putting it in the comments here. I think I'll add it to the video description text too.
You are absolutely right about using good tools , needless to say however I just wanted to share with you my most treasured piece of camping gear . It's a Svea 123 camp stove , the brass one with the fuel cup that heats the burner to pressurize it , runs on white gas , is heavy and sounds like a jet engine but it is 42 years old and works perfectly still today . Beautiful to look at comes with it's own small aluminum cup , so cool . Bought it long ago in Colorado at a mountaineering shop . It took a tumble on a 14er , probably fell , bounced and bounced some more about 60 ft or so and no worse for wear ! Cooked more meals in the high country than can be counted and goes everywhere with me to this day ! Guess I'm telling you this as you seem to be the kind of guy that would enjoy this type of thing , you give excellent tips and advice good for experts and novices alike ! The trenching thing works and the negative comments are lame , people just need to take responsibility for their actions and the rest will take care of itself ! All their " leave no trace " works in theory , in reality mother nature has a wonderful way of healing herself ! Best wishes , get outside and enjoy and keep producing great content , thanks !!
I love well built tools that last too. And I agree on the lameness of the comment harshing on a little trenching. I think that many of those comments are being written by people who don't actually get outside much themselves.
My dad used one of those Svea camp stoves in the 1970s that he had since the 50s. I use an alcohol burner inside a solo stove that I burn twigs in if I run out of Heet or alcohol.
N.W. I went to camping in a County campground. Set up like where you are. They don't allow anything tied to a tree. Not even to dry and items or for solar. Really sks.
It's always a bit of a pain to have so many rules when camping. I can definitely understand why the campground make such broad rules - given how irresponsible many people can be. But it stinks for responsible people who wouldn't do any damage because we know what we're doing.
@@PraxisAdventures Sure does stink. You are right about stupid. The other I think is some of these parks with water and garbage are getting such a high density use some years . That it is a preventative measure.
with years of camping mountaineering backpacking in the Northwest I bring a space blanket which I use inside my tent and I use it as a floor liner this way and situations where water does go into the tent I have a little boat inside the tent that keeps the floor dry space blanket cost about a buck if my dog is with me I bring a heavier space blanket that is a multi-layer thicker cuz of dog feet
A good tent an old war out tent a c***** tent but if you have tarps with you you can make it work and if it starts leaking or whatever the tarp will save you. The limits of the tarp I suppose are Limited in how you're packing for your hiking if you're just working out of the back of your car or truck bring your tarps man if you're hauling it yourseoff it is for you to decide. Great video thanks for the effort.
I agree about the travel aspects you mentioned. The tarps I bring definitely are not light or small when folded. I've car camped with my boy every year since he was 3 or 4 or so, so we don't have to skimp on luxuries like extra tarps. But for sure, backwoods hiking in camping... tarps like these would be a lot of extra weight to pack in and out.
That's a good way to keep them up too. I've heard a lot of great things about "Flex Seal" from people who have watched this video. I'm planning to try that out myself at some point too.
I thought I was just maintaining my rain fly wrong, now I know I'm not just stupid. I now use a 20'x20' tarp to cover my tent and all the way to the picnic table and near the back of the car, no need or a trench. If I was hiking though, I may have a smaller tarp and will keep your advice in mind.
In certain very wet environments, water will develop on the inside walls and ceiling and then the wind will fling it off onto everything inside. Wet everything. That was not a fun lesson in the Northwest. In the Southwest desert I camped in an ice fishing tent with no floor, next to a small wash/seasonal stream. It wasn'trainy season. I layed a thick tarp on the ground. Well, it rained and the small wash was rushing, the rest of the ground also became a few inches of water. My floor was floating! I dug trenches like yours and that helped. Very fun, very challenging.
having a small shovel is a game changer. great for banking coals too. thanks for the trenching idea! I usually hammock camp under a tarp, but good to know for if tenting
Years back I followed your original ch. I don't know if you closed it or if for some reason notifications just stopped. So Glad to have bumped into you again here. I always enjoyed your work and was a regular. Now I'll be one here. I Subed with all notes on, it's good to be hooked up again. Blessings from Oregon, .... Mike.
Hey Mike! No, I still run that channel, but UA-cam has... um... "done some things" that have lead a LOT of people who had subscribed to my channel to be essentially dissuaded from knowing I was still active. I hear from at least one or two people a month telling me that they were unsubbed without knowing and UA-cam had stopped any notifications about my videos from going out. It seemed like it started right around covid. I was one of those people who discussed the possibility of certain unpopular (at the time - now seen as common knowledge) ideas potentially being reality. Oddly enough, all of the unpopular ideas that I suggested might have been possible turned out to actually be the truth, but UA-cam never undid whatever they did to my channel after the fact. So it remains a crushed channel with very apparent glass ceilings etc. It seemed weird that my channel was so targeted whereas other totally crazy channels were not. Perhaps it was that my monologs sounded plausible (again, they DID all turn out to be true in the end) that causes the focus - no need to stifle people who sounded clearly crazy to begin with. I was just discussing ideas like how covid was likely airborne (at the beginning the government suggested it was not), how respirators were necessary for blocking illness in the air (the government was saying that people could use random cloth fabric for that purpose), and how the vaccines were likely to not be a long-term solution (based on how rapidly coronaviruses mutate). I'd also suggested that the duration of testing on the vaccines wasn't long enough to glean long-term conclusions. Every bit of that turned out to be true, but the UA-cam crush persists. So I tried starting another channel. Welcome to this one! if you want to check in on my original channel, it's still up and active. I finished season 2 of the Alien Invasion series (if you'd seen season 1). Here it is: www.youtube.com/@PraxisPrepper
Even high quality tents need the water proof coating on the fly renewed every few years. No fly lasts forever without re-treating unless it's dyneema or a similar waterproof material. I have a North Face Talus 4 that is 8 years old and it withstood a weeks worth of rain during a recent tropical depression with no tarp and no leaks Just have to re-treat them.
It's a bit crazy how many people DON'T know that trick. I had one viewer comment that this video was too boringly long for them and criticized that it was 13 minutes and all I was suggesting was to put a tarp over a tent. I guess they didn't have the patience to get to the part where we dig the trench to make sure the water from the tarp doesn't run right back under the tent. Hard to feel bad for someone like that if they go camping and get wet because they didn't know to trench. At some point individuals need to be able to put SOME effort into learning something new. ;)
Please practice Leave No Trace - particularly in the back country, but even in public campgrounds. This means NO TRENCHES. Pitch on high ground and you won't need them. As shown in the video, trenches are quite destructive to the natural environment. Instead, try to pitch on durable surfaces so that you minimize your overall impact of setting up any camp - of course a week-long stay will have impact, but try to minimize it. Leave No Trace helps preserve the natural experience for those of us camping after you. I have been backpacking for 50 years and have never used a trench - and so far, no wet tents.
I'm thinking maybe you haven't been camping at any campsites like this that is very clearly just a layer of packed gravel and doesn't mind in the least whether it's trenched. Am I right on that of are you aware of some way that trenching gravel and then packing the trenches back in somehow leaves the campsite worse off than it was found?
@@PraxisAdventures Very conservatively, I have spent at least 500 nights in tents - and this ignores all the nights camping with my family as a child / teenager. I have camped in a wide variety of conditions: hard rock, snow, grass fields,, etc. One month ago I was on the JMT and we camped at one site in Lyell Canyon that was essentially thick gravel. Digging a trench around my tent has never crossed my mind because it hasn't been necessary to keep dry - and no wet tents. The only digging that I have done is to level out snow fields - which melted in the spring leaving no trace on the environment.
Awesome. It's great that you get out so much. But, per your description of your experiences, it sounds like you've never worked much with this sort of campground gravel-like medium. You're 100% correct about other natural environments being damaged by trenching (although if clumps of topsoil are pulled out in chunks and then replaced when one breaks camp, the damage can be very minimal). But for this sort of gravel material, being worried about trenching is essentially like worrying that toddlers will destroy the integrity of the sand in a sandbox as they play. So while your point about site degradation is on point for many natural environments, it's not really applicable to locations similar to what's shown in this video, which is essentially a human-made sandbox environment. I haven't ever camped out in the John Muir area, but I'd love to someday.@@panhandlejake6200
@@maxsparks5183 Totally different situation. Use a SMALL hole about 6 inches deep. Cover it when done. Most backcountry trails want you to pack out the TP which is becoming a problem. Some even require packing EVERYTHING out in Wag Bags. Properly done, this is FAR less damaging to the environment than digging a long trench around a tent - which as I stated, with over 500 nights in a tent, I have never had to use a trench to stay dry even in heavy rain.
Leave it as you find it! Never dig a trench, awe full advice! Yes a ground tarp underneath the tent tucked in a few inches is correct and also a tarp inside the tent and it should fold up a few inches creating a tub effect on the floor. And yes having a full rain fly is a major factor. And yes an overhead rain tarp that drains to the rear, away from your tent. Once all is correctly done you can move your gear inside and stay dry. Digging a trench just makes a ugly mess and looks horrible. During and after camp is taken down! Sorry for the next folks who use the tent area.
Is it really necessary to tell people in a video to push the sandy gravel bed of a state campsite back flat and leave the site just as nice as one finds it in a video? Your critique is by the far the most common that I hear on this video and it seems baffling to me that people think it's necessary to note in a video that people should leave the site as they find it. Are comments like yours just trying to look for things to pick at? Picking up after one's self is (should be) automatic.
Sorry but in rain that's flooding your camp trench is good. Refill before leaving if not flooded. But on usual rain no trench. And totally tuck the ground tarp under.
Digging a trench around your campsite is so 1980's practice. This is exactly what I read in a BSA manual from that era. This is not acceptable for Leave No Trace camping of today. Choose better equipment and find a better drainage tent site.
Leaving a key outside to prevent one from being locked out of one's house is so 1980's too. We have smart locks for doors today. But for situations where a smart lock isn't an option, a key outside still works. Also, are you serious about "leave no trace" in a gravel sandbox camp pad? Do you have kids? Are you aware of how easy it is to fill and recompact the sandy gravel on these sorts of camping pads? If not, it's very easy.@@ThaiXLe
@@PraxisPrepper People in general sucks when it comes to cleaning up after themselves. I have seen so many backcountry campgrounds with all the low hanging branches have been stripped for firewood, human waste and used TP littering the ground. Advocating for this trenching practice even in parks that allows these (I dont know of any state or national parks that will take kindly to anyone doing this to their campsite.) is not good. Mulitply this by a 100x or 1000x campers. Not everyone will replace the soil back (go back to my statement about people not cleaning up after themselves.) Some will even carry this practice into the backcountry with even more negative impact. Finding a great tent site is one of backcountry skill I take pride to have developed over the years backpacking. Looking for one with no widowmakers, having a great vista to wake up to in the morning, finding one with protection from the wind, visualize & avoiding possible water drainage path from rain, and having the foresight to see camping in that sunken meadow might not be good due to the cold air collecting there overnight. This time and effort to do this is a fraction of the physical effort to dig a trench. Now in my opinion, it is better to be an influencer that will espousing good camping conservation practices from developing your skills. This should be a big thing for you if you care about leaving these national park, fishing and hunting grounds better than we have for the next generations. I am no granola eating tree hugger. I grew up in the south and am a 2A Asian redneck. One thing I learn growing up is leave things better than you find it. I hope you understand where I am coming from and understand the "ethical" camping POV that I have.
Forget all this, cut a tarp to fit inside tent, sized to allow 6-8” or more up skirt on all 4 sides. This also helps to prevent your sleeping bag etc from getting wet from the onside walls, even condensation of tent. Been doing this on islands in Maine for 25 years. Aways works.
How does your method prevent water from coming in from above if the rain fly starts leaking? Your approach seems solid on water from above, but doesn't address the other direction (as far as I can tell).
cheers, great tips and great video. I love my tarps too, under and over as you say but never though to dig trenches to divert water. Thanks for sharing, glad I stumbled on your channel. Good luck with it, subscribed ✌🏻
Whenever my Dad and I went camping l, it would rain. Same thing happened when my Dad and brother were camping together. I tried talking my Dad into making a business as "Rain Makers". I was half serious. Dad didn't think that was funny..... I think we could've made a small fortune.
Enjoyed the video,made me chuckle a bit too 😀 hope your burns are ok now. But more importantly maybe ALWAYS have a carbon monoxide alarm. Must for your own safety 👌🏻 looking forward to more.
I'd recommend against camping in a location where water will be flowing under the tent and one is not legally able to prevent that from happening. If ditching or mounding isn't seen an option, one should stick to the crowns of hills. That'd be my advice.
@@DiabloOutdoors .. Be sure of you sites ,, getting to be many state and federal parks and trails don't allow most hammock systems due to tree damage ..
@@rockytopwrangler2069 True that Wrangler. This situation is mostly because of the careless people not using straps instead of the cordage to attache their hammock to the trees. Some places will allow you to use a hammock IF you're also using straps. Some won't allow whatever you're using. Thx Wrangler!
You hit that on the nose. These tips are just basic things that far too few modern people seem to have been taught in their youth. I see so many campers out having a miserable time because they don't know how to manage inclement weather. And that's sort of bad for all of us - because the more people there are who can go out and enjoy nature, then the more people there will be who appreciate it, value it, and then (likely) will want to protect and preserve it. :)
I commend you I have seen many of these sorts of videos and most like to hear themselves yap yap yap banging me between the ears but I am commending you on the water channeling digging (trenching) indispensable in my opinion..
But what do you do about the condensation inside of the tent, that builds up from the moisture and body heat when you don't have a battery powered fan?
