Touring - Camping in the rain

According to Accuweather, we are to get an inch of rain overnight on Saturday, with some wind as well, and I'm planning on camping. Would you skip the camping or go for it? The camp site is NOT in a flood area - it's elevated. It's the last weekend this particular campground is open for the year. It should be dry during the time I'm riding the bike, and setting up camp.

If I do camp, should I look for a campsite under trees or not? Any other suggestions for making the campsite as comfortable and safe as possible considering the unpleasant weather?

Well, I'm just a big wimp. I really don't like to camp in wet weather unless I can help it. To be honest, I'd pay out for a cheap motel room (if one is available). If I had no choice but to camp in the rain, I'd want be under a good tree -assuming no bad storms though, just rain -and near any available shelter. Camping in the rain is just no fun for me, including the whole stuff you have to do afterwards when you dry out stuff.

However, you're not me -and if you don't mind doing it and this is the last weekend its open, go for it.....

If it's a state or national park and within a designated campground it should be fine. If it is a pack in only campsite then try not to pitch camp underneath any dead or dying trees, or widowmakers we like to call them.

I camp in all weather, and really enjoy sleeping in the rain.

Pitch your tent in open ground, to prevent tree limbs from crashing thru your tent.

Make a ground cloth out of some HEAVY plastic, the same size as the footprint of your tent, and a tent liner one foot bigger than that footprint.

The tent liner then gets "bathtubbed" with the sides going up 6" of the walls, keeping the floor waterproof.

If you are lucky enuf to have a much larger tent, also, take the rainfly and enuf poles to erect it over your tent for added protection. (I normally use a 7 X 9, and erect a fly form a 12 X 20 over it in bad weather, extending it longways over the entrance to create a BIG front porch.) Then stake a small cheap plastic tarp on the ground in front of my tent (under the "awning") to create a dry, clean porch deck.

Camping in the rain isn't as bad as you might think, if you prepare, and can be really nice sitting under the "awning" WITH A HOT CUP OF COFFEE OR HOT CHOCOLATE, and talking with old and new friends.

Needless to say, a seat of some sort is mandatory, and many fold up options are available.

Making and or breaking camp in the rain can be a bit unpleasant, but it really isn't a big hardship if it isn't really pouring. It sounds like you will be able to make camp before the rain, what is it supposed to be like in the morning?

Day after day of rain can really wear on you but some rain during the night is no big deal at all. Just be sure to get your tent dried out well when you get home or it will mildew and be ruined.

If strong winds are expected try to pitch the tent where there is some shelter from the wind, but where the chance of falling limbs seems acceptable. If the sites are all wooded I just take my chances with falling limbs.

Since you have plans of doing a long tour in the not too distant future, this is probably a good time to get some foul weather experience unless you want to save that for warmer weather. OTOH there is no shame in getting a room if that is what you decide.


The tent liner then gets "bathtubbed" with the sides going up 6" of the walls, keeping the floor waterproof.
I'm not sure I get that one. I have found that if the ground sheet projects from under the tent it directs any water that might run down the outside of the tent to pool under the tent. I take care that the ground sheet is not sticking out at all from under the tent..


Needless to say, a seat of some sort is mandatory, and many fold up options are available.
Never found carrying one necessary. Some people like to carry one, but I suspect they are in the minority. I won't knock either choice, but it isn't something that should be assumed.

Speaking of a seat of some kind, I never used to carry one, but now, especially at this time of year, with a likelihood of rain, I would. There comes a point, after pedaling all day, when you just want to sit down. I keep a DHL mailer, nothing more than two layers of tough bubble-wrap, in my pannier for this purpose. Put it down on the cold, wet grass, and sit on it... and it's warm! It improves the quality of life.

I agree with staehpj1 above - making camp can be pretty miserable, but choice of tent can make it slightly more bearable. We use a Hilleberg Nallo GT3, because the inner and outer pitch simultaneously AND it's got a huge vestibule for luggage and taking off wet clothes. Once inside, I quite like listening to the rain - it's quite restful. Always sounds heavier inside!

I remember another tour many years ago which started really well but then the weather crapped out - it rained for days without stopping. By the end of the third day the tent was soaking inside and out, the sleeping bags were saturated, and our spirits were well and truly 'dampened'. We blew all our remaining money on train tickets back home.

I don't mind making breaking camping in rain etc.. just as long as time isn't an issue. If you take your time and don't allow everything to get soaked then it's ok. But if you get in late and it's getting dark,, and in the morning you have to get out early to ride 90miles.. it can be a bit stressful.

