We love the great outdoors, even more when you feel squashed into a tiny space. The wonderful views, the wind through our hair and the grass tickling our toes sadly must come to an end.
This means packing up and away all your camping equipment. Whether it’s a relaxed weekend away or a full expeidition, you need to dry your tent.
If you are lucky, then hopefully it will only be the kiss of the morning due that damp ends your tent. Otherwise, your tent is likley saturated by the musical raindrops.
Drying a tent in an apartment can be challenging. Firstly, you need take a cloth and wipe off all the moisture. You then need to try and hang it spread out. Try over the curtain rails, chairs or over a banister if you have one. Due to the small space, you will need to keep flipping the fabric over.
Is it possible to use any space and get a tent dry and we are going to discuss the best chances of minimising the dry time. This way you are tripping over your tent for the shortest amount of time!
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How To Prep Your Tent Before Drying
The best way to dry a tent is by pitching it up, therefore a bit of foresight when packing your tent down at the end of a stay can pay dividends back in your apartment. The more time you can give your tent to dry in the morning before departure, the easier it will be later.
Unless you have to leave super early, have a leisurely breakfast and let the morning dew and condensation dry off your tent with no effort at all. If it had rained overnight, or the tent looks pretty wet then consider using a cloth to give it a helping hand drying out there and then.
You will still need to get your tent out when you return home to ensure even the tricker bits have dried but it will help considerably.
Unforently, you may not be so lucky to have favourable weather. I have been there, glorious sunshine then a shower just as we were taking the tent down. It’s very annoying as the tent was dry before that.
In some situations, you simply have to put the tent away wet. In these cases, pack it as loosely as you can. A black bin bag would suffice if you are chucking it back in the car. Otherwise, pack it as normal but get it out as soon as possible.
Once you’re back home, then the real post trip chores need to be done. There is little point in putting your feet up yet because you need to dry out your wet tent as soon as possible to prevent any mould growth. This mould will cause not only funky smells, but can damage the materials and if you use it covered in mould spores can make you quite ill too.
How To Dry A Wet Tent
So now you are back at home, putting your dirty clothes in the wash and dragging out your soggy tent. First things first, you will want to wipe the tent with a cloth. This gets rid of excess moisture and any dirt.
Towels do the job really well but as your tent will likely be muddy so don’t use your best white ones! If you don’t have an old one then get some absorbent cleaning clothes. If you don’t have some super absorbent clothes consider grabbing some. My suggestion would be the Shamwow cloths on Amazon. My experience with microfibre cleaning clothes is that they are great for dust but water wise not so much.
If you are lucky enough to have a small tent and can pitch it in your house then this can be the easiest way to do it. Otherwise you need to wipe every layer both inside and out. This includes base sheet, the tent inners and outer.
Once you have done that best that you can, you then need to either pitch the tent or hang every layer separately around your house or garden. If you find areas have to be folded or scrunched up then turn them regularly.
The same for any sides which are flush against either each other or the object that is holding them up. Turn them around to they have access to air. For parts that have an inside, unzip them and turn it inside out. Exposing every surface to the air.
To speed this process up consider using a fan to help circulate air around and a dehumidifier get rid of all that extra moisture in the air.
You don’t need an expensive fan for drying your tent. If you are considering buying one for this purpose then grab a cheap one off Amazon such as this Amazon Basics Fan.
Now, you want to leave your tent to try as long as possible to ensure it is dry. The best way to check is to touch different areas of the tent and paying particular attention to flaps and seams which can hold onto moisture. Also check the guy ropes as these tent to hold onto water as they are a different material.
Even if a small portion of the tent remains wet this can be enough to make other areas wet when presses against them when repacked leading to mould growth. Once in the bag, it is unlikely it will dry further.
How To Dry A Tent In An Apartment Or Small Space
Not all of us have the luxury of a large house or garden. This can make drying tents a nightmare, especially if you have a family size one. The good news is that the drying process is similar as described above.