That's more of an issue when it's cold outside, and I wasn't facing that challenge in this video. But it's a real phenomena when the air outside is cold. As far as I know, the only way to deal with that is with ventilation bringing in dry air from outside, but I'm not an expert there. I don't do very much cold-weather camping... in fact, the only times I've ever done it has been accident. It's a good question to have answered if you plan to camp in the cold though. We emit a lot of water when we're in a tent.
I'd be a pretty awful guest if I didn't wouldn't I. I like to think that it goes without saying that one should leave a campsite as one found it (or better).
@@PraxisAdventures You're ideas are actually very great although all that point set aside be it wiser to this other point of understanding that what you are doing as is in many camp grounds somthings as that could very well be considured illegal Always best to ask for permisions ahead of time as to avoide being kicked out or in trouble by being fined specialy if ones camping within our provincial parks such as we have many of as here in Canada !! Please allow me to further explain such as they consider everything protected and by digging a trench or picking up even a piece of wood off the grounds or as tying things up to trees and so much more rediculous things as they actually look at as disturbing nature and there are actual laws setup against doing this and one can be fined for it by the parks officers that often roam around looking for campers who break their rediculous laws !! yes I learned the hard way myself as I had picked up a few sticks laying on the grounds to build my fire and as the ego tripping prick officers looked on while i doing it but said nothing at all right at the time to stop me till already had my camp fire started then they walked up to my camp site and issued me with a rediculous 160 dollar fine for disturbing nature !! Man was i ever so very damn upset but of course I said nothing much in anyway to try defend myself or they would have simple upset me all the more so by kicking me out just as my weekend camping trip got started !! Bottom line I will never camp in a Provincial Camping Grounds ever again as the cost was140 bucks just for a long weekend camp site and they made me buy my fire wood off them as 3 small bags of wood that cost me 60 bucks so the cost in total alongside of the rediculous fine was 360 dollars plus tax !! and as well never mind the additional cost in gas for my car travels to get there WOW what a rip off !!! This was by far obviously the worst camping experience of my lifetime and as I offer anyone this kind advise beware and be careful if you deside to ever go camping here within Canada !!! Praxis Advetures Perhaps you can do a short video on this subject matter ? Thank You for the great video cheers from Canada my new friend I have just Subscibed !!!
That story just leaves one with that crappy feeling in one's throat. The way they treated you as a thing (to be used to make money) vs a person just sucks. If they ACTUALLY cared about what the rules are intended to achieve, they would have politely given you a heads up about it before hand. That could have left you informed, the park "safe" and the interaction very positive. It also likely would have left the campground with MORE money because you likely would have returned for another trip in the future - where now I can't imagine you'd ever go back. That's just really lame (and short-sighted) that they handled it that way. I believe you're right that it was their way of giving themselves a serotonin boost by exercising their power over you in a heavy-handed and unhelpful way. Rules are there (ideally) to make the world a better place - not to try to extort money out of people. I might make a video about this sort of topic in the future if I can crystalize my thoughts into something constructive for viewers. Thanks for sharing your story here.@@truth431
@@PraxisAdventures Thank you for you're understanding much appreciated as well I just been talking with an owner of a privet cottage /camping /fishing resort in southern Ontario Canada !! about a property maintainance position comes with a 3 bedroom cottage re of my duties plus soime additional salleries !! its year round and he has boat rentals for his guest and its on rice lake near the closest city called Peterborough Ontario look it up on google !! as well there is ice fishing which I truly like to do during our long drawn out Canadian Winters LOL well I meet the owner next week to go over more details about the managment job !! Thanks again I'm looking forwards to seeing more of you're great videos in the future !! 👍 🍁All the best wishes from Canada🍁TRUTH🙂
That's an awesome job prospect. Good luck. My only advice for people trying to land a job, is to remember what we're all REALLY there to do when we get hired - to take problems that our "bosses" have, and make them go away. Your potential future boss has a problem. They have this resort that's a pain in their neck half the time. There's things to clean, things to fix, to unclog, to sort, evaluate, and to take care of. They don't want all those issues to deal with. If you can make them believe that you'll make all those hassles disappear, and then when hired, make good on that promise, the job will be yours and the boss will be very happy they met you.@@truth431
2 thoughts: If you absolutely feel you have to have a trench, please fill it back in before you leave. Be considerate of whomever is going to be using that campsite after you. If you're noticing your rainfly is no longer fully waterproof, your DWR coating has worn off and needs to be reapplied. This is normal. Nikwax and several other companies make products you can use to reapply the DWR coating. I'd also recommend re-seam-sealing everything. It can be a pain to have to do, but your gear will last longer.
This is a great comment. Positive and constructive. A number of other people have noted that trenching DOES come with downsides - few as well-spoken and polite as you. For me, I take it as a given that one should leave a site a one found it, but you're right that I don't mention that in this video. Perhaps I should have. It's an automatic for me, but based on the liter we all see driving down the road, it's clear that's not how everyone acts. Although that said, adding a note about it in a video likely wouldn't change the habits of most people who DO leave messes for others... but for new campers, maybe it would have been a good thing to note in the video.
That's a good bit of advice for initial performance, but I always find that over time, no matter the rating, the fly either needs to be re-treated (which I find to be a bit of a pain) or a tarp use in lieu of the fly working at 100%.
IDK, but are you supposed to divert the natural flow of water? Just a little diversion of water can make a big difference further down hill. Great tips by the way. Thank you.
I think in some circumstances the idea you note here is probably impactful. In many cases, when just diverting around a small tent though, the water quickly rejoins where it would have gone anyhow. But that's a good point for people to consider if they might do a larger distance diversion.
You're very welcome. I especially appreciate the positive (and polite) comment after the last week where nearly everyone seeing this video has been ripping into how terrible it is to use ditches to divert water around a tent. So your comment makes my day! Thanks!
Good video and great tips from a former boy scout and army vet. Question does your shirt say I'm not arguing just explaining why I m right? If so I have the same shirt lol
Yep, we have the same shirt. My ex wife gave it to me. She loves getting me snarky skirts. I'm wearing one right now actually. It says something about how I'm a brain eating zombie, but the reader of the short is safe (ostensibly because they have no brain I'm presuming).
Not bad, not bad! :) Inserting a stake trough the loop is really the best way when dealing with grommets. Not only it is fast, but it redirects much of the pressure all around the grommet instead of on a very small part of it. The trench is also what to do. One suggestion tho. You can use a stick and save money and weight. You also can use a medium size throwel like the ones made by Coghlan's. they weight alost nothing and are surprisingly very tough! Cheers!
Yeah, a regular small garden trowel would work great too. Having used sticks and rocks plenty of time myself, I can agree that they work just as well (over time). The shovels make it a lot easier and quicker though. But for sure, improvising is great too - and keeps us mentally on our toes! :) Great comment - thx for leaving it!
@@PraxisAdventures Yeah the shovel is nice, unless you're backpacking or hiding it in your girlfriend's backpack lol I'll watch your other videos that's for sure!
Thanks for the trenching tip. I never thought about that, probably because we don't get that much rain in the desert. It will come in handy though, should we get caught in a rare storm.
I'm glad you found it helpful. Here in the North East US, rain is our thang in the summer. And I SWEAR it specifically follows me whenever I'm camping. One year, as I pulled up to our campsite, I saw that it was raining... ONLY over our campground and nowhere else in the surrounding area. The campground was at the base of a mountain and the air flowing over it was condensating into rain, so there was a definitely scientific reason for the campground only rain... but GEEZ nature! ;)
Haven’t seen trenches in a campground since 1977, and the Park Rangers kicked that fool out! A ground cloth/foot print, when properly placed under your tent, will work well at keeping water out of your tent.
I talk about that approach in this video, but also talk about trenching for situations when it doesn't work. I also don't think anyone would kick out a trencher if the trencher asked permission to trench. Doing things without asking permission on someone else's land is always inappropriate no matter what you're doing.
Most people have the capacity to dig a ditch in sand or gravel and to fill it in such that no trace is left... although, I've discovered from comments like yours that some people have trouble with this. So maybe it's not for everyone. Prior to making this video I wasn't aware that this was such a challenge for some people.
I take people at their word that this is a challenge. So I think I was wrong that leaving places as one finds them goes without saying. Sometimes I think I live in a bit of a bubble where I forget that things that some find common-sense, others find challenging. That's one of the things I like about posting videos on UA-cam; people always come out to remind me when I've been living under a rock on certain things.@@jamesdobson5022
You probably should take into account where you're setting up a camp to design the camp best. I'd advise against following what some guy does in a dense forest to decide how to set up a camp in a wide open windy location.
Allways rains on the last night of camping. Forcing us to put the tent up again the next day at home. Ouch. I allways dig a trench if on a slope or dirt.
The reality is that unless the bottom of your tent has a tarp/trash bag type of bottom, It is 100% impossible to not have your tent saturated with puddles of water after it rains. People are always going on and on about seams, and leaks that they fail on all ends to address the water flow that goes under your tent when puddles start forming. As soon as puddles start forming, without an actual tarp bottom, you will wind up with a flooded tent.
"People are always going on and on about seams, and leaks that they fail on all ends to address the water flow that goes under your tent when puddles start forming." - I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you didn't watch this video you're commenting on then?
@@PraxisPrepper whether or not I watched this video isn't relevant. The fact is, there are only 2 ways to not have a tent puddling in the rain. I also don't engage with people who leave comments that are designed to change the subject by creating excuses. I made an entire video about what I replied to you about. Go watch it and you will find out what I said is a fact
@@360Investigations I wasn't disagreeing with the issues related to water puddling under a tent. I was letting you know that this video DOES address that question. It actually doesn't discuss seam sealing at all.
My preparedness perspective is leisure time as in recreational camping might not be practical when there are survival priorities of mulitiple survival tasks, stealth, mobility, defense and readiness considerations. A good point of the presentation is ground splatter which might not be just wet, but a muddy mess. Though I have tarps and they are multiple purpose excellent solutions to many scenarios, my alternatives for what can be a wash of muddy water and mud splattering in torrential downpours (presented as expected) is to be off the ground with my sleep in a well designed hammock system and my gear in another hammock with both having quick setup and pack out and even that takes time. When greater expediency is necessary as in a potential threat situation demanding greater stealth and instantaneous mobility combined with 360 degree awareness of My preparedness perspective is leisure time, as in recreational camping, might not be practical when there are survival priorities of mulitiple survival tasks, stealth, mobility, defense and readiness considerations. I realize the presentation is camping and not survival, so I'm not critical of recreation nor the presentation. But aside from me also using camping for training and skills development opportunities, I often am camping for multiple other purposes like bicycling, hunting, fishing and more that requires my time not be diverted into major camping setups regardlessof weather. A good point of the presentation is ground splatter which I add might not be just wet, but a muddy mess best avoided and particularlytrenchingto divert warer. Though I have tarps and they are multiple purpose excellent solutions to many scenarios, my alternatives for what can be a wash of muddy water and mud splattering in torrential downpours (presented as expected) is to be off the ground with my sleep in a well designed hammock system and my gear in another hammock with both having quick setup and pack out capabilities and even that takes too much time in some scenarios. When greater expediency is necessary as in a potential enemy threat situation demanding greater stealth and instantaneous mobility combined with 360 degree awareness of surroundings to detect an approaching threat first, my tested and proven methods include zero camp setup and sleeping in my breathable camouflage fly fishing waders sitting reclined with my back against my pack against a tree and a wide brim hat sheding rain to not drip down my neck. A threat coming my way (not paranoid and instead training for capabilities) necessarily making some noise being in motion will be spotted by me first with 360 degrees of visibility only slowly turning my head and shoulders. I need only to observe its direction and if not directly to me as I won't be easily spotted, the threat will walk obliviously right past me. But, if I evaluate the threat might come near, while still distant, I need only to simply slowly stand up at a moment of greatest diminished line of sight to be on the other side of a tree and the enemy can walk right past me without even knowing. I've tested and proven my system many times in muddy, rainy cold conditions and stayed warm and dry and slept well without spending time needed for other tasks nor compromising capabilities. I've also done this with about a dozen friends doing recreational camping combined with a river raft fky fishing trip, so I use that to make the contrast of methods. Darkness came fast after fly fishing causing the others some difficulties setting up tents fast to start cooking to eat and get some sleep to be ready for more fly fishing in the morning. In sharp contrast, I was doing absolutely none of that. Instead, I simply sat down and put my back against softness of still packed supplies against a tree dressed as described which was not a change from fly fishing. In the short time window of light before sunset, I rested my fly tying vice on my belly while comfortably reclined and matched the hatch for productive fishing the next day because it was just discovered that an olive wing size 20 was what was working and only one of us had too few. Time not being spent preparing the campsite was used productivity for the main mission. Next was my observation of clatter of cooking pans and camp stoves in the dark with them using headlamps, but I had already eaten. Sure, I was prepared to cook fish that we didn't catch yet, but I was also prepared for alternatives. I had my homemade version of a Meals Ready To Eat. It was delicious elk stew of my recipe seasoned just the way I like it in a can-or-freeze canning jar which I pressure canned long before. It was simple and versatile to carry with me because, unlike fresh food, if I don't use it, then I just put it back on the shelf for next time and if it freezes, then it could take that by design. All it needed was optionally being warmed up which I chose not to do and ate it cold with just a spoon and it's delicious cold and a complete meal with carbohydrates, meat and vegetables all together and ready. I fell asleep long before the clattering of pots and pans of the others were being cleaned up and put away because my cleanup was simply putting the lid back onto the jar and putting it into my pack to be cleaned at home anytime. Sleep is an important logistical consideration for good performance fishing the next day and I got plenty and more in the morning as they scrambled to roll up and put away their expensive tents wet which I didn't need to do, so I snoozed more with only needing to stand up to be fully ready. But though there wasn'tan actual "enemy," all felt the need to pack up their gear and tents wet to not be stolen while fishing. Having none of those self-imposed chores, I awoke with frost on my camouflage breathable waders, but I was warm and comfortable. That afternoon was sunny and our group insisted upon cutting fly fishing short to again, because their tents were expensive, return to camp to set them up to dry only to clean off mud and pack everything again. That work interfeared with fishing which is fine because that's not life or death. But it gave me opportunity to reflect that in an actual survival scenario, time for mundane considerations might not be afforded due to survival priorities. Mud took its toll in other ways. One in the group had his large recreational vehicle. As I walked around the muddy camp and beyond in my fly fishing waders, he got his boots and jeans muddy which he justified because he had plenty more boots, clean, dry jeans, a washer and dryer. But at the end of the trip he was still in muddy boots and wet muddy jeans. Sure, my breathable, camouflage fly fishing waders got plenty muddy, but then I walked through the stream at camp and in seconds walked out without any mud and the waders don't actually get wet. It's not lazy -- it's using time more productivity and having time for greater priorities. RonaldHLevine4548@yahoo.com
Oddly, perhaps due to being lengthy, the entire middle of my post is missing and I don't know how to correct that. But, I have a full copy and provided my email address.