I'm not sure I get that one. I have found that if the ground sheet projects from under the tent it directs any water that might run down the outside of the tent to pool under the tent. I take care that the ground sheet is not sticking out at all from under the tent..


I think he is refering to putting a tarp inside the tent also?

Making and or breaking camp in the rain can be a bit unpleasant, but it really isn't a big hardship if it isn't really pouring. It sounds like you will be able to make camp before the rain, what is it supposed to be like in the morning?

Day after day of rain can really wear on you but some rain during the night is no big deal at all. Just be sure to get your tent dried out well when you get home or it will mildew and be ruined.

If strong winds are expected try to pitch the tent where there is some shelter from the wind, but where the chance of falling limbs seems acceptable. If the sites are all wooded I just take my chances with falling limbs.

Since you have plans of doing a long tour in the not too distant future, this is probably a good time to get some foul weather experience unless you want to save that for warmer weather. OTOH there is no shame in getting a room if that is what you decide.


I'm not sure I get that one. I have found that if the ground sheet projects from under the tent it directs any water that might run down the outside of the tent to pool under the tent. I take care that the ground sheet is not sticking out at all from under the tent..


Never found carrying one necessary. Some people like to carry one, but I suspect they are in the minority. I won't knock either choice, but it isn't something that should be assumed.

Forecast now is for 1.26 inches of rain in Green Lane, PA, Saturday evening and overnight. Wind 16 MPH, gusts to 25 MPH. Temperature low 53 degrees. Clearing the next morning.

One complicating factor is that this overnight tour was going to utilize a rail-trail. Riding back on a saturated trail surface might be as unpleasant as being in the rain.

I might skip the camping and aim for my 'backup' overnight tour, down to Philadelphia, staying at the hostel in Fairmount Park, and then back home. No need for a tent/sleeping bag/sleeping pad/stove then, and no wet gravel and dirt trail to deal with.

I don't mind making breaking camping in rain etc.. just as long as time isn't an issue. If you take your time and don't allow everything to get soaked then it's ok. But if you get in late and it's getting dark,, and in the morning you have to get out early to ride 90miles.. it can be a bit stressful.

If it rains I'm faster. Build up tent and prepare everything for the night is done in 5 min. (on a sunny day it can last one hour). Also in the morning. Packing is done in 10-15 min (on a sunny day...). Cooking not mentioned... but ccoking in the apsis it's not a major problem. But in total: I DO NOT LIKE IT (!) But cycling in the rain is even less fun. To be honest that's my real problem.

You've already camped at Green Lane in light rain, this is just more of the same. I'd be far more concerned about preparing for the wind. Will you have tail or headwinds?

Are you made of sugar? Pick a spot thats not dished. Don't burn down the tent when cooking in the vestibule. HTFU.

You've already camped at Green Lane in light rain, this is just more of the same. I'd be far more concerned about preparing for the wind. Will you have tail or headwinds?

Was there rain at Green Lane when we were there? I must have been asleep.

Wind direction doesn't mean that much, since my route to Green Lane changes direction quite a bit. I'm not using the route we followed in April, instead riding through Royersford and Trappe and picking up the trail in Collegeville.

Winds will be from the NW, according to the forecast.

I think he is refering to putting a tarp inside the tent also?
I wondered about that but it Wouldn't exactly be a ground sheet. Also it seems like overkill to me unless the tent floor is shot.

Hopefully he will chime in again to clarify.

I don't think anyone will think poorly of you for cancelling this trip. We do this for fun, remember. That said, some of the more fun trips I have taken have been in the rain. On the other hand some of the most miserable trips I have taken have been in the rain. Rain I can handle. Cold I can handle. Mix the 2 and I am going to be miserable. Mid 50s doesn't sond bad.
If you have never done a trip like this, I say go for it. What is the worst that can happen. You get to see how well you are prepared for unexpected bad weather.
I think it is a very bad plan to set up under a tree. If your tent can't handle a good rain, you need a new tent. Set up in a clearing on a fairly high spot with good drainage. If you can set up near a natural barrier from the wind, that would be good, but drainage and no overhead limbs are your main concerns.

I wondered about that but it Wouldn't exactly be a ground sheet. Also it seems like overkill to me unless the tent floor is shot.

Hopefully he will chime in again to clarify.

The tent floor is OK. My sleeping bag is rated to 35 degrees. I'll also wear warm clothes.

The purpose of the trip, aside from getting in one last camping trip this year, is to take photographs. Leaves are just passing their peak, and this weekend will probably be the last to get some good shots. Here's one I took Sunday on the same trail I'll use this weekend.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/2957509346_56f232efbb_b.jpg

I would camp. When touring I typically ride in any sort of weather but occasionally take a rest day somewhere to wait out nasty weather.

