My tent flooded on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia last spring

I was camping near a stream outside Waynesboro and it started raining around 2 AM. Woke up to about an inch of water inside my tent because I pitched it in a low spot without checking the drainage first. I spent the next hour digging a small trench around the tent with my hands and a stick to redirect the water. Has anyone else had to deal with a bad campsite choice ruining their night?

3 comments

3 Comments

leelewis21h ago

Dug a trench with my hands once, too.

jesse_fisher12d ago

A little rain and a wet tent floor hardly seems like a reason to call a hike ruined. You were near a creek in the middle of a storm, what did you expect would happen? A good rain jacket and a dry bag for your sleeping gear would have made that an annoyance at worst. Sounds like you learned a basic lesson about site selection, which is part of the deal when you're out there.

graygonzalez12d ago

Used to be the guy who'd get salty about gear failures too... but honestly, I see it different now after a trip up in the Smokies where I set up on a little rise but the runoff still pooled under my tent. Thought I was being smart, but that night the rain just kept coming and my ground cloth turned into a little bathtub. Wet sleeping bag and a miserable hike out the next morning taught me real quick that site selection isn't just about being on high ground, it's about reading the land for hours of rain you didn't expect. Jesse's right, that's the basic deal out there, not something you can always prep your way out of.