I read through the first 3rd or so, but have to get back to some work so cant do it all right now. Clearly you have thought through this stuff a lot. I agree that there are more than one way to do things "right". I didnt mean to suggest mine is the only way, just one that seemms to work for me. Thx for sharing your thoughts!
I do applaud your excellent wet camping presentation and didn't spend the appropriate time to make that more clear than this one statement: "I realize the presentation is camping and not survival, so I'm not critical of recreation nor the presentation." I'm not critical and am simply adding alternatives for different circumstances. I did watch every aspect of your presentation with interest and it very much fits some preparedness scenarios of the harsh times to come. Specifically, it does very much fit with long-term camping in a location with a community that includes a team that handles security or where there is no threat and the trenching can not only be permanent as on privately owned land, but stabilized with cultivated growth of ground cover vegetation allowing directed water runoff without a muddy mess nor having to restore the site to as it was. Your methods are good considering you are making your designated campsite that you reserved way in advance, work to satisfy your family camping trip for it to be a fun experience and not a miserable flooding with a cold and wet family getting a bad experience, so you are doing excellent at what you are doing for your family vacation and that is appropriate to your role to provide and protect. If I were doing this for my future family (I'm single), then your techniques are certainly good to know. Skills development includes alternatives to have choices to fit circumstances. Knowing alternatives in advance means quick decision making and likely having the supplies to implement multiple choices. RonaldHLevine4548@yahoo.com
I left out one more contrast of recreational camping to my "specialized" for circumstances style that, of course, doesn't apply to these good and peaceful times before the harsh times to come regarding readiness. To be ready, I simply stand up. To know something is out there, I hear it, turn my head and see it. Contrast that to not going into your clean and dry tent and sleeping bag with muddy and wet boots and clothes. Instead, you take off your boots and clothes and sleep in your sleeping bag without that. Undressed in your warm sleeping bag, inside your dry tent, you have zero visibility of your surroundings, your presence would be seen first by approaching enemies, and you are not prepared for watchfulness, stealth, evasion, nor defense. Of course, none of that is applicable in these good times especially knowing there are no enemies nor need for anyone to take what you have out of desperation. I do enjoy these good times that I sometimes use for skills development opportunities for preparedness for the harsh times to come. RonaldHLevine4548@yahoo.com
.... Good information, but mostly an adv. for SOG ... I have had a few SOG products over the years and they worked OK , no better than others similar in design ... As for the video description ,, with the quality of tents today , a properly set up tent with a groundsheet ,also protects tents floor from sticks and rocks poking through ,, but properly place will suffice MOST rainfall on trails ,, but a trench around the tent will be the answer to keep water out and away from your tent .... also if expected storms are coming ,, don't set up in open areas ,, Not sure why creators always do this ( maybe just to get better camera shots ...,, if possible get into the forest tree cover ,, certainly check for widow makers but that's seldom a problem .. that should be good for staying dry .... but I also put up an overhead tarp "first",, allows you cover to put up your tent staying dry ... ... Only video's that typically show this is for Hammocks ,, where that's the norm , unless extreme summer heat on clear days ...
IDK if it's an advertisement for SOG given that I said that people could make due with a rock, a stick, or even a lawn chair and get the same job done. Would it have been possible for me to have shown the tool that I use WITHOUT you feeling as though it was an advertisement? Good tips on keeping out of wide open spaces. That's also good for keeping out of intense sun and wind too.
I hated tea until I was in my mid 20's and then something... snapped. And now I love it. I chug the stuff all day when I'm working in the sun. I love the smell of coffee, and for that reason, I love to make it for other people. But I can't stand drinking coffee... yet. Maybe someday something else will snap and I'll become a coffee fiend! ;)
Hi allow me to inject my 2 cents to camping and rain issues. when I'm about to enter my camp site I study the ground for where rain water will pool into big puddles. its easy I look for pollen rings on the ground this is especially easy in spring and early summer. its tree pollen that collects on the ground by way of rain action , also fallen pine tree flowers online the size of the former puddle area which can be a few feet in diameter. Those rings are nature's way of saying don't set up tent on this spot. its all about learning to read the ground. and you will survive 12 days of steady rain fall like my wife and kids done a few times in the past. I was never discouraged and to this day. I don't fear rain forecast because of rain.
Very good advice. This video was about mitigating issues where one doesn't have a choice about setting up location, but you're 100% correct, the best way to avoid issues isn't to change the site, but to avoid bad locations.
I wasn't aware that it was the brand names of products that make a man... crap. I've been doing it all wrong all this time! What brands should I get instead. Let me know. I'm desperate to know the secret ASAP!
Nice tips on using a tarp under the tent and use of sog shovel and not the screw together handle sections type of shovel,(of which I have and have never used in the 3 years owning it. But, hey, it looks cool).😅
Those screw-together shovels could be used in a pinch and aren't entirely worthless, but if you tried them out, you'd quickly start to feel that you really needed to be gentle with them. I've tested two and both were weak and flimsy. Maybe some company makes a good one, but I've never come across it myself.
If you want to stay dry in a tent in the rain, your footprint should be inside the tent and not under it. Ideally the footprint/tarp is just a bit bigger than the floor so it goes up the wall a bit. If your tent ends up in a pool of water a footprint under the tent will do nothing to keep you dry.
Most of this video is about endeavoring to avoid the tent sitting in that pool of water in the first place. But if one fails, and the tent IS set in a huge puddle, then these steps won't do anything. These steps are preventative - not mitigative.
If you watched the video, you'd likely note that the site here is crushed stone and gravel - very easily returned to pre-trenched status after one's stay.
Pretty much. It's the Franconia Notch area in the White Mountains NH. A highway runs right through the heart of the valley and it's (unfortunately), very clearly noticeable all along the trails running along the river there. Beautiful area, but MAN the highway noise is unmissable. My boy and I joke that when we stop camping and go home, we get back the peace and quiet of nature back at our house! ;)
I've never actually had a channel sponsorship. I do make a bit of money of people click through my amazon links to products that I've recommended, but other than that, no sponsorships. SOG tools in general, I find to be good. Although, I do have one small fixed blade knife that they make that I feel is way too sharp around the edges of the handle. I had to take mine and wrap it in a fabric strip to be able to comfortably use it. So I don't know what they were thinking with that one. But for their other tools that I've used of theirs, I think they make good stuff.
If people only do that step, they might very well still get totally swamped from below. I guess I talked for the time you watched only about the tarp above, but I also discussed other steps to take that actually do the job. The tarp above alone is not at all the end of the story. It does take 13 minutes to hear about those other steps though. So it might not be worth it. Up to the individual as to the cost/benefit of taking the 13 mins.
The man clearly went on to explain reasons for over-tarps beyond the obvious. Went into trenching in detail, including preemptive surveying of the ground for telltale signs, how to consider your location due to these and how to appropriately employ that knowledge. Then he explained under-tarps and was kind and wise enough to warn of the incorrect way of applying this method and the reasons why. Also very valid insight upon tool use, worth and specification. That’s what you stood to learn if you had the sense or humility. Have fun paddling, dunce.
Thanks for providing the reality check for the short attention span commenter. Unfortunately, AnimusZen likely didn't get past the part of your comment that says, "The man clearly went..." I think he probably lost the ability to focus on what you were writing about there. ;) I'm glad you enjoyed the video I made and stuck around long enough to digest the key points! :) @@dr.2335
@@PraxisAdventures if they couldn’t pass the first line of a reality check, reality clearly isn’t their strong suit. Much of what I write in these instances is for anyone but the person it’s replying to- and for myself to vent and teach those with limited means how scathing indictment is done properly. I subbed when you started reading the ground. You’re attentive, detailed and well versed. Keep it up my man.
I love how you wrote that you try to demonstrate "how scathing indictment is done properly". I tend to start off very friendly and open to letting people snap back to civility in the comment, but on occasion when someone is severely impolite, not to myself, but to someone else in the comments, I too will often attempt to demo how scathing indictment is done properly. :)@@dr.2335
Guilty as charged. One of the reasons I wanted to start this channel was to practice speaking with less of that crap in there. If it's possible to believe it, I've actually gotten a lot better since I started. Obviously I still have some work to do in improving more.
No worries at all, and I didn't feel as though I was apologizing, just letting you know that I agree with you. I def would like to continue to improve my speaking skills. I'm glad you found the video helpful!
Ridicules a man not reading a script. Denies apology and praises same video instead of doing that in the first place. You have the same amount of conviction as you do manners. I wouldn’t listen or respond to you at all, let alone say anything that could be remotely construed as an apology. A55hat.
Hey don't go too hard on Badmoon, it's a VERY rare and under-appreciated habit for people to snap back into being polite when someone reacts to them being a bit rude. I think the internet makes (most) people forget that they're interacting with other people at the other end of their comments. So I think it's was great that BadMoon didn't stick to his attack approach and corrected to be more civil. The world needs more of that. But that said... I do appreciate you having my back! :)@@dr.2335
That's something that I definitely should have mentioned in the video. I didn't think to do so because it falls (in my mind) under basic courtesy, but yeah, people definitely should get permission to dig on anyone else's land. I ended up add some text about it to the description at least.
People pick on this point a lot in the comments of this video. My response is that when camping in a campground that lays down gravel beds for pads, digging into them and then replacing the sand and gravel doesn't make the least lasting impression on the totally dead artificial surface. Also, if camping in an area where the ground IS alive, it's possible to replace the clods after one leaves and they will grow back. Although in a wild backwoods camping situation, it would make the most sense to just choose a location for camping that doesn't need any of this. This is a technique for when forced to be in a specific location that's not safe from water moving across the surface.
Yeah, titles for UA-cam videos generally have to be pretty extreme and superlative in order to get any attention. "Most, all, every, no one" It all has to be extreme for people to click at all. I'm not a fan of it. But I've learned that if I don't do it, videos never get a single click for people to watch.
PLEASE STOP TRENCHING! No, most campers do not fill them in, and they still leave a scar. A tarp INSIDE your tent running 6" up the wall will keep the rain out.
I'm not a big fan of saying that people shouldn't do something responsibly and under appropriate conditions because other people might do it irresponsibly and in the wrong conditions. On your tarp inside the tent idea, I'm curious, why do you put it inside the tent as opposed to outside? If something were to be done along those lines, would it not work just as well if you ran the tarp in question under the tent and lapped it up 6" around the outside - tucking that flap up and under the rain fly? Also, is this all you do? What about rain from above with aging rain flies? Do you re-treat your rain fly to keep it functional or also run a tarp overhead?
@@PraxisAdventures All I know is that I see a lot of scars in campsites created by the wrong people doing the right thing. Nails in trees is another pet peeve! Besides that, trenching is unnecessary if you properly waterproof your tent. I have proven it on several occasions. One night the only site in the park was at the foot of a rock wall. I knew that the forecast rain would wash down the rock and through my site all night. When I woke up I had a small stream running under the tent! I was bone dry. The tent floor was wet, but the tarp had protected me. Your suggestion sounds a lot more difficult than putting it inside and up the sidewall a couple inches. Then there are the added benefits. The trap protects the tent floor from abrasion by feet, gear etc., liquids (bug repellant will eat right through it), candle wax etc. When it is time to break camp, I just drag the tarp out along with all the sand, leaves and other dirt that has accumulated. Nothing to sweep up.To your point about the tent fly failing, (I had that happen on a cheaper tent) the water usually wicks down the tent wall to the floor under the tarp. My tent is probably 20 years old. Last Fall I had to recoat a PU tarp, and sprayed the fly of the tent at the same time. I also resealed all the seams at the same time. But I have never had rain come in. Of course I have now jinked myself and will likely get soaked next year! If you want to read the guide who put me onto tarps inside the tent, look up Cliff Jacobson. Thanks for sharing ideas.
OMG, I know what you mean about nails left in trees - ratty work tearing small limbs off trees (presumably for use as kindling... which is dumb because they'd be green and wet). Thank YOU for the thoughtful reply. Most of the time online if someone disagrees with someone's idea the response is all emotional and negative, but you responded in a way that was constructive and advanced the conversation. That's great. I get what you mean about the ease of just laying the tarp on the inside. In my version of tucking it up under the fly in the outside, there's a lot of chance of it slipping back down (and then CATCHING water flowing off the fly). I actually carry a drop cloth for the floor protection benefit that you mentioned. I suppose I felt reluctant to just let water flow under the tent because (for tents that one invested a lot of money into) I feel like I'd want to protect them from the elements as much as possible - hence sacrificing the tarp to the water flow below vs the tent bottom. But I do see what you mean about practicality of setup. Thanks again for the excellent reply! @@arts68
The tents they put out don't have good waterproof floors, ' except Outwell tents' 10, 000mm floor' if you can, , try putting the Tarp on the floor and making a Bath Tub about 6 inchs up along ur tent using small Bungees. Also, make sure the upper Tarp is running all the water off in Direction away from the tent. You don't want a water collection, which tents are in rain, a Umbella!
