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Re: Keeping Dry?
My old pard (also an infantry vet like me and both of us over six feet tall) and I had a method that worked fairly well. When it was absolutely pouring and we had to make camp, we had a routine. The best we could hope for was to keep our 'core' part dry--that's thighs to neck, and the blankets in that same area. We had to sacrifice the rest to wet but at least that important part of us would stay dry (warm--as it would get downright chilly at night when wet).
I had the better dog tent so carried both halfs already buttoned up. What we'd do is pull one of the gum blankets out and lay it over both our knapsacks after grounding them back (wet) side down. Then reaching under the gum blanket without disturbing it we'd unpack the tent and set it up over the top of the knapsacks and gum blanket--which would then get pulled off and used for the back wall of the tent with it being tucked under the knapsacks to hold it down. The other gum blanket would become the floor and beings that I carried both tent halfs he carried an extra gum blanket which lay over our legs that (because of our size) stuck out from the end of the tent while we slept and also be the one worn when either of us had to do duty outside (while the other one could curl up and get his legs inside).
We'd climb in one at a time and change out of wet jacket and into a dry shirt (from inside knapsack). We'd sleep in our shoes but put on dry socks before retiring.
A tight squeeze (two 6+ foot 200+ pounders in a dog tent!!) but we'd stay amazingly warm and dry (and not too close of friends!!) even when there was icy rain and snow.
The system worked, while others would get washed or frozen out, we stayed quite tolerable even in some awfully nasty weather.
My old pard (also an infantry vet like me and both of us over six feet tall) and I had a method that worked fairly well. When it was absolutely pouring and we had to make camp, we had a routine. The best we could hope for was to keep our 'core' part dry--that's thighs to neck, and the blankets in that same area. We had to sacrifice the rest to wet but at least that important part of us would stay dry (warm--as it would get downright chilly at night when wet).
I had the better dog tent so carried both halfs already buttoned up. What we'd do is pull one of the gum blankets out and lay it over both our knapsacks after grounding them back (wet) side down. Then reaching under the gum blanket without disturbing it we'd unpack the tent and set it up over the top of the knapsacks and gum blanket--which would then get pulled off and used for the back wall of the tent with it being tucked under the knapsacks to hold it down. The other gum blanket would become the floor and beings that I carried both tent halfs he carried an extra gum blanket which lay over our legs that (because of our size) stuck out from the end of the tent while we slept and also be the one worn when either of us had to do duty outside (while the other one could curl up and get his legs inside).
We'd climb in one at a time and change out of wet jacket and into a dry shirt (from inside knapsack). We'd sleep in our shoes but put on dry socks before retiring.
A tight squeeze (two 6+ foot 200+ pounders in a dog tent!!) but we'd stay amazingly warm and dry (and not too close of friends!!) even when there was icy rain and snow.
The system worked, while others would get washed or frozen out, we stayed quite tolerable even in some awfully nasty weather.
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