I don't mind camping in the rain, but typically am happiest if I either have (a) a dry tent to set up in the rain or (b) a wet tent to pack up in the dry weather and unhappiest to set up a tent still wet from the night before into weather where it is raining again the next night.

According to Accuweather, we are to get an inch of rain overnight on Saturday, with some wind as well, and I'm planning on camping. Would you skip the camping or go for it? The camp site is NOT in a flood area - it's elevated. It's the last weekend this particular campground is open for the year. It should be dry during the time I'm riding the bike, and setting up camp.

If I do camp, should I look for a campsite under trees or not? Any other suggestions for making the campsite as comfortable and safe as possible considering the unpleasant weather?

Do it. Being bundled up nice and dry in your tent while it's raining out is a great feeling. It will give you confidence for future travels.

Make sure anything you want to keep dry is covered and secured against the wind. Make sure your tent is not pitched in a low spot relative to the surrounding terrain.

Speedo

I always carry a light weight sil-nylon tarp to extend the useable space around my small tent if rain persists for long periods. A small weight penalty for a greatly improved experience bike or kayak touring.

Do it. Two weeks of solid riding and camping in rain would suck. One night? That's nothing.

Don't camp under any big tree likely to drop a big branch on you. Depends on the vegetation type I guess.

Steve

Camp in the rain and practise for when you really have to. You then make sure your tent is actually waterproof and the seamsealing does seal; your tent floor hasn't been breached by previous camping; whether your groundsheet actually does work; you realise how cold the ground actually does get when it's wet; and that camping in the rain under trees is not such a good idea.

The trees continue to drop water well after the rain has finished. The drops are big, so they make more noise than small raindrops. Plus, if a tree has any predisposition to dropping sap or any other staining liquid, it will happen in the rain.

I am no so sure about the branches dropping on you as being a major issue. If the campsite is commercial or government run, there should be tree consultants who have inspected each site to ensure the branches are safe. Here in Australia, if wild-camping, the issue of branch-drop is more a summer one when the sap expands in the heat and the branch literally snaps -- or explodes -- off the trunk.

More an issue for me is in the ground -- large trees mean large roots and sometimes it's almost impossible to find a way around that big root right where your tent needs to be pegged.

Machka and I spent about a week in soggy conditions in Paris snuggled in our tent at night. There is something rather delightful about being warm and dry and comfortable while it's nasty outside.

Do it!

bring a tarp.

scrub trees are okay. big old deciduous, not so much. heavy thickets of evergreens too.

When camping in the rain, I always try not to put the tent under a tree, not because of possible branches falling, but because it "rains" for a longer time under the tree: Several hours after the real rain has stopped, there might still be water falling out of the tree. It can make the difference between a wet and an almost dry tent.

Tom

I suppose it's the kind of tree you camp under -I have camped in the rain and under a tree and it's given me considerably more shelter than if I'd been in the open. I suppose it's much like everything else -you have to choose wisely! But still, touring and camping in the rain.... yuk! (with apologies to those who do it and enjoy it).

But still, touring and camping in the rain.... yuk! (with apologies to those who do it and enjoy it).

Yes, that's what I'm thinking as well. It's one thing to have to deal with a rainy day and night while on a tour, and it's another to PLAN an overnight in just such conditions. It reminds me of my two days riding on tour with a fractured rib. Yes, I'm proud I did it, but I'd never plan to do it.

Forecast is now for rain all day Saturday, heavy at times, continuing Saturday evening. Total rainfall 1.25 inches. Since this was a photography tour, barring a change in the weather, it looks like I'm scratching it.

You sir, would have my utmost respect and I would doff my hat several times to you if you did camp -given that forecast! It's all about what you find enjoyable.

I remember cycling through the remnants of what was Hurricane Katrina as it passed through Massachusetts -I was cycling along Route 20 towards Sturbridge -you betcha I got a motel room that night. I was wet through and at times it was hard to see much farther than a couple of hundred yards ahead. I'm no stranger to wet weather cycling (yeah, from the UK) but let's just say in my case it does not make the heart grow fonder.



Yes, that's what I'm thinking as well. It's one thing to have to deal with a rainy day and night while on a tour, and it's another to PLAN an overnight in just such conditions. It reminds me of my two days riding on tour with a fractured rib. Yes, I'm proud I did it, but I'd never plan to do it.

Forecast is now for rain all day Saturday, heavy at times, continuing Saturday evening. Total rainfall 1.25 inches. Since this was a photography tour, barring a change in the weather, it looks like I'm scratching it.