Try and dry your tent best you can before leaving your campsite and once you are home, wipe it down again. Now, assuming you do not have a little one man tent that you can pitch up in your living room and just hop over for the next few hours, you need to get creative.
1. Hang it over the banister
You may be lucky enough to have two floors in your apartment and in which case you can hang it over. Otherwise, if you are in a block of flats or converted house then you may have a communal stairwell with banisters you could borrow.
If it is communal, make sure that you are not going to cause a trip hazard such as loose guy ropes and let your neighbours know. It may also be good practice to keep an eye on it and take it down as soon as it is dry as it likely breaks fire regulations for the building.
I have done this before, used guy ropes to tie it in place and made sure it wasn’t obstructing the steps or hitting people on the head. I also stayed with it the whole time to ensure both the tent was safe and I wasn’t annoying people. It was still a little damp but it did a good job of most of it in a short period of time.
2. Hang The Tent Over The Shower Curtain
This is where you want the wettest part of the tent as if it had been a wash out then it likely will still be dripping, especially if you haven’t wiped it down first. If your tent is soaked, get it into the bathroom straight away to deal with the worst of the water. Let it drip before wiping it if it is that bad.
Your house will also thank you as it contains the moisture in the bathroom where the extractor fan can deal with it. Rest of your apartment likely isn’t used to excessive moisture levels which a drying tent will create.
Before you throw and entire tent over the rail, make sure it is sturdy enough to support all that weight, otherwise consider putting up an drying rack or airer in the bath or shower to take some of the weight. It can also help large tents from just sitting in water as the fabric wrinkles where it is too long.
3. Hang The Tent Over Doors
Unless you’re living the open plan dream, your apartment will have doors. Open a few of these and hang over bits of the tent. This should keep most of the tent out the way whilst it dry, you just might not have a lot of privacy for a while. Maybe avoid using the bathroom door if you haven’t showered yet!
Just every now and then take them down and change which side is on top so every bit gets chance to air nicely.
4. Hang The Tent Over Chairs And Tables
You do not need to use both table and chairs but let your inner child loose and pretend you’re making a fort.
Spread the tent and its component parts out at much as possible by having chairs in the four corners. Place the table or another chair in the middle if it’s saggy too much.
If you are in a small space, and say just have the table, then regularly move the tent around to the edges have chance to dry instead of being piled up on the floor. Also turn the tend around every so often so both sides dry.
5. Hang The Tent Over The Clothing Airer
Unless you tumble dry everything, chances are you have something to dry your clothing on. Larger airers can support the weight of the tent without breaking and help you lay your tent out to dry. Consider using it alongside chairs and doors should you find it too small. Otherwise, rotate the tent regularly.
Make sure your clothes airer can support the weight. Little radiator ones are not going to cut it. You want one recommend for drying quilts as they likley will be able to support it and give you a large drying space once hung over. If you don’t already have something suitable then grab the Apexchaser from Amazon.
6. Hang The Tent Out The Window
Many aren’t fortunate to have a balcony but you can hang it out of a window. Get a friend to help you spread it out across two windows like you would proudly displaying a flag. If you do choose to do this, make sure your tent is securely fastened due to its heavy wet and additional aspect of the wind.
7. Take Your Tent Outside (friends garden, allotment, local park etc)
You may not have a garden space yourself, but outside is bar far the best way to dry your tent. Obviously when it is dry. Although it does not have to be sunny to dry it fast. Just if it is sunny, don’t leave it out too long as the UV can cause wear and tare on the fabric over time.
Maybe you can pop over the a friends or families house and pitch it up in there garden and enjoy a good cuppa while you wait.
Otherwise, utilise communal spaces. Even if you cannot pitch up, you can lay out your tent to dry while you tent to your allotment or sunbath at your local park.
In a few hours your tent should be nice and dry and you haven’t made a mess of your apartment whilst you did it. If your laying it out to dry, just turn it over once one side is dry to ensure the under dries too.
