Drying tent when on the road for extended time.

Comment by Ruth Finkenbiner on February 2, 2012 at 6:10pm

Maryllis - as artists based out of Seattle, we've had lots of experience with wet tents:)  We don't stay in hotels, we have a travel trailer so it's probably a little easier for us in that we can set up the tent in our campsite on a dry day to let it dry out.  That being said, we've had at least one road trip where it never quit raining the entire 11 days we were gone so there was never a time we could set it up.  Our experience has been that if it's just 4-5 days between packing up on Sunday night and setting up on Thursday or Friday night, the tent is okay, we store ours in a large plastic crate.  The process of putting up a tent that is wet is never pleasant, we tend to get a little bit more muddy and dirty than usual in the process. 

A fellow artist that we know who did stay in a hotel that same trip had planned to spend an afternoon at a local park to dry her tent out, probably a reasonable plan, unfortunately we never had a dry day on that trip.

Comment by Maryllis Wolfgang on February 2, 2012 at 6:41pm

Good idea using a park.  Maybe our hotel will allow us to set it up on their lawn?  Hmmmm. Reception area? We also use plastic crates.  I am worried about the tent getting musty or moldy.  It was purchased new just last spring to replace our easy-down.  Thanks for the reply and suggestions.

Comment by Rich Terry on February 2, 2012 at 7:16pm

I primarily do 4 - 5 week tours and I have had to set my canopy up in the parking lot at my motel to dry it on more than one occasion... I have never had an issue with them.

Comment by Maryllis Wolfgang on February 2, 2012 at 8:17pm

Good to know Rich.  Thank you.

Comment by Alison Thomas on February 3, 2012 at 5:41am

I once put my tent away in the rain in November and forgot to dry it out afterwards.  The next show in January I realized my error.  Fabreze and Lysol did the trick and luckily the show in January was sunny.

Comment by Geoff Coe on February 3, 2012 at 8:28am

I didn't know they sold gallon drums of Febreeze! LOL

Comment by Maija Baynes on February 6, 2012 at 10:42pm

When I'm on the road, I go to the laundermat. I put a quarter in 4 dryers. That gives me a few minutes each. I put one side into one dryer. Turn it on hot. I put in side 2 into the second dryer. Turn it on. Then do the same for side 3 and 4. By the time I've finished putting in all 4 sides, the first one is ready to take out. It takes 4-6 min.

Be careful taking them out. The metal parts are hot, and the vinyl is fragile. It feels like wet onion skin. I take it out carefully, and drop it on the floor to cool. I don't want to pull to hard while they're still hot. Anyway, then I take out side 2. Drop it on the floor. Then take out 3-4. By the time you've taken out side 4, side 1 is ready to fold up. It only takes a moment,

I've done this dozens of times and each time they come out perfect, and smell good.

Only one time did I put my canopy in the dryer. I was terrified, but desperate. It worked perfect except for one thing. I have my name painted on the front with vinyl paint. Some of that black paint softened and rubbed off. Not bad enough to be a problem, but it did happen. The seams were fine. Oh yes, the canopy was so large, I had to really shove hard to get it in. It was easy to take out because it aw soft. When I pulled it out, I tried to carefully lay it all the way out as far as I could. If I had a 2nd pair of hands, it would have been easy

Comment by Melanie Rolfes on February 27, 2012 at 2:27pm

I just packed up with a wet tent last night.  I was thinking of what to do and realized I could just throw the different parts of the tent on top of my cargo van.  It is sunny today, so I put the canopy over the van for 20 minutes (bricks in a few spots so it wouldn't blow off and my tool box in the middle of roof under the tent so it would breath).  Then it was all dry.    I did the walls next all over the van.  It was really easy and quick. 

Comment by Maryllis Wolfgang on February 27, 2012 at 2:37pm

I can just see you driving down the interstate highway with tent flapping in the breeze. LOL

Sorry you had to pack wet tent.  Hope you had a good sale.

Comment by Melanie Rolfes on February 27, 2012 at 2:47pm

maybe I should try this at a car wash.  Throw the tent over the van and wash it with the carwash suds and wand.  Hmmm.  Anyone ever do this? 

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