My home away from home

March 12, 2022

Trying to make The Rainmaker a bit more waterproof

THERE WILL BE MANY NIGHTS on this trip where I sleep in my tent. This particular tent, an REI "Half Dome Two Plus" model, replaced my beloved Kelty several years ago when the Kelty finally reached the end of its life after many years of excellent service.

On my very first night in the new tent, there was a summer thunderstorm of epic, Biblical intensity. It revealed a pretty serious shortcoming: the rain fly leaked. What's more, the leak seemed to be worst at a spot just above my head, so that the drips landed on my face. This deficiency caused me to immediately dub the new tent "The Rainmaker".

Naturally I've already applied seam sealant to the thing (several times), which has reduced the severity of the problem but not eliminated it altogether, as subsequent wettings have demonstrated. I'll be doing it again before I depart.

But, adopting the belt-and-suspenders approach, I've also created a "tarp" of sorts out of a big sheet of Tyvek. When wet weather threatens I'll use that as a drape-over, covering the more vulnerable and leak-prone areas of the rain fly's seams with another layer of water repellency.

The weather forecast for this weekend is wet, wet, wet, providing a great opportunity for the first test of whether this approach is practical and viable. Yesterday was gloriously sunny and warm, so (to the amusement of my neighbors) The Rainmaker was erected in my front yard and the Tyvek sheet put in place.

There's a related question, of how long the guylines need to be. Having no idea at the outset I arbitrarily chose 12 feet. That turns out to be far too generous for this configuration but may still be handy if I use the tarp as a sun shade. I can always retie them to reduce the working length, without resorting to cutting them.

I should be able to vary the orientation and positioning of the Tyvek based on what I learn. And I have extra guylines already made, so that I can further secure the edges as needed.

One area I'm uncertain about is how the drapeover will affect the usability of the tent doors. We'll see, in a couple days.

This being the very first test, I don't have a good handle yet on how much extra setup and takedown time the tarp will add to my routine, but whatever it is will be well worth it if it keeps me dry.

While I was working on making the tarp, and yesterday as I was setting it up, it was clear that it'll be a noisy SOB in any sort of wind. Perhaps its weekend-long wetting plus repeated use will soften it up a bit and reduce that a little. We'll see, I guess.

There are lots of ways it can be useful, I think. When not in use as a rain cover, it might be strung as a sun shade overhead, or used as an overnight cover for the bike, or as ground cover so that I'm not packing and unpacking directly on the ground.

[EDIT 3/13: Anticipating a day-long rain yesterday, I left the tent set up overnight to see how the tarp actually fared as a rain-shedder. The rain materialized on schedule, then gradually changed to freezing rain, sleet, ice pellets, and finally snow as the temperature dropped slowly all day long on Saturday. This morning, Sunday, it's 16ºF and the tent looks like this:

I'm very glad I elected not to test whether my newly-repaired sleeping mat holds air, by spending the night in the tent.

I do not anticipate encountering this sort of condition while I'm on the road, thankfully.]

[UPDATE 6/10: as part of my weight reduction effort, I've replaced the Half Dome 2-Plus with an REI Quarter Dome SL 2, which weighs less than half what the Half Dome does. It's slightly smaller but still plenty spacious enough for me and all of the gear I'm likely to want in the tent or under a vestibule. The Tyvek tarp is also definitely staying home, again due to weight and space reduction efforts.]

Slightly smaller, WAY lighter than the Half Dome 2 Plus, and in a slightly less-obtrusive color which might improve its ability to disappear if/when I need to stealth camp.

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	4
Comment on this entry	Comment	6

Leslie and Rob CookeGreat idea Keith - serving multiple uses. We went out and bought 2 tarps today. An extra pound each on the bike. Well worth it I'm hoping.
Reply to this comment
2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo Leslie and Rob CookeGlad to have helped. I think mine may also serve as a tablecloth or cover for a damp picnic table bench when the need arises. I'm sure other uses will suggest themselves over time.