How To Speed Up The Drying Process
Patience is a virtue but you may not feel like practicing it whilst you’re trying to pack everything away after your trip. Fortunately, there are a few things to get everything moving along nicely.
1. Increase Airflow
There is a reason that a summer breeze dries everything so far and that is because all the wet air is moved along swiftly. You can achieve this inside by opening as many doors and windows as the weather allows. You could also set up a fan blowing the air over the tent or use a hairdryer ON COLD. Do not use the hairdryer on hot as you risk damaging the fabric. Also at least the fan you can leave while it does its thing.
2. Turn On The Central Heating
Things dry faster in the warmth, so warming up your house will speed up the process. However, do not be tempted to use direct heat such as hanging it over the radiator or by an electric heater. This not only could cause a fire risk, but will also damage the fabric making it less reliable in the future.
3. Use A Dehumidifier
The drier the air already is, the faster your tent will dry as it is not sitting in wet air. The dehumidifier will suck up all that extra moisture and probably have the added benefit of discouraging mould to grow in your apartment.
You could get an electric dehumidifier and if your house already suffers from damp and mould these would benefit you hugely. Camping gear will always bring in extra moisture, delaying drying and making any damp and mould conditions worse. These units range from in price from the affordable dehumidifier Tabyik (Amazon) to over £200 such as the Aeocky dehumidifier (Amazon).
Alternatively, if you need something that doesn’t plug in then just grab yourself some moisture grabbers on Amazon. You can pop these anywhere near your tent whilst it’s drying and it doesn’t require any electricity.
Hopefully with all these tips your well on the way to being able to pack your tent away and not think about it again till your next adventure, but with all this effort you might be wandering why you should even bother given it will get wet again.
Why You Need To Dry Your Tent Properly
Incorrectly storing your tent, such as leaving it wet in a bag will create a not so lovely ecosystem of bacteria and fungi. These organisms thrive in moist conditions and multiply rapidly. Even leaving your tent for 24 hours can cause growth.
Sadly, mould is not a friend to your tent. They will cause a bad small, horrible marks and start to rot your tent especially affecting its waterproofing. Not only will your tent be unpleasant to sleep in, the spores from these moulds can make people sick if you breathe them in. Those with respiratory issues already such as asthma will be particularly affected.
In mild cases you may be able to remove the mould or mildew, but it really is easier to prevent it from forming in the first place. Last thing you want is to find your tent unusable because you rushed the drying process.
Drying A Tent Do Nots
We have spoken a lot about what to do, but I have not summarise the do nots of during your tent.
1. Do Not Tumble Dry Your Tent
This will be an expensive mistake. Not only will it damage your tent, it will likely also damage your machine. It does not matter whether it is in a duvet cover on a cold, delicate wash, it is not worth the risk. You have zips, guy ropes and mesh fabrics which are just asking to be ripped if you place it in the machine.
2. Do Not Use Direct Heat
Do not place super close to your radiator, wood burner or electric heater. Do not decide to get the hair dryer out on max heat and hold it against the wet patches. Intense heat will damage the fabric and the protective coatings on your tent. Assuming you do not burn it, it wont be as waterproof or durable next time you take it out.
3. Do Not Leave Your Tent Wet
As I said above, mildew and mould can start growth rapidly and you can get signs of this within the first 24 hours. The first opportunity you get, start the process of drying your tent. Don’t panic if you’re pitching up again that night and it’s still raining, the tent will be fine with this evening shower as its clean water and air. Although it still should be dried when the weather clears up or when you get home, whatever comes first.
Conclusion
There we go, we have covered just about everything there is to cover about drying a tent. Whatever space you have, just get your tent out your bag and spread it wherever you are able. This will dry your tent eventually, and if you want to speed it up increase the airflow and ambient temperature of the room and remember to keep turning it. Before you know it, the tent will be dry and you can have your apartment back to normal again. Happy Camping!