That's constructive criticism, and I can't disagree that maybe at least one big wide shot would have been good to set the scene's context. Thx for the suggestion.
Good topic but this video could have been completed in 5 or 6 minutes IMO. Seems like as much a review of the "shovel" with all that rambling on as keeping the tent dry. Use tarps / build a trench. Not rocket science.
Not rocket, science, but some people like to get a close view on things, see the ground surfaces, etc. Some people who are first time campers probably benefit from the added details and context. It could def be cut down into a shorter video but, given that this channel is my hobby and not my job, I share the info that I think might be helpful to people and if they want to listen that's great. And if they want to tell me that I didn't convey the info fast enough in my free video that I made for people, that's cool too.
Don't take this the wrong way but putting a tarp over your tent is not really a fix the same problem you have with your tent is going to happen to your tarp most of the time they are virtually the same material and the water protection chemical they put on it will wear off. When you first buy a tent you are supposed to treat it with silicone spray and there is a special tube of silicon stuff you put on the seams on the inside and outside to help keep it waterproof. And you're supposed to redo it every couple of years. Now if you don't want to have to deal with all that headache, you can do what I did I got a can of clear Flex Seal and I painted the entire inside and outside with the exception of the netting. You're going to want to do two coats on each side. I don't know how long that will last but I do know I did it five or six years ago and I still have no leaks whatsoever. You also want to do that to your rainfly on both sides. What you are basically doing is turning it into something like Gore-Tex. Once it dries it is virtually the same way and still flexible. But you want to make sure it's dry before you fold it up. You can do the same thing with a bed sheet and make a waterproof tarp. You can do that to your tarp too and use your tarp in front of your tent so you guys don't have to be inside the tent when it's raining. The other part about the trenching is spot on as well as your assessment on those garbage shovels. One thing I might offer on your shovel that you like to use, what I have done to mine is I take a file and I knock that paint off to begin with. And I make it a little more Sharp. I'm not talking about knife quality Sharp. But you wanted to be able to cut through a little roots and things. I even sharpen the pick side. And then I store them with just a little bit of Vaseline smeared over it so it won't rust. I guess you could hit it with spray paint but the first time you use it it's going to come off anyway so you might as well just plan on keeping it a little bit oil if you don't want it to rust of course the rest is not going to affect it so it's really a personal choice but I will tell you it digs a hell of a lot better and in a pinch you can use it to cut limbs off small trees. I mean you don't want to hack at it like an ax on a larger tree but it will knock small limbs off I hope you try this and find it useful
Thanks for that insight. You're right that the tarp needs to be replaced now and then. It's cheaper to do that than to replace the entire tent fly, so I've been doing that. I like your approach though. I'm going to look into that solution. Thanks for sharing that!
@@PraxisAdventures that Flex Seal comes in clear black and white and it comes in little spray cans but they don't have enough in them to do much of anything but they do have them in court gallon and I believe pint size cans and then you just brush them on. High first tried it on a military poncho I bought. Usually when you buy them through Surplus the rubber in the head part is no good it was all peeling off and smelled funky and when I got it wet to try to wash it off it started peeling off and just left the fabric. Basically making the whole thing useless. But I immediately thought of the clear Flex Seal, and now it looks like it was brand new on the head part the material was green and the clear really brought it out and I've never had any problem with it or the second one I bought and had to do the exact same thing because the kids took off with my first one
Good info. Do you have enough time using Flex Seal where you know how long it lasts before it breaks down itself? I find that flexible polymers tend to have a shorter use-life than more rigid ones.@@jamesbowen5573
@@PraxisAdventures I know on the stuff I've used it on I never had problems the rain ponchos were what I have used it on the longest. I've never retreated them or anything. I'm pretty sure stuff like sunlight might break it down and you usually don't wear your Poncho in the sun all the time you might use it as a tarp here and there but I don't use it as my primary tarp so I really haven't noticed any degradation. I do know when you put it on Blue Jeans, you do need to touch up the knees every now and then if you do a lot of crawling around. You definitely want to get it absorbed all the way into the fabric. I tried to make a set looks like the kind some guys wear weather around the bootleg up about a foot and on the knees and on the very butt. I'm sure there's wear and tear on the butt but the knees are the only ones I've had to reapply the stuff to. And I don't know if it was leaking or not I just not look like crap. The Cheapo tents I have put it on my kids use most of the time and they don't purposely go out in the rain but they haven't had any trouble when they do I guess it's been 2 years I think it's only been rained on a couple of times the last one was about a month ago and nothing got wet. My kids are not particularly rough on those things. One of the tenths is a Coleman popup. All you do is throw the disc in the air and it lands set up. It was in a bad storm at pow wow and the kids came home but left the tent and when we got it the next day some of those graphite poles on the bottom were shattered so I cut it open and taped it up and sewed it and then treated it with Flex Seal . I guess that was a couple of years ago. It still works pretty good my nephew's borrowed it a couple of months ago and it stormed on them out of nowhere and it stayed dry. I'm not a representative of the company nor have I seen any of the studies of the breakdown I guess it would make common sense that every few years you might want to touch it up if it looks different, but I personally have not had any problem with it. I also made a miniature tarp out of bandanas I sewed together and I treated it. I use that as a pack cover at night I don't really use it during the daytime for anything. I've treated a couple of flags with it. But of course I have no idea if their waterproof or not it keeps them from getting dirty that's for sure. I like to carry a small bandana size American flag that I attached to a string and in Oklahoma state flag and they don't tread on me flag but I wouldn't hang them around liberals they like to steal them and burn them they stole every Trump flag I put on the back of my Jeep they weren't big ones but still it seems to enrage those people. I never treated the Trump Flags. Couldn't keep them long enough to be honest
Wow! A HUGE thank you for that reply. I'm definitely going to try out Flex Seal now. That sounds like a very useful tool to have in one's (figurative) back pocket. I really appreciate your taking to time to share all that. I'm disappointed to hear that you've had so many issues with people who think they're on a different political "team" stealing your flags. That's super lame. People can be so childish - and I mean that for many people on all sides of those political division lines. It's lame to have to deal with them though. Most people like that don't even understand what political values their "side" even represents... and that goes for the leaders of their parties too. Years ago, my values were things like anti-violence, pro-body autonomy, pro-scientific rational thinking. Back them during the early days of the 2nd Iraq war, those values suggested to me that I was a liberal. So I (foolishly) adopted that label. Fast forward a couple of decades later and now liberals seem to be all pro-war, pro-forcing people to get medical interventions whether they want them or not, and (while they say otherwise) they're definitely the anti-scientific party... though to be fair both parties might merit that mantle. And now with liberals seeming to largely be pro-giving little kids sex-change surgeries... Well if being a liberal means all that, I guess I'm definitely not one of those. Again, to be fair, I presume that give it all another couple of decades and the parties will switch again and a whole new set of people will be the ones rampaging around set on "crazy". For that reasons, I've abandoned the idea of political labels and now I just talk about the values I have. The funny thing doing that is that for most people, no matter what they call themselves, we all pretty much all share the same values. The labels just try to trick us into seeing each other as enemies. Maybe that's so we keep quarreling with each other instead of working together against the people in charge who pull the strings? Anyhow... all this because we were chatting about Flex Seal! Thanks for the dialog. I'll def try that product out! Have a good one!@@jamesbowen5573
It rains loads where I live so we’ve been using tarps for decades. I recommend using a much larger tarp which reduces the need for trenching. We also never let the tarp touch the tent/rain fly.
A bigger tarp would definitely reduce the potential need for trenching as long as the slope was agreeable. I'm curious why you don't let your tarp touch your tent. Is it a loading concern? Friction? I'd love to hear your thoughts if you don't mind sharing.
@@PraxisAdventures we have had trouble with tarps leaking when they touched our tent. Probably because they weren’t very good tarps. Our tent is very waterproof and has a full coverage rain fly so we really don’t need to use a tarp however, if you hang your tarp right when you get to camp (when raining) you can set up your tent without everything getting wet. We always hang our tarps and plan when we want it to drain, sometimes in heavy rain you still get a pool at one end of the tarp. Sometimes a clip and a tie out will keep it from happening but nobody’s perfect and you have to be flexible to adjust your setup, sometimes more than once.
It sounds like you have a lot of experience with this too! I always joke that whatever week, I set my camping trip, people should be warned because that's the week that we can all expect rain. I once drove up to our state campground at the base of a mountain and (due to the air rising over the mountain and cooling, it was raining ONLY right over our campground! LOL.
Experiences like that and ones that you've had definitely are good teachers!@@Olyphoto7
@@PraxisAdventures There may be better answers, but for me, I find that ongoing rain showers put a fine mist (or high humidity) in the air. Eventually this dampens just about everything, even though my gear is technically "in the dry". Maximizing the ventilation helps decrease this problem.
Yeah, that's the case for sure. Dry days now and then help if the tent flaps can be opened during them.@@oldgettingolderhopefully6997
I sleep in the back of my truck. I have a ladder rack and put a tarp over most of the truck. I have a nice air mattress and a sheet and 4 blankets 2 under the sheet and 2 to sleep in 1 under the sheet is a moving blanket to protect the mattress from punctures from my dog who sleeps next to me.
Try a picnic blanket with a fleece or ? Most picnic blankets are material on on side and material waterproof/ resistance. I use this with me and my dog. Lite weight stores little space. Helps protect from moisture top and bottom. Fries fast. Wash in Luke warm or cold water mild soap to up hold the water protection of the picnic blanket. You stay really warm and dry. Can oare with anything. Some are made different. Notice one on Walmart on sale with Sherpa on one side polyester? Water proof. Under 30. Most are on clearance now early fall. I found this all out by accident. My senior dog and I love them.
Don't set up on gravel. And don't have a tent with fly that lets rain splash on your bathtub floor. Tuck your tent footprint or ground tarp under the edges of the tent . That helps keep water from getting under the tent.
Why shouldn't a tent be set up on gravel?
@@Ist_Geheim guess they don't want too many peas under the mattress 😏
learnt digging the trench when i was in basic military training in 1986 .. that is why i always have a similar basic entrenching tool in my backpack during camping .. nothing too tough but it'll do the job nicely ..
Always good to have something and not need it than need it and not have it. An entrenching tool is so small too that even though one can use a stick or a rock to do the same job, it seems worth it to have the tool because it makes it so much easier. :)
Nothing beats the standard issue us military intrenching tool they have been in use since sometime in the 1960s. They are compact for travel, rudder, and extra sturdy, have one in my car.
I like your stick idea because there are some campgrounds where you are not allowed to tie things to the trees. Also, I have a similar folding shovel I have used for 50 years, although it doesn’t have a pick, and it still is in good shape.
Yeah, some campgrounds have a lot of rules. I tend to not much care for blanket rules, but in the case of campgrounds, I can see why they do it - and agree with them for doing so. The public (at large) is a pack of horribly irresponsible adult children who wreak havoc whenever allowed to do so. Some of the things I've seen people do at campgrounds (from drilling screws into trees to nearly starting forest fires... ugh. No wonder we in the public have a bad rap! ;)
I was on Ft Bragg in 1974 when I first saw one of the new entrenching tools in that style. They worked pretty good but if the jam nut isn't tight the shovel face will snap off. They did work for chopping roots and branches but not trunks. Good video. I like to set up a poncho/tarp over the tent too. I like the River Country Ponchos, they're only $10 and are the same size as my old Army ponchos that disintegrated in only 35 years. It fits the woobie but only has the 4 corners to tie in. Good Luck, Rick
I know a lot of these shovels talk about their use as a chopping implement, but I've never felt comfortable using them for any impact purposes due to durability concerns. That's why I always pack a shovel and a short machete.
They worked pretty amazing at camp penalaton the mountain rocks shitty digs
Good to hear it. It's nice when gear actually works in the real world! :)@@Moth3rfuck3r
Good for natural camoflage and kindling wood, by '82 they improved the jam nut and went with a larger rivet pinion pin. Still have 2 that I found on return police calls to bivouac areas. Great camper special and a good idea for winter driving.
Good video. Tarp over allows for a drier overall footprint and drier in-and-out with less mud tracked inside. I'd forgotten about trenching. Thanks.
I'm glad you found the info useful. Thanks for letting me know!
As a Boy Scout 70 years ago, trenching was part of pitching our GI Military Surplus Pup Tent.
Having used mine a lot, I can definitely see why the Boy Scouts taught it!@@azclaimjumper
I've seen over 20 videos on this subject, because i live in rainy country, but you're the only one who used common sense. All the others uses "high-tech" products, which doesn't work, no one is going back to basic; direct rain from above in one path (tarps over tent) and direct water from below, around the tent (trenches). So simple, thanks for reminding me.
Simple always has the advantage of having fewer failure points, which is why i prefer simple too.
Good points. Note the Native Americans often setup a secondary shelter inside the larger teepee.
I didn't know that about their practices. Thanks for sharing.
Most State and Federal camp sites will not let you trench. Be sure to check before you dig.
That's a very good point that someone making a video about this topic would do well to include in such a video... ;)
Thanks for putting it in the comments here. I think I'll add it to the video description text too.
