OSH Sleeping

If water is dripping inside your tent, it is from you most likely...

Only the cheapest tents allow condensation to build up on the inner walls
and drip back down. That's the whole point of a rain fly on a good tent --
to let condensation out (through the breathable ceiling), but not to let
rain IN.

If you have a good quality tent, you will be neither too hot at night, nor
wet when it rains. Add a good quality air bed (the kind that put you up on
10" of air), and I will put the quality of sleep at Oshkosh up against any
night's sleep you've ever had.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
Ercoupe N94856
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
If water is dripping inside your tent, it is from you most likely...

Only the cheapest tents allow condensation to build up on the inner
walls and drip back down. That's the whole point of a rain fly on a
good tent -- to let condensation out (through the breathable ceiling),
but not to let rain IN.

If you have a good quality tent, you will be neither too hot at night,
nor wet when it rains. Add a good quality air bed (the kind that put
you up on 10" of air), and I will put the quality of sleep at Oshkosh up
against any night's sleep you've ever had.

A good air mattress is a great thing. Went camping at an airport once
and went through a major storm during the middle of the night. The
double wide air mattress was in a nice little dome tent. Woke up in the
morning and noticed the top of the tent looked pretty close and found
that I was floating in 8" of water. Me and my date were high and dry.

Oh. This is important. If you camp in a tent at Oshkosh, be CERTAIN
everything you don't want to get soaked is in waterproof containers!

"Jon Woellhaf" wrote in message
...
Oh. This is important. If you camp in a tent at Oshkosh, be CERTAIN
everything you don't want to get soaked is in waterproof containers!

Actually, I've found the key is to buy a good tent. A $79 Wal-mart special
doesn't seem like such a good deal when you end up pouring it out following
a t-storm. Yes, I've seen it done. I particularly remember the second time
I took my wife Kelly to Osh. There were monsterous T-storms one night.
Strong enough winds to cause me to consider whether my neighbor's airplanes
were properly secured. Lots of rain.

We were dry in my backpacking tent with a full fly. When we got up the next
morning, I guarantee that 1/2 or more of the campers around us were laying
out sleeping bags, clothes, etc. to dry on airplane wings, props, etc. Most
of 'em had tents that were appropriate for kids spending a night in the
backyard, or for keeping the dew off on a weekend car camping trip. Those
tents were horrible when the wind blew hard and the rain fell in sheets.

Of course, waterproof containers never hurt, but the key waterproof item is
your tent.

KB

"Jon Woellhaf" wrote in message
...
Oh. This is important. If you camp in a tent at Oshkosh, be CERTAIN
everything you don't want to get soaked is in waterproof containers!

Yep. It also doesn't hurt to get one of the air mattresses with the extra
height built in, as a blow up base with mattress on top. That keeps
sleeping bags or blankets from dragging into the puddle in the bottom of
your tent!

The problem is that everything is nearly flat, so water does not drain away,
except to the corner of your tent, which is (of course) the lowest point on
your camping site. g
--
Jim in NC

I used the dorm a few years ago and thought they were great. Dorm
cafeteria right across the street with very good breakfast and
dinners; city bus service right to the gate of the event. But it
might be too late for that.
--
Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans! No more merciful
beheadings! And call off Christmas!
~ The Sheriff of Nottingham

On Jul 13, 6:23*pm, "Kyle Boatright" wrote:

Actually, I've found the key is to buy a good tent. A $79 Wal-mart special
doesn't seem like such a good deal when you end up pouring it out following
a t-storm. *Yes, I've seen it done. *I particularly remember the second time
I took my wife Kelly to Osh. *There were monsterous T-storms one night.
Strong enough winds to cause me to consider whether my neighbor's airplanes
were properly secured. *Lots of rain.


As an assistant scoutmaster I might disagree. As you pay more for a
tent what you get is lighter weight. However, for non-backpacking
trips I still use the Walmart tent I bought 10 years ago. I've spend
probably 100 rainy nights (we usually camp in the Sierras under the
TSs) dry in it. The trick for any tent is to seal it every year. Get
some seam sealant and cover all the seams and then scotchguard the
entire thing (I use several bottles). I also replace the zippers every
once-in-awhile on any tent. There is nothing worse than running for
your tent in the rain, grabbing the zipper, and having it break in
your hand and you get wet. Anyplace that does industrial sewing should
be able to replace your tent and sleeping bag zippers for you. I
replace mine in all my gear every 2 years; its not very expensive to
do. If you want to spend big bucks spend it on your bag rather than
your tent in my opinion. Also, always use a good thermal layer under
your bag. An air mat is probably the worst (just helps you get cold);
a therma-rest is about the best. We camp sub-zero several times a year
without problems just using good pads.

-Robert

On Jul 13, 4:50*pm, "Jay Honeck" wrote:

If you have a good quality tent, you will be neither too hot at night, nor
wet when it rains. * Add a good quality air bed (the kind that put you up on
10" of air), and I will put the quality of sleep at Oshkosh up against any
night's sleep you've ever had.

I disagree with that. The best pads are about 1" deep. The higher you
sit and the more air in the pad the more heat transfer you're going to
lose. I would recommend spending the $120 at REI on a good terma-rest
pad. I've camped sub-zero many times without problems. The tent isn't
going to keep you warn because its too much mass. Keeping warm is 75%
about the pad and 25% about the bag.

-Robert

Of all the things you are NOT going to have to worry about, sleeping at
Oshkosh during The Show in sub-zero is very high on the list.

Jim

--
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it."
--Aristotle


Also, always use a good thermal layer under
your bag. An air mat is probably the worst (just helps you get cold);
a therma-rest is about the best. We camp sub-zero several times a year
without problems just using good pads.

On Jul 14, 11:05*am, "RST Engineering"
wrote:
Of all the things you are NOT going to have to worry about, sleeping at
Oshkosh during The Show in sub-zero is very high on the list.

True, but you can still get cold in the night. Its a common myth that
a good tent will keep you warm. The human body just can't actually
produce enough heat to really raise the temp of an entire tent.
However, a good ground cover (like a terma-rest) will prevent much of
the lose of heat (which happens through the ground or through an air
mat).

-Robert