A small scrap could serve as a welcome mat so I don’t have to kneel or sit on the ground to enter and exit the tent.
Reply to this comment
2 years ago

Kelly IniguezOn my Alaska trip I carried a 5x7 silnylon tarp to cover my bike in the rain. I was concerned about my recumbent seat getting wet. My recumbent is 8 feet long, I should have purchased the larger size, but it was significantly more expensive. I did not have long enough guy lines, so was only able to use the tarp a couple of times. It did rain plenty.

We've carried the tarp on a couple more trips, when we anticipated rain. It's also good for covering the bike away from prying eyes looking for easy opportunity.

Those might be other uses for your Tyvek.

I had a self made footprint for my tent that I cut a couple of feet long (still under the vestibule) on the entry side. That was perfect for entering and not getting the tent dirty.

I'm really looking forward to reading your journal!
Reply to this comment
2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo Kelly IniguezHi Kelly-

Since I ride an upright, I can protect the seat with a regular plastic shopping bag, if it comes to it.

I too have made Tyvek footprints for each of my tents; I'll make one for the new tent by cutting down the one I just made for my Half Dome, probably, and make a new one for the Half Dome later when I want to use it again. Or there's still time to try to scrounge a fresh scrap of Tyvek from an obliging construction site, of which there are many in my area.

I'm currently on an anti-weight anti-bloat jihad, as you know from reading my various entries here and elsewhere. Leaving the big tarp behind is part of that purge; here's hoping that it turns out to be a decision in my favor. I don't want to immediately reverse the gains and momentum I've got by starting to add back in things that I elected to eliminate, and which helped me cut the weight to begin with.

My current projection is that I'll have 37 nights (out of a total of 86 planned) sleeping outdoors. The majority of those will be in the tent but it's also possible that I may sleep on the picnic tables in a town park pavilion for a few of them. Assuming that I do not get rain on every one of those nights, the importance of having a tarp as supplemental cover diminishes in direct proportion to the number of dry nights.

It's not on the gear list, but I will be carrying a cable lock so I can secure the bike when it's either left unattended or when I'm sleeping (which amounts to the same thing, given how deeply I tend to sleep). That reduces the need to conceal the bike, at least in my mind.
Reply to this comment
2 years ago

Kelly IniguezTo Keith AdamsI can't add a photo in the comments section - so can't show you my skinniest of skinny cables. On my first long tour, one of the other participants pulled out a thin plastic coated cable with a tiny padlock (suitcase style). John said that it was strong enough to stop the casual thief and that a thief who planned to steal a bike would have the means to cut a much more substantial cable, so why bother carrying one. I had to think about that for a minute, then had to agree with him. I have often been laughed at for my very lightweight bicycle security system. You know what - that's a good story. Good memories. I will take a photo of that and put it in my journal.

I'm totally in with you on being the weight ninja. I've enjoyed touring far more since I quit carrying a camp chair, etc. The less weight I carry uphill, the more fun it is.

I have to have full disclosure - I often give Jacinto things to carry for me. He carries all of the breakfast fixings, the spare tire, the chain cleaning stuff (even though he has a belt drive).

At one point I weighed my gear and it was 11 pounds. I was shooting for 10. I had read a journal that year of two guys doing the TransAm, camping. They carried less than ten pounds each. I don't know how. They inspired me to really watch my items on the bike.

I'm rambling. You can tell it is my day off. I'll go photograph that lock and cable now.

Kelly
Reply to this comment
2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo Kelly IniguezI have friends who carried what they called "a breakfast lock", similar to what you describe. They help honest people stay honest in the face of what might otherwise become temptation.

Honestly I'm waffling about whether to carry a lock at all but believe in the end it would be better to do that than be inconvenienced by finding myself stranded because someone had made off with my clown bike.

Camping on ten pounds of gear? Their shelter must've been made of spider silk and dreams, their sleeping gear of gossamer and dandelion fluff. Hell, my panniers alone weigh eight pounds empty.
Reply to this comment
2 years ago