Affirmative, i have been yelled at
You are absolutely right about using good tools , needless to say however I just wanted to share with you my most treasured piece of camping gear . It's a Svea 123 camp stove , the brass one with the fuel cup that heats the burner to pressurize it , runs on white gas , is heavy and sounds like a jet engine but it is 42 years old and works perfectly still today . Beautiful to look at comes with it's own small aluminum cup , so cool . Bought it long ago in Colorado at a mountaineering shop . It took a tumble on a 14er , probably fell , bounced and bounced some more about 60 ft or so and no worse for wear ! Cooked more meals in the high country than can be counted and goes everywhere with me to this day ! Guess I'm telling you this as you seem to be the kind of guy that would enjoy this type of thing , you give excellent tips and advice good for experts and novices alike ! The trenching thing works and the negative comments are lame , people just need to take responsibility for their actions and the rest will take care of itself ! All their " leave no trace " works in theory , in reality mother nature has a wonderful way of healing herself ! Best wishes , get outside and enjoy and keep producing great content , thanks !!
I love well built tools that last too. And I agree on the lameness of the comment harshing on a little trenching. I think that many of those comments are being written by people who don't actually get outside much themselves.
My dad used one of those Svea camp stoves in the 1970s that he had since the 50s. I use an alcohol burner inside a solo stove that I burn twigs in if I run out of Heet or alcohol.
@@cfair4464 Cool!
N.W. I went to camping in a County campground. Set up like where you are. They don't allow anything tied to a tree. Not even to dry and items or for solar. Really sks.
It's always a bit of a pain to have so many rules when camping. I can definitely understand why the campground make such broad rules - given how irresponsible many people can be. But it stinks for responsible people who wouldn't do any damage because we know what we're doing.
@@PraxisAdventures Sure does stink. You are right about stupid. The other I think is some of these parks with water and garbage are getting such a high density use some years . That it is a preventative measure.
with years of camping mountaineering backpacking in the Northwest I bring a space blanket which I use inside my tent and I use it as a floor liner this way and situations where water does go into the tent I have a little boat inside the tent that keeps the floor dry space blanket cost about a buck if my dog is with me I bring a heavier space blanket that is a multi-layer thicker cuz of dog feet
Having that backup is a great idea. Wet camping gear isn't fun! :)
A good tent an old war out tent a c***** tent but if you have tarps with you you can make it work and if it starts leaking or whatever the tarp will save you. The limits of the tarp I suppose are Limited in how you're packing for your hiking if you're just working out of the back of your car or truck bring your tarps man if you're hauling it yourseoff it is for you to decide. Great video thanks for the effort.
I agree about the travel aspects you mentioned. The tarps I bring definitely are not light or small when folded. I've car camped with my boy every year since he was 3 or 4 or so, so we don't have to skimp on luxuries like extra tarps. But for sure, backwoods hiking in camping... tarps like these would be a lot of extra weight to pack in and out.
Love that your tools are actually used! Good skills, thank you.
I love your screen name. I DIY-create a lot of my best tools out of trash! :)
Wait, I looked closer and it's thrash. Not trash. Oops. I just got outed on my trash-repurposing habits!
Thank you. No worries at all, made me laugh 🤣
I learned to seam seal new tents and waterproof rain fly every few years.
That's a good way to keep them up too. I've heard a lot of great things about "Flex Seal" from people who have watched this video. I'm planning to try that out myself at some point too.
I thought I was just maintaining my rain fly wrong, now I know I'm not just stupid.
I now use a 20'x20' tarp to cover my tent and all the way to the picnic table and near the back of the car, no need or a trench. If I was hiking though, I may have a smaller tarp and will keep your advice in mind.
That's what's great about social media - when we can share experiences and lean that we're not alone in issues that we face.
You have done well relaying proper information!
Thanks BWT!
a tarp over the tent is also an additional layer of shade for the tent
In certain very wet environments, water will develop on the inside walls and ceiling and then the wind will fling it off onto everything inside. Wet everything. That was not a fun lesson in the Northwest.
In the Southwest desert I camped in an ice fishing tent with no floor, next to a small wash/seasonal stream. It wasn'trainy season. I layed a thick tarp on the ground. Well, it rained and the small wash was rushing, the rest of the ground also became a few inches of water. My floor was floating! I dug trenches like yours and that helped.
Very fun, very challenging.
having a small shovel is a game changer. great for banking coals too. thanks for the trenching idea! I usually hammock camp under a tarp, but good to know for if tenting
Quite usefull to take a dump too😁
Years back I followed your original ch. I don't know if you closed it or if for some reason notifications just stopped. So Glad to have bumped into you again here. I always enjoyed your work and was a regular. Now I'll be one here. I Subed with all notes on, it's good to be hooked up again. Blessings from Oregon, .... Mike.
Hey Mike! No, I still run that channel, but UA-cam has... um... "done some things" that have lead a LOT of people who had subscribed to my channel to be essentially dissuaded from knowing I was still active. I hear from at least one or two people a month telling me that they were unsubbed without knowing and UA-cam had stopped any notifications about my videos from going out. It seemed like it started right around covid. I was one of those people who discussed the possibility of certain unpopular (at the time - now seen as common knowledge) ideas potentially being reality. Oddly enough, all of the unpopular ideas that I suggested might have been possible turned out to actually be the truth, but UA-cam never undid whatever they did to my channel after the fact. So it remains a crushed channel with very apparent glass ceilings etc.
It seemed weird that my channel was so targeted whereas other totally crazy channels were not. Perhaps it was that my monologs sounded plausible (again, they DID all turn out to be true in the end) that causes the focus - no need to stifle people who sounded clearly crazy to begin with. I was just discussing ideas like how covid was likely airborne (at the beginning the government suggested it was not), how respirators were necessary for blocking illness in the air (the government was saying that people could use random cloth fabric for that purpose), and how the vaccines were likely to not be a long-term solution (based on how rapidly coronaviruses mutate). I'd also suggested that the duration of testing on the vaccines wasn't long enough to glean long-term conclusions. Every bit of that turned out to be true, but the UA-cam crush persists. So I tried starting another channel.
Welcome to this one!
if you want to check in on my original channel, it's still up and active. I finished season 2 of the Alien Invasion series (if you'd seen season 1). Here it is: www.youtube.com/@PraxisPrepper
Even high quality tents need the water proof coating on the fly renewed every few years. No fly lasts forever without re-treating unless it's dyneema or a similar waterproof material. I have a North Face Talus 4 that is 8 years old and it withstood a weeks worth of rain during a recent tropical depression with no tarp and no leaks Just have to re-treat them.
Good tip on the retreating!
Trenching around a tent is an old Boy Scout trick, learned it when I was 11 yo.
It's a bit crazy how many people DON'T know that trick. I had one viewer comment that this video was too boringly long for them and criticized that it was 13 minutes and all I was suggesting was to put a tarp over a tent. I guess they didn't have the patience to get to the part where we dig the trench to make sure the water from the tarp doesn't run right back under the tent. Hard to feel bad for someone like that if they go camping and get wet because they didn't know to trench. At some point individuals need to be able to put SOME effort into learning something new. ;)
Please practice Leave No Trace - particularly in the back country, but even in public campgrounds. This means NO TRENCHES. Pitch on high ground and you won't need them. As shown in the video, trenches are quite destructive to the natural environment. Instead, try to pitch on durable surfaces so that you minimize your overall impact of setting up any camp - of course a week-long stay will have impact, but try to minimize it. Leave No Trace helps preserve the natural experience for those of us camping after you. I have been backpacking for 50 years and have never used a trench - and so far, no wet tents.
I'm thinking maybe you haven't been camping at any campsites like this that is very clearly just a layer of packed gravel and doesn't mind in the least whether it's trenched. Am I right on that of are you aware of some way that trenching gravel and then packing the trenches back in somehow leaves the campsite worse off than it was found?
@@PraxisAdventures Very conservatively, I have spent at least 500 nights in tents - and this ignores all the nights camping with my family as a child / teenager. I have camped in a wide variety of conditions: hard rock, snow, grass fields,, etc. One month ago I was on the JMT and we camped at one site in Lyell Canyon that was essentially thick gravel. Digging a trench around my tent has never crossed my mind because it hasn't been necessary to keep dry - and no wet tents. The only digging that I have done is to level out snow fields - which melted in the spring leaving no trace on the environment.
Awesome. It's great that you get out so much. But, per your description of your experiences, it sounds like you've never worked much with this sort of campground gravel-like medium. You're 100% correct about other natural environments being damaged by trenching (although if clumps of topsoil are pulled out in chunks and then replaced when one breaks camp, the damage can be very minimal). But for this sort of gravel material, being worried about trenching is essentially like worrying that toddlers will destroy the integrity of the sand in a sandbox as they play. So while your point about site degradation is on point for many natural environments, it's not really applicable to locations similar to what's shown in this video, which is essentially a human-made sandbox environment. I haven't ever camped out in the John Muir area, but I'd love to someday.@@panhandlejake6200
So where are you taking a dump? On top of the ground for someone to step in?
@@maxsparks5183 Totally different situation. Use a SMALL hole about 6 inches deep. Cover it when done. Most backcountry trails want you to pack out the TP which is becoming a problem. Some even require packing EVERYTHING out in Wag Bags. Properly done, this is FAR less damaging to the environment than digging a long trench around a tent - which as I stated, with over 500 nights in a tent, I have never had to use a trench to stay dry even in heavy rain.
Great advice.
I learned these tricks camping in the “mud out” with Boy Scouts.
We had good leaders.
Leave it as you find it! Never dig a trench, awe full advice! Yes a ground tarp underneath the tent tucked in a few inches is correct and also a tarp inside the tent and it should fold up a few inches creating a tub effect on the floor. And yes having a full rain fly is a major factor. And yes an overhead rain tarp that drains to the rear, away from your tent. Once all is correctly done you can move your gear inside and stay dry. Digging a trench just makes a ugly mess and looks horrible. During and after camp is taken down! Sorry for the next folks who use the tent area.
Is it really necessary to tell people in a video to push the sandy gravel bed of a state campsite back flat and leave the site just as nice as one finds it in a video? Your critique is by the far the most common that I hear on this video and it seems baffling to me that people think it's necessary to note in a video that people should leave the site as they find it. Are comments like yours just trying to look for things to pick at? Picking up after one's self is (should be) automatic.
Sorry but in rain that's flooding your camp trench is good. Refill before leaving if not flooded. But on usual rain no trench. And totally tuck the ground tarp under.
Digging a trench around your campsite is so 1980's practice. This is exactly what I read in a BSA manual from that era. This is not acceptable for Leave No Trace camping of today. Choose better equipment and find a better drainage tent site.
Leaving a key outside to prevent one from being locked out of one's house is so 1980's too. We have smart locks for doors today. But for situations where a smart lock isn't an option, a key outside still works.
Also, are you serious about "leave no trace" in a gravel sandbox camp pad? Do you have kids? Are you aware of how easy it is to fill and recompact the sandy gravel on these sorts of camping pads? If not, it's very easy.@@ThaiXLe
@@PraxisPrepper People in general sucks when it comes to cleaning up after themselves. I have seen so many backcountry campgrounds with all the low hanging branches have been stripped for firewood, human waste and used TP littering the ground.
Advocating for this trenching practice even in parks that allows these (I dont know of any state or national parks that will take kindly to anyone doing this to their campsite.) is not good. Mulitply this by a 100x or 1000x campers. Not everyone will replace the soil back (go back to my statement about people not cleaning up after themselves.) Some will even carry this practice into the backcountry with even more negative impact.
Finding a great tent site is one of backcountry skill I take pride to have developed over the years backpacking. Looking for one with no widowmakers, having a great vista to wake up to in the morning, finding one with protection from the wind, visualize & avoiding possible water drainage path from rain, and having the foresight to see camping in that sunken meadow might not be good due to the cold air collecting there overnight. This time and effort to do this is a fraction of the physical effort to dig a trench.
Now in my opinion, it is better to be an influencer that will espousing good camping conservation practices from developing your skills. This should be a big thing for you if you care about leaving these national park, fishing and hunting grounds better than we have for the next generations. I am no granola eating tree hugger. I grew up in the south and am a 2A Asian redneck. One thing I learn growing up is leave things better than you find it. I hope you understand where I am coming from and understand the "ethical" camping POV that I have.
Forget all this, cut a tarp to fit inside tent, sized to allow 6-8” or more up skirt on all 4 sides. This also helps to prevent your sleeping bag etc from getting wet from the onside walls, even condensation of tent. Been doing this on islands in Maine for 25 years. Aways works.
How does your method prevent water from coming in from above if the rain fly starts leaking? Your approach seems solid on water from above, but doesn't address the other direction (as far as I can tell).
Howdy, Brother! All your campsite tips are very much appreciated. Especially the trenching tip. Thanks again and Drive-On, Cowboy!! 🤠
Thanks. I'm glad you found my thoughts useful. Have fun out there! :)
Was pleasantly surprised with practical information! Subscribed!
Thanks Deborah. That's nice of you to feel that way. Thanks for sharing! :)
Never thought I'd want to buy a shovel for camping haha - Great video!
Thx. In a pinch a flat rock or pretty much anything of that shape works fine too. Enjoy the outdoors!
I use a hammock rain fly covers my tent and keeps rain away from the tub floor of my tent as long as my site is level!!
cheers, great tips and great video. I love my tarps too, under and over as you say but never though to dig trenches to divert water. Thanks for sharing, glad I stumbled on your channel. Good luck with it, subscribed ✌🏻
Thanks out and about! :)
Great information! Thanks for sharing! Subscribed!
Thank you!
Whenever my Dad and I went camping l, it would rain. Same thing happened when my Dad and brother were camping together.
I tried talking my Dad into making a business as "Rain Makers". I was half serious. Dad didn't think that was funny..... I think we could've made a small fortune.
I feel that same way myself whenever I go too! If not in the day, almost every night it seems to rain. Keeps the crowds down though! ;)
You made a new river!!
A mini one, yeah. :)
Enjoyed the video,made me chuckle a bit too 😀 hope your burns are ok now. But more importantly maybe ALWAYS have a carbon monoxide alarm. Must for your own safety 👌🏻 looking forward to more.
If you were ever in the Boy Scouts they taught you all these things. Good tips for newbie’s
For sure. Far too few people today even seem to know the basics. It leaves a lot of people unable to take care of basic things on their own.
Ditching a tent is not allowed in Federal Parks. What do you recommend otherwise in this situation?
I'd recommend against camping in a location where water will be flowing under the tent and one is not legally able to prevent that from happening. If ditching or mounding isn't seen an option, one should stick to the crowns of hills. That'd be my advice.
One word: Hammock
@@DiabloOutdoors .. Be sure of you sites ,, getting to be many state and federal parks and trails don't allow most hammock systems due to tree damage ..
@@rockytopwrangler2069 True that Wrangler. This situation is mostly because of the careless people not using straps instead of the cordage to attache their hammock to the trees. Some places will allow you to use a hammock IF you're also using straps. Some won't allow whatever you're using. Thx Wrangler!
@@rockytopwrangler2069 Really? I haven't encountered this yet. I use tree straps.
Camping 101. Come on commenters, this information is probably good to some very young or beginner campers.
You hit that on the nose. These tips are just basic things that far too few modern people seem to have been taught in their youth. I see so many campers out having a miserable time because they don't know how to manage inclement weather. And that's sort of bad for all of us - because the more people there are who can go out and enjoy nature, then the more people there will be who appreciate it, value it, and then (likely) will want to protect and preserve it. :)
Thanks! Great tips.
Glad it was helpful!
I commend you I have seen many of these sorts of videos and most like to hear themselves yap yap yap banging me between the ears but I am commending you on the water channeling digging (trenching) indispensable in my opinion..
Thanks Alex. I'm often times accused of yapping a bit myself (I don't pre-write scripts or anything) so I'm glad this video didn't seem yappy.
But what do you do about the condensation inside of the tent, that builds up from the moisture and body heat when you don't have a battery powered fan?
That's more of an issue when it's cold outside, and I wasn't facing that challenge in this video. But it's a real phenomena when the air outside is cold. As far as I know, the only way to deal with that is with ventilation bringing in dry air from outside, but I'm not an expert there. I don't do very much cold-weather camping... in fact, the only times I've ever done it has been accident. It's a good question to have answered if you plan to camp in the cold though. We emit a lot of water when we're in a tent.
Go home.
Great explanation. Nice video , good editing!
Thanks Victor!
Good ideas but I have to wonder what the campground owners think when they find trenches dug on their site? Do you fill back in before leaving?
I'd be a pretty awful guest if I didn't wouldn't I. I like to think that it goes without saying that one should leave a campsite as one found it (or better).
@@PraxisAdventures You're ideas are actually very great although all that point set aside be it wiser to this other point of understanding
that what you are doing as is in many camp grounds somthings as that could very well be considured illegal
Always best to ask for permisions ahead of time as to avoide being kicked out or in trouble by being fined
specialy if ones camping within our provincial parks such as we have many of as here in Canada !!
Please allow me to further explain such as they consider everything protected and by digging a trench or picking up even a piece of wood off the grounds
or as tying things up to trees and so much more rediculous things as they actually look at as disturbing nature
and there are actual laws setup against doing this and one can be fined for it by the parks officers that often roam around looking for campers
who break their rediculous laws !!
yes I learned the hard way myself as I had picked up a few sticks laying on the grounds to build my fire
and as the ego tripping prick officers looked on while i doing it but said nothing at all right at the time to stop me
till already had my camp fire started then they walked up to my camp site and issued me with a rediculous 160 dollar fine for
disturbing nature !!
Man was i ever so very damn upset but of course I said nothing much in anyway to try defend myself
or they would have simple upset me all the more so by kicking me out just as my weekend camping trip got started !!
Bottom line I will never camp in a Provincial Camping Grounds ever again as the cost was140 bucks just for a long weekend camp site
and they made me buy my fire wood off them as 3 small bags of wood that cost me 60 bucks so the cost in total
alongside of the rediculous fine was 360 dollars plus tax !!
and as well never mind the additional cost in gas for my car travels to get there WOW what a rip off !!!
This was by far obviously the worst camping experience of my lifetime and
as I offer anyone this kind advise beware and be careful if you deside to ever go camping here within Canada !!!
Praxis Advetures
Perhaps you can do a short video on this subject matter ?
Thank You for the great video cheers from Canada my new friend I have just Subscibed !!!
That story just leaves one with that crappy feeling in one's throat. The way they treated you as a thing (to be used to make money) vs a person just sucks. If they ACTUALLY cared about what the rules are intended to achieve, they would have politely given you a heads up about it before hand. That could have left you informed, the park "safe" and the interaction very positive. It also likely would have left the campground with MORE money because you likely would have returned for another trip in the future - where now I can't imagine you'd ever go back. That's just really lame (and short-sighted) that they handled it that way. I believe you're right that it was their way of giving themselves a serotonin boost by exercising their power over you in a heavy-handed and unhelpful way. Rules are there (ideally) to make the world a better place - not to try to extort money out of people. I might make a video about this sort of topic in the future if I can crystalize my thoughts into something constructive for viewers. Thanks for sharing your story here.@@truth431
@@PraxisAdventures Thank you for you're understanding much appreciated as well
I just been talking with an owner of a privet cottage /camping /fishing resort in southern Ontario Canada !! about a property maintainance position comes with a 3 bedroom cottage re of my duties plus soime additional salleries !!
its year round and he has boat rentals for his guest and its on rice lake near the closest city called Peterborough Ontario
look it up on google !!
as well there is ice fishing which I truly like to do during our long drawn out Canadian Winters LOL well I meet the owner next week to go over more details about the managment job !! Thanks again I'm looking forwards to seeing more of you're great videos in the future !! 👍
🍁All the best wishes from Canada🍁TRUTH🙂
That's an awesome job prospect. Good luck. My only advice for people trying to land a job, is to remember what we're all REALLY there to do when we get hired - to take problems that our "bosses" have, and make them go away. Your potential future boss has a problem. They have this resort that's a pain in their neck half the time. There's things to clean, things to fix, to unclog, to sort, evaluate, and to take care of. They don't want all those issues to deal with. If you can make them believe that you'll make all those hassles disappear, and then when hired, make good on that promise, the job will be yours and the boss will be very happy they met you.@@truth431
2 thoughts:
If you absolutely feel you have to have a trench, please fill it back in before you leave. Be considerate of whomever is going to be using that campsite after you.
If you're noticing your rainfly is no longer fully waterproof, your DWR coating has worn off and needs to be reapplied. This is normal. Nikwax and several other companies make products you can use to reapply the DWR coating. I'd also recommend re-seam-sealing everything. It can be a pain to have to do, but your gear will last longer.
This is a great comment. Positive and constructive. A number of other people have noted that trenching DOES come with downsides - few as well-spoken and polite as you. For me, I take it as a given that one should leave a site a one found it, but you're right that I don't mention that in this video. Perhaps I should have. It's an automatic for me, but based on the liter we all see driving down the road, it's clear that's not how everyone acts. Although that said, adding a note about it in a video likely wouldn't change the habits of most people who DO leave messes for others... but for new campers, maybe it would have been a good thing to note in the video.
Do you fill in your trench when you leave. Or do you leave it as a guide for the next camper?
Good question. I think it's always important to leave things exactly as one finds them (or better if one finds litter etc.)
Great information. Good job.
Thanks Sue. :)
Loved your video. You are so detailed
Thanks Margieest!
Tents have a rain penetrative rating you should take this into account purchasing the top rating
That's a good bit of advice for initial performance, but I always find that over time, no matter the rating, the fly either needs to be re-treated (which I find to be a bit of a pain) or a tarp use in lieu of the fly working at 100%.
IDK, but are you supposed to divert the natural flow of water? Just a little diversion of water can make a big difference further down hill. Great tips by the way. Thank you.
I think in some circumstances the idea you note here is probably impactful. In many cases, when just diverting around a small tent though, the water quickly rejoins where it would have gone anyhow. But that's a good point for people to consider if they might do a larger distance diversion.
@@PraxisAdventures thanks, your tips are great. 👍
I get more information from the comments than the video itself.
Wise advice, thank you.
You're very welcome. I especially appreciate the positive (and polite) comment after the last week where nearly everyone seeing this video has been ripping into how terrible it is to use ditches to divert water around a tent. So your comment makes my day! Thanks!
Seam sealer…plastic under the tent for rock damage plastic on the inside 3 inches up the interior walls…always a tarp over the entrance
Good video and great tips from a former boy scout and army vet. Question does your shirt say I'm not arguing just explaining why I m right? If so I have the same shirt lol
Yep, we have the same shirt. My ex wife gave it to me. She loves getting me snarky skirts. I'm wearing one right now actually. It says something about how I'm a brain eating zombie, but the reader of the short is safe (ostensibly because they have no brain I'm presuming).
thanks
You're welcome. Thx for the comment. :)
Thanks!
You bet!
Not bad, not bad! :)
Inserting a stake trough the loop is really the best way when dealing with grommets. Not only it is fast, but it redirects much of the pressure all around the grommet instead of on a very small part of it.
The trench is also what to do. One suggestion tho. You can use a stick and save money and weight. You also can use a medium size throwel like the ones made by Coghlan's. they weight alost nothing and are surprisingly very tough!
Cheers!
Yeah, a regular small garden trowel would work great too. Having used sticks and rocks plenty of time myself, I can agree that they work just as well (over time). The shovels make it a lot easier and quicker though. But for sure, improvising is great too - and keeps us mentally on our toes! :)
Great comment - thx for leaving it!
@@PraxisAdventures Yeah the shovel is nice, unless you're backpacking or hiding it in your girlfriend's backpack lol I'll watch your other videos that's for sure!
Just keep in mind water finds it's easiest and quickest way downhill.
A lot of places specifically state not to dig trenches
I wouldnt suggest people do anything against the rules of anyplace unless their lives were in danger. But legal or not, the method works very well.
Great video 👍
Thanks 👍
The treching tip is useful, good to keep the tent dry during raining day, tks for the tip. really appreciated.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the trenching tip. I never thought about that, probably because we don't get that much rain in the desert. It will come in handy though, should we get caught in a rare storm.
I'm glad you found it helpful. Here in the North East US, rain is our thang in the summer. And I SWEAR it specifically follows me whenever I'm camping. One year, as I pulled up to our campsite, I saw that it was raining... ONLY over our campground and nowhere else in the surrounding area. The campground was at the base of a mountain and the air flowing over it was condensating into rain, so there was a definitely scientific reason for the campground only rain... but GEEZ nature! ;)
Haven’t seen trenches in a campground since 1977, and the Park Rangers kicked that fool out! A ground cloth/foot print, when properly placed under your tent, will work well at keeping water out of your tent.
I talk about that approach in this video, but also talk about trenching for situations when it doesn't work. I also don't think anyone would kick out a trencher if the trencher asked permission to trench. Doing things without asking permission on someone else's land is always inappropriate no matter what you're doing.
Have a nice day.
You too. Stay dry! ;)
Tarp + Ditch/Moat (Leave no trace) Ground sheet That’s it !!!
Most people have the capacity to dig a ditch in sand or gravel and to fill it in such that no trace is left... although, I've discovered from comments like yours that some people have trouble with this. So maybe it's not for everyone. Prior to making this video I wasn't aware that this was such a challenge for some people.
Yes you could be right !!!
I take people at their word that this is a challenge. So I think I was wrong that leaving places as one finds them goes without saying. Sometimes I think I live in a bit of a bubble where I forget that things that some find common-sense, others find challenging. That's one of the things I like about posting videos on UA-cam; people always come out to remind me when I've been living under a rock on certain things.@@jamesdobson5022
If I set up that camp site right now.I guarantee a gust of wind would come through and level it when i was finished
You probably should take into account where you're setting up a camp to design the camp best. I'd advise against following what some guy does in a dense forest to decide how to set up a camp in a wide open windy location.
Allways rains on the last night of camping. Forcing us to put the tent up again the next day at home. Ouch. I allways dig a trench if on a slope or dirt.
I know it! IALWAYS have to dry my tent out at home too. ;)
The reality is that unless the bottom of your tent has a tarp/trash bag type of bottom, It is 100% impossible to not have your tent saturated with puddles of water after it rains.
People are always going on and on about seams, and leaks that they fail on all ends to address the water flow that goes under your tent when puddles start forming.
As soon as puddles start forming, without an actual tarp bottom, you will wind up with a flooded tent.
"People are always going on and on about seams, and leaks that they fail on all ends to address the water flow that goes under your tent when puddles start forming." - I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you didn't watch this video you're commenting on then?
@@PraxisPrepper whether or not I watched this video isn't relevant. The fact is, there are only 2 ways to not have a tent puddling in the rain.
I also don't engage with people who leave comments that are designed to change the subject by creating excuses.
I made an entire video about what I replied to you about. Go watch it and you will find out what I said is a fact
@@360Investigations I wasn't disagreeing with the issues related to water puddling under a tent. I was letting you know that this video DOES address that question. It actually doesn't discuss seam sealing at all.
@@360Investigations 🤡
@@360Investigationsit is relevant though, as the video covered it lol
My preparedness perspective is leisure time as in recreational camping might not be practical when there are survival priorities of mulitiple survival tasks, stealth, mobility, defense and readiness considerations. A good point of the presentation is ground splatter which might not be just wet, but a muddy mess. Though I have tarps and they are multiple purpose excellent solutions to many scenarios, my alternatives for what can be a wash of muddy water and mud splattering in torrential downpours (presented as expected) is to be off the ground with my sleep in a well designed hammock system and my gear in another hammock with both having quick setup and pack out and even that takes time. When greater expediency is necessary as in a potential threat situation demanding greater stealth and instantaneous mobility combined with 360 degree awareness of My preparedness perspective is leisure time, as in recreational camping, might not be practical when there are survival priorities of mulitiple survival tasks, stealth, mobility, defense and readiness considerations. I realize the presentation is camping and not survival, so I'm not critical of recreation nor the presentation. But aside from me also using camping for training and skills development opportunities, I often am camping for multiple other purposes like bicycling, hunting, fishing and more that requires my time not be diverted into major camping setups regardlessof weather. A good point of the presentation is ground splatter which I add might not be just wet, but a muddy mess best avoided and particularlytrenchingto divert warer. Though I have tarps and they are multiple purpose excellent solutions to many scenarios, my alternatives for what can be a wash of muddy water and mud splattering in torrential downpours (presented as expected) is to be off the ground with my sleep in a well designed hammock system and my gear in another hammock with both having quick setup and pack out capabilities and even that takes too much time in some scenarios. When greater expediency is necessary as in a potential enemy threat situation demanding greater stealth and instantaneous mobility combined with 360 degree awareness of surroundings to detect an approaching threat first, my tested and proven methods include zero camp setup and sleeping in my breathable camouflage fly fishing waders sitting reclined with my back against my pack against a tree and a wide brim hat sheding rain to not drip down my neck. A threat coming my way (not paranoid and instead training for capabilities) necessarily making some noise being in motion will be spotted by me first with 360 degrees of visibility only slowly turning my head and shoulders. I need only to observe its direction and if not directly to me as I won't be easily spotted, the threat will walk obliviously right past me. But, if I evaluate the threat might come near, while still distant, I need only to simply slowly stand up at a moment of greatest diminished line of sight to be on the other side of a tree and the enemy can walk right past me without even knowing. I've tested and proven my system many times in muddy, rainy cold conditions and stayed warm and dry and slept well without spending time needed for other tasks nor compromising capabilities. I've also done this with about a dozen friends doing recreational camping combined with a river raft fky fishing trip, so I use that to make the contrast of methods. Darkness came fast after fly fishing causing the others some difficulties setting up tents fast to start cooking to eat and get some sleep to be ready for more fly fishing in the morning. In sharp contrast, I was doing absolutely none of that. Instead, I simply sat down and put my back against softness of still packed supplies against a tree dressed as described which was not a change from fly fishing. In the short time window of light before sunset, I rested my fly tying vice on my belly while comfortably reclined and matched the hatch for productive fishing the next day because it was just discovered that an olive wing size 20 was what was working and only one of us had too few. Time not being spent preparing the campsite was used productivity for the main mission. Next was my observation of clatter of cooking pans and camp stoves in the dark with them using headlamps, but I had already eaten. Sure, I was prepared to cook fish that we didn't catch yet, but I was also prepared for alternatives. I had my homemade version of a Meals Ready To Eat. It was delicious elk stew of my recipe seasoned just the way I like it in a can-or-freeze canning jar which I pressure canned long before. It was simple and versatile to carry with me because, unlike fresh food, if I don't use it, then I just put it back on the shelf for next time and if it freezes, then it could take that by design. All it needed was optionally being warmed up which I chose not to do and ate it cold with just a spoon and it's delicious cold and a complete meal with carbohydrates, meat and vegetables all together and ready. I fell asleep long before the clattering of pots and pans of the others were being cleaned up and put away because my cleanup was simply putting the lid back onto the jar and putting it into my pack to be cleaned at home anytime. Sleep is an important logistical consideration for good performance fishing the next day and I got plenty and more in the morning as they scrambled to roll up and put away their expensive tents wet which I didn't need to do, so I snoozed more with only needing to stand up to be fully ready. But though there wasn'tan actual "enemy," all felt the need to pack up their gear and tents wet to not be stolen while fishing. Having none of those self-imposed chores, I awoke with frost on my camouflage breathable waders, but I was warm and comfortable. That afternoon was sunny and our group insisted upon cutting fly fishing short to again, because their tents were expensive, return to camp to set them up to dry only to clean off mud and pack everything again. That work interfeared with fishing which is fine because that's not life or death. But it gave me opportunity to reflect that in an actual survival scenario, time for mundane considerations might not be afforded due to survival priorities. Mud took its toll in other ways. One in the group had his large recreational vehicle. As I walked around the muddy camp and beyond in my fly fishing waders, he got his boots and jeans muddy which he justified because he had plenty more boots, clean, dry jeans, a washer and dryer. But at the end of the trip he was still in muddy boots and wet muddy jeans. Sure, my breathable, camouflage fly fishing waders got plenty muddy, but then I walked through the stream at camp and in seconds walked out without any mud and the waders don't actually get wet. It's not lazy -- it's using time more productivity and having time for greater priorities. RonaldHLevine4548@yahoo.com
Oddly, perhaps due to being lengthy, the entire middle of my post is missing and I don't know how to correct that. But, I have a full copy and provided my email address.
I read through the first 3rd or so, but have to get back to some work so cant do it all right now. Clearly you have thought through this stuff a lot. I agree that there are more than one way to do things "right". I didnt mean to suggest mine is the only way, just one that seemms to work for me. Thx for sharing your thoughts!
I do applaud your excellent wet camping presentation and didn't spend the appropriate time to make that more clear than this one statement:
"I realize the presentation is camping and not survival, so I'm not critical of recreation nor the presentation."
I'm not critical and am simply adding alternatives for different circumstances.
I did watch every aspect of your presentation with interest and it very much fits some preparedness scenarios of the harsh times to come.
Specifically, it does very much fit with long-term camping in a location with a community that includes a team that handles security or where there is no threat and the trenching can not only be permanent as on privately owned land, but stabilized with cultivated growth of ground cover vegetation allowing directed water runoff without a muddy mess nor having to restore the site to as it was.
Your methods are good considering you are making your designated campsite that you reserved way in advance, work to satisfy your family camping trip for it to be a fun experience and not a miserable flooding with a cold and wet family getting a bad experience, so you are doing excellent at what you are doing for your family vacation and that is appropriate to your role to provide and protect.
If I were doing this for my future family (I'm single), then your techniques are certainly good to know.
Skills development includes alternatives to have choices to fit circumstances. Knowing alternatives in advance means quick decision making and likely having the supplies to implement multiple choices.
RonaldHLevine4548@yahoo.com
I left out one more contrast of recreational camping to my "specialized" for circumstances style that, of course, doesn't apply to these good and peaceful times before the harsh times to come regarding readiness.
To be ready, I simply stand up. To know something is out there, I hear it, turn my head and see it. Contrast that to not going into your clean and dry tent and sleeping bag with muddy and wet boots and clothes. Instead, you take off your boots and clothes and sleep in your sleeping bag without that. Undressed in your warm sleeping bag, inside your dry tent, you have zero visibility of your surroundings, your presence would be seen first by approaching enemies, and you are not prepared for watchfulness, stealth, evasion, nor defense. Of course, none of that is applicable in these good times especially knowing there are no enemies nor need for anyone to take what you have out of desperation.
I do enjoy these good times that I sometimes use for skills development opportunities for preparedness for the harsh times to come.
RonaldHLevine4548@yahoo.com
.... Good information, but mostly an adv. for SOG ... I have had a few SOG products over the years and they worked OK , no better than others similar in design ... As for the video description ,, with the quality of tents today , a properly set up tent with a groundsheet ,also protects tents floor from sticks and rocks poking through ,, but properly place will suffice MOST rainfall on trails ,, but a trench around the tent will be the answer to keep water out and away from your tent .... also if expected storms are coming ,, don't set up in open areas ,, Not sure why creators always do this ( maybe just to get better camera shots ...,, if possible get into the forest tree cover ,, certainly check for widow makers but that's seldom a problem .. that should be good for staying dry .... but I also put up an overhead tarp "first",, allows you cover to put up your tent staying dry ... ... Only video's that typically show this is for Hammocks ,, where that's the norm , unless extreme summer heat on clear days ...
IDK if it's an advertisement for SOG given that I said that people could make due with a rock, a stick, or even a lawn chair and get the same job done. Would it have been possible for me to have shown the tool that I use WITHOUT you feeling as though it was an advertisement?
Good tips on keeping out of wide open spaces. That's also good for keeping out of intense sun and wind too.
Buy a home depot blue tarp!
Just like the last guy said!
Have you used those cheap tarps yourself? I've used a LOT of tarps for construction and camping and those cheaper ones don't last very long.
You had me to you said you were making tea. Tea, tea is for old ladies who knit. Coffee up me boy.
I hated tea until I was in my mid 20's and then something... snapped. And now I love it. I chug the stuff all day when I'm working in the sun. I love the smell of coffee, and for that reason, I love to make it for other people. But I can't stand drinking coffee... yet. Maybe someday something else will snap and I'll become a coffee fiend! ;)
Yay not being wet!
It's definitely got its charms! :)
Hi allow me to inject my 2 cents to camping and rain issues. when I'm about to enter my camp site I study the ground for where rain water will pool into big puddles. its easy I look for pollen rings on the ground this is especially easy in spring and early summer. its tree pollen that collects on the ground by way of rain action , also fallen pine tree flowers online the size of the former puddle area which can be a few feet in diameter. Those rings are nature's way of saying don't set up tent on this spot. its all about learning to read the ground. and you will survive 12 days of steady rain fall like my wife and kids done a few times in the past. I was never discouraged and to this day. I don't fear rain forecast because of rain.
Very good advice. This video was about mitigating issues where one doesn't have a choice about setting up location, but you're 100% correct, the best way to avoid issues isn't to change the site, but to avoid bad locations.
This city boy would turn into Grizz scat if he was camping where I camp😂😂😂
100% pure internet comment. Uninformed, mean-spirited, and unconstructive. Pure art.
The comments here all seem misplaced. The video is an analysis of ohn Dener and his artistry. Not tents etc.
You mean the background music? It's not John Denver, but you're right that it does sound like his work a bit. I enjoy his music a lot.
LL Bean tent ⛺️ ??? I mean do you wear a Manpon ??
I wasn't aware that it was the brand names of products that make a man... crap. I've been doing it all wrong all this time! What brands should I get instead. Let me know. I'm desperate to know the secret ASAP!
Nice tips on using a tarp under the tent and use of sog shovel and not the screw together handle sections type of shovel,(of which I have and have never used in the 3 years owning it. But, hey, it looks cool).😅
Those screw-together shovels could be used in a pinch and aren't entirely worthless, but if you tried them out, you'd quickly start to feel that you really needed to be gentle with them. I've tested two and both were weak and flimsy. Maybe some company makes a good one, but I've never come across it myself.
If you want to stay dry in a tent in the rain, your footprint should be inside the tent and not under it. Ideally the footprint/tarp is just a bit bigger than the floor so it goes up the wall a bit. If your tent ends up in a pool of water a footprint under the tent will do nothing to keep you dry.
Most of this video is about endeavoring to avoid the tent sitting in that pool of water in the first place. But if one fails, and the tent IS set in a huge puddle, then these steps won't do anything. These steps are preventative - not mitigative.
If everyone camping at a site digs a trench for their specific layout the campsite will become a mess.
If you watched the video, you'd likely note that the site here is crushed stone and gravel - very easily returned to pre-trenched status after one's stay.
LNT vs trenching.
When it comes to gravel pads at camp grounds, both are achievable. So it's not a situation where one needs to choose one vs another.
Based on the background noise you were camping next to a highway?!
Pretty much. It's the Franconia Notch area in the White Mountains NH. A highway runs right through the heart of the valley and it's (unfortunately), very clearly noticeable all along the trails running along the river there. Beautiful area, but MAN the highway noise is unmissable. My boy and I joke that when we stop camping and go home, we get back the peace and quiet of nature back at our house! ;)
Knew it wasNH….looked like whit lake
😊
I'm glad the video makes you happy. Most people recently have told me it made them mad. (People don't need much to get mad these days I think.)
Was a good video… just too much time on the sponsored piece
I've never actually had a channel sponsorship. I do make a bit of money of people click through my amazon links to products that I've recommended, but other than that, no sponsorships. SOG tools in general, I find to be good. Although, I do have one small fixed blade knife that they make that I feel is way too sharp around the edges of the handle. I had to take mine and wrap it in a fabric strip to be able to comfortably use it. So I don't know what they were thinking with that one. But for their other tools that I've used of theirs, I think they make good stuff.
I'll save you 13 minutes: put a tarp over your tent. I mean... duh.
If people only do that step, they might very well still get totally swamped from below. I guess I talked for the time you watched only about the tarp above, but I also discussed other steps to take that actually do the job. The tarp above alone is not at all the end of the story. It does take 13 minutes to hear about those other steps though. So it might not be worth it. Up to the individual as to the cost/benefit of taking the 13 mins.
The man clearly went on to explain reasons for over-tarps beyond the obvious.
Went into trenching in detail, including preemptive surveying of the ground for telltale signs, how to consider your location due to these and how to appropriately employ that knowledge.
Then he explained under-tarps and was kind and wise enough to warn of the incorrect way of applying this method and the reasons why.
Also very valid insight upon tool use, worth and specification.
That’s what you stood to learn if you had the sense or humility.
Have fun paddling, dunce.
Thanks for providing the reality check for the short attention span commenter. Unfortunately, AnimusZen likely didn't get past the part of your comment that says, "The man clearly went..." I think he probably lost the ability to focus on what you were writing about there. ;)
I'm glad you enjoyed the video I made and stuck around long enough to digest the key points! :) @@dr.2335
@@PraxisAdventures if they couldn’t pass the first line of a reality check, reality clearly isn’t their strong suit. Much of what I write in these instances is for anyone but the person it’s replying to- and for myself to vent and teach those with limited means how scathing indictment is done properly.
I subbed when you started reading the ground. You’re attentive, detailed and well versed. Keep it up my man.
I love how you wrote that you try to demonstrate "how scathing indictment is done properly". I tend to start off very friendly and open to letting people snap back to civility in the comment, but on occasion when someone is severely impolite, not to myself, but to someone else in the comments, I too will often attempt to demo how scathing indictment is done properly. :)@@dr.2335
Like, you know. Like, you know.
Guilty as charged. One of the reasons I wanted to start this channel was to practice speaking with less of that crap in there. If it's possible to believe it, I've actually gotten a lot better since I started. Obviously I still have some work to do in improving more.
@@PraxisAdventures Brotha, you don't need to apologize to me. It was a informative video. Thank you.
No worries at all, and I didn't feel as though I was apologizing, just letting you know that I agree with you. I def would like to continue to improve my speaking skills. I'm glad you found the video helpful!
Ridicules a man not reading a script.
Denies apology and praises same video instead of doing that in the first place.
You have the same amount of conviction as you do manners.
I wouldn’t listen or respond to you at all, let alone say anything that could be remotely construed as an apology.
A55hat.
Hey don't go too hard on Badmoon, it's a VERY rare and under-appreciated habit for people to snap back into being polite when someone reacts to them being a bit rude. I think the internet makes (most) people forget that they're interacting with other people at the other end of their comments. So I think it's was great that BadMoon didn't stick to his attack approach and corrected to be more civil. The world needs more of that.
But that said... I do appreciate you having my back! :)@@dr.2335
I started trenching around a tent once, and the campground host started screaming at me
That's something that I definitely should have mentioned in the video. I didn't think to do so because it falls (in my mind) under basic courtesy, but yeah, people definitely should get permission to dig on anyone else's land. I ended up add some text about it to the description at least.
Digging a trench does not comply with the 'leave no trace' ethos. Just saying.
People pick on this point a lot in the comments of this video. My response is that when camping in a campground that lays down gravel beds for pads, digging into them and then replacing the sand and gravel doesn't make the least lasting impression on the totally dead artificial surface. Also, if camping in an area where the ground IS alive, it's possible to replace the clods after one leaves and they will grow back. Although in a wild backwoods camping situation, it would make the most sense to just choose a location for camping that doesn't need any of this. This is a technique for when forced to be in a specific location that's not safe from water moving across the surface.
Your trench is too far away from the fly or tarp. The rain will puddle up before trench.
The trench in this video wasn't a hypothetical. It actually existed and completely diverted all of the rain during many downpours while I was camping.
Correction: Most people do know these rain "hacks"
Yeah, titles for UA-cam videos generally have to be pretty extreme and superlative in order to get any attention. "Most, all, every, no one" It all has to be extreme for people to click at all. I'm not a fan of it. But I've learned that if I don't do it, videos never get a single click for people to watch.
PLEASE STOP TRENCHING! No, most campers do not fill them in, and they still leave a scar. A tarp INSIDE your tent running 6" up the wall will keep the rain out.
I'm not a big fan of saying that people shouldn't do something responsibly and under appropriate conditions because other people might do it irresponsibly and in the wrong conditions.
On your tarp inside the tent idea, I'm curious, why do you put it inside the tent as opposed to outside? If something were to be done along those lines, would it not work just as well if you ran the tarp in question under the tent and lapped it up 6" around the outside - tucking that flap up and under the rain fly? Also, is this all you do? What about rain from above with aging rain flies? Do you re-treat your rain fly to keep it functional or also run a tarp overhead?
@@PraxisAdventures All I know is that I see a lot of scars in campsites created by the wrong people doing the right thing. Nails in trees is another pet peeve! Besides that, trenching is unnecessary if you properly waterproof your tent. I have proven it on several occasions. One night the only site in the park was at the foot of a rock wall. I knew that the forecast rain would wash down the rock and through my site all night. When I woke up I had a small stream running under the tent! I was bone dry. The tent floor was wet, but the tarp had protected me. Your suggestion sounds a lot more difficult than putting it inside and up the sidewall a couple inches. Then there are the added benefits. The trap protects the tent floor from abrasion by feet, gear etc., liquids (bug repellant will eat right through it), candle wax etc. When it is time to break camp, I just drag the tarp out along with all the sand, leaves and other dirt that has accumulated. Nothing to sweep up.To your point about the tent fly failing, (I had that happen on a cheaper tent) the water usually wicks down the tent wall to the floor under the tarp.
My tent is probably 20 years old. Last Fall I had to recoat a PU tarp, and sprayed the fly of the tent at the same time. I also resealed all the seams at the same time. But I have never had rain come in. Of course I have now jinked myself and will likely get soaked next year!
If you want to read the guide who put me onto tarps inside the tent, look up Cliff Jacobson.
Thanks for sharing ideas.
OMG, I know what you mean about nails left in trees - ratty work tearing small limbs off trees (presumably for use as kindling... which is dumb because they'd be green and wet). Thank YOU for the thoughtful reply. Most of the time online if someone disagrees with someone's idea the response is all emotional and negative, but you responded in a way that was constructive and advanced the conversation. That's great.
I get what you mean about the ease of just laying the tarp on the inside. In my version of tucking it up under the fly in the outside, there's a lot of chance of it slipping back down (and then CATCHING water flowing off the fly). I actually carry a drop cloth for the floor protection benefit that you mentioned. I suppose I felt reluctant to just let water flow under the tent because (for tents that one invested a lot of money into) I feel like I'd want to protect them from the elements as much as possible - hence sacrificing the tarp to the water flow below vs the tent bottom. But I do see what you mean about practicality of setup.
Thanks again for the excellent reply! @@arts68
Thanks. Pray to Jesus for guidance
The tents they put out don't have good waterproof floors, ' except Outwell tents' 10, 000mm floor' if you can, , try putting the Tarp on the floor and making a Bath Tub about 6 inchs up along ur tent using small Bungees. Also, make sure the upper Tarp is running all the water off in Direction away from the tent. You don't want a water collection, which tents are in rain, a Umbella!
Thx for the suggestion about the Outwell tents. I'll keep an eye out for those next time I'm in the market! :)
To many closeups, move back so we can see your setup.
That's constructive criticism, and I can't disagree that maybe at least one big wide shot would have been good to set the scene's context. Thx for the suggestion.
Didn’t need a long lecture on a shovel.
Could you define "long".
Bury your poop with it too. 😮
Different topic, but yes, same tool. ;)
Good topic but this video could have been completed in 5 or 6 minutes IMO. Seems like as much a review of the "shovel" with all that rambling on as keeping the tent dry. Use tarps / build a trench. Not rocket science.
Not rocket, science, but some people like to get a close view on things, see the ground surfaces, etc. Some people who are first time campers probably benefit from the added details and context. It could def be cut down into a shorter video but, given that this channel is my hobby and not my job, I share the info that I think might be helpful to people and if they want to listen that's great. And if they want to tell me that I didn't convey the info fast enough in my free video that I made for people, that's cool too.
Don't take this the wrong way but putting a tarp over your tent is not really a fix the same problem you have with your tent is going to happen to your tarp most of the time they are virtually the same material and the water protection chemical they put on it will wear off. When you first buy a tent you are supposed to treat it with silicone spray and there is a special tube of silicon stuff you put on the seams on the inside and outside to help keep it waterproof. And you're supposed to redo it every couple of years. Now if you don't want to have to deal with all that headache, you can do what I did
I got a can of clear Flex Seal and I painted the entire inside and outside with the exception of the netting. You're going to want to do two coats on each side. I don't know how long that will last but I do know I did it five or six years ago and I still have no leaks whatsoever. You also want to do that to your rainfly on both sides. What you are basically doing is turning it into something like Gore-Tex. Once it dries it is virtually the same way and still flexible. But you want to make sure it's dry before you fold it up. You can do the same thing with a bed sheet and make a waterproof tarp. You can do that to your tarp too and use your tarp in front of your tent so you guys don't have to be inside the tent when it's raining. The other part about the trenching is spot on as well as your assessment on those garbage shovels. One thing I might offer on your shovel that you like to use, what I have done to mine is I take a file and I knock that paint off to begin with. And I make it a little more Sharp. I'm not talking about knife quality Sharp. But you wanted to be able to cut through a little roots and things. I even sharpen the pick side. And then I store them with just a little bit of Vaseline smeared over it so it won't rust. I guess you could hit it with spray paint but the first time you use it it's going to come off anyway so you might as well just plan on keeping it a little bit oil if you don't want it to rust of course the rest is not going to affect it so it's really a personal choice but I will tell you it digs a hell of a lot better and in a pinch you can use it to cut limbs off small trees. I mean you don't want to hack at it like an ax on a larger tree but it will knock small limbs off I hope you try this and find it useful
Thanks for that insight. You're right that the tarp needs to be replaced now and then. It's cheaper to do that than to replace the entire tent fly, so I've been doing that. I like your approach though. I'm going to look into that solution. Thanks for sharing that!
@@PraxisAdventures that Flex Seal comes in clear black and white and it comes in little spray cans but they don't have enough in them to do much of anything but they do have them in court gallon and I believe pint size cans and then you just brush them on. High first tried it on a military poncho I bought. Usually when you buy them through Surplus the rubber in the head part is no good it was all peeling off and smelled funky and when I got it wet to try to wash it off it started peeling off and just left the fabric. Basically making the whole thing useless. But I immediately thought of the clear Flex Seal, and now it looks like it was brand new on the head part the material was green and the clear really brought it out and I've never had any problem with it or the second one I bought and had to do the exact same thing because the kids took off with my first one
Good info. Do you have enough time using Flex Seal where you know how long it lasts before it breaks down itself? I find that flexible polymers tend to have a shorter use-life than more rigid ones.@@jamesbowen5573
@@PraxisAdventures I know on the stuff I've used it on I never had problems the rain ponchos were what I have used it on the longest. I've never retreated them or anything. I'm pretty sure stuff like sunlight might break it down and you usually don't wear your Poncho in the sun all the time you might use it as a tarp here and there but I don't use it as my primary tarp so I really haven't noticed any degradation. I do know when you put it on Blue Jeans, you do need to touch up the knees every now and then if you do a lot of crawling around. You definitely want to get it absorbed all the way into the fabric. I tried to make a set looks like the kind some guys wear weather around the bootleg up about a foot and on the knees and on the very butt. I'm sure there's wear and tear on the butt but the knees are the only ones I've had to reapply the stuff to. And I don't know if it was leaking or not I just not look like crap. The Cheapo tents I have put it on my kids use most of the time and they don't purposely go out in the rain but they haven't had any trouble when they do I guess it's been 2 years I think it's only been rained on a couple of times the last one was about a month ago and nothing got wet. My kids are not particularly rough on those things. One of the tenths is a Coleman popup. All you do is throw the disc in the air and it lands set up. It was in a bad storm at pow wow and the kids came home but left the tent and when we got it the next day some of those graphite poles on the bottom were shattered so I cut it open and taped it up and sewed it and then treated it with Flex Seal . I guess that was a couple of years ago. It still works pretty good my nephew's borrowed it a couple of months ago and it stormed on them out of nowhere and it stayed dry. I'm not a representative of the company nor have I seen any of the studies of the breakdown I guess it would make common sense that every few years you might want to touch it up if it looks different, but I personally have not had any problem with it. I also made a miniature tarp out of bandanas I sewed together and I treated it. I use that as a pack cover at night I don't really use it during the daytime for anything. I've treated a couple of flags with it. But of course I have no idea if their waterproof or not it keeps them from getting dirty that's for sure. I like to carry a small bandana size American flag that I attached to a string and in Oklahoma state flag and they don't tread on me flag but I wouldn't hang them around liberals they like to steal them and burn them they stole every Trump flag I put on the back of my Jeep they weren't big ones but still it seems to enrage those people. I never treated the Trump Flags. Couldn't keep them long enough to be honest
Wow! A HUGE thank you for that reply. I'm definitely going to try out Flex Seal now. That sounds like a very useful tool to have in one's (figurative) back pocket. I really appreciate your taking to time to share all that. I'm disappointed to hear that you've had so many issues with people who think they're on a different political "team" stealing your flags. That's super lame. People can be so childish - and I mean that for many people on all sides of those political division lines. It's lame to have to deal with them though. Most people like that don't even understand what political values their "side" even represents... and that goes for the leaders of their parties too. Years ago, my values were things like anti-violence, pro-body autonomy, pro-scientific rational thinking. Back them during the early days of the 2nd Iraq war, those values suggested to me that I was a liberal. So I (foolishly) adopted that label. Fast forward a couple of decades later and now liberals seem to be all pro-war, pro-forcing people to get medical interventions whether they want them or not, and (while they say otherwise) they're definitely the anti-scientific party... though to be fair both parties might merit that mantle. And now with liberals seeming to largely be pro-giving little kids sex-change surgeries... Well if being a liberal means all that, I guess I'm definitely not one of those.
Again, to be fair, I presume that give it all another couple of decades and the parties will switch again and a whole new set of people will be the ones rampaging around set on "crazy". For that reasons, I've abandoned the idea of political labels and now I just talk about the values I have. The funny thing doing that is that for most people, no matter what they call themselves, we all pretty much all share the same values. The labels just try to trick us into seeing each other as enemies. Maybe that's so we keep quarreling with each other instead of working together against the people in charge who pull the strings?
Anyhow... all this because we were chatting about Flex Seal! Thanks for the dialog. I'll def try that product out! Have a good one!@@jamesbowen5573