Yes, that's what I'm thinking as well. It's one thing to have to deal with a rainy day and night while on a tour, and it's another to PLAN an overnight in just such conditions. It reminds me of my two days riding on tour with a fractured rib. Yes, I'm proud I did it, but I'd never plan to do it.

Forecast is now for rain all day Saturday, heavy at times, continuing Saturday evening. Total rainfall 1.25 inches. Since this was a photography tour, barring a change in the weather, it looks like I'm scratching it.
I agree that it is different riding in whatever comes up once under way than planning an overnight trip knowing the weather will be lousy pretty much the whole time. Given the situation I would probably do the same, but I'm not much for overnight tours any way, so it is easy to convince me to cancel one. Watch the forecast though, it may change.

I do recommend getting a taste of camping in the rain at some point before you do a long tour though.

This wasn't a bad trip last October- 4 days off work, a party to go to on the other side of the Cascades, forecast for miserable weather, two mountain crossings and a LOT of wet riding.

Still turned into quite the nice trip. party one night, german village in the mountains, found abandoned state campsite with old picnic tables underneath fallen trees, camping on state land the third night, rain every day.

there are always breaks in the rain, though. I say, go for it! an inch and some of rain can fall in one hour as the main body of a front passes thru, leaving the rest of the time pleasant enough.

check out Leavenworth!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpo7j6YdEzM


here's me taking a spin down beautiful Icicle Creek Canyon towards Leavenworth on day two.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTJmXl5P124

and heading back off Stevens Pass on day four, still in pretty marginal weather. road not used by auto traffic as a thru route.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IBW7rr5D40&feature=related


some stills from the trip, it provided plenty of good photo ops, I'm not much of a photographer.

Would you skip the camping or go for it?

Go for it. Any long tour will involve camping and dealing with wet weather. This will give you the perfect opportunity to test your gear and resolve. Better you learn under a controlled condition then finding out the hard way. Any tent made today will keep you dry in the rain if pitched right with the fly. If you use a ground tarp, make sure the tarp is completely under the tent and not exposed where rain can collect inbetween your tent and the ground tarp.

And then the next time it rains & you're out with just your tent, you'll be a lot more prepared.


If I do camp, should I look for a campsite under trees or not?

BikingTom answered it well. The rain will drip along after the rain is over under a tree plus the falling limbs idea. If you do tent under a tree, check to make sure it's a real healthy one without any fallen limbs nearby or weak looking limbs above.

Even the desert has rain.

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/2673/p1120571cr6.jpg

I agree that it is different riding in whatever comes up once under way than planning an overnight trip knowing the weather will be lousy pretty much the whole time. Given the situation I would probably do the same, but I'm not much for overnight tours any way, so it is easy to convince me to cancel one. Watch the forecast though, it may change.

I do recommend getting a taste of camping in the rain at some point before you do a long tour though.

Latest forecast is for nearly an inch of rain in the daytime, tapering off in the evening and early nighttime. My concerns are:

1. How do I keep the tent and other gear dry while riding in the rain for hours? Everything is in stuff sacks, but I don't have a dry bag. Will plastic trash bags work? Being wet and then getting dry is one thing, being wet and staying wet on a cold night is another.

2. Trail conditions. I'm well over 200 pounds. If the trail becomes soft, I'm not going to make progress. I could ride Rt. 29, but the rollers are brutal.

I'd go.

Would be a good trip to test out some foul weather ideas you may have, yet be close enough to home to get back safely should something not work.

I used a tent (Eureka Zeus exo 2), and a tarp from my hennessy hammock with an hiking staff as a tarp pole (or my bike, or branches etc etc). I had the tarp setp-up as a giant awning. Worked a charm in 3-4 days of downpouring rain in France on my year tour, no leaks and the awning set-up gave plenty of space for cooking/lounging about. I also at times swapped out the tarp on the tent, to cover half of the picnic table.


At the same campground, a whole bunch of folks setup there campsites in dips/hollows. They had inches of water in there tents YIKES!

The best trash bag dry bags, are trash-compactor bags. I've never bought any, so I'm not really sure where one does buy them.

I've been given a few by some other tourists, and man are they durable! I still have them set aside for future trips.

1. How do I keep the tent and other gear dry while riding in the rain for hours? Everything is in stuff sacks, but I don't have a dry bag. Will plastic trash bags work? Being wet and then getting dry is one thing, being wet and staying wet on a cold night is another.
First the tent... The floor of the tent is waterproof, so if you pack it with all the parts that need to stay dry on the inside before you roll it, only the waterproof floor is exposed to rain. My tent is always on the top of the rack and never in anything but the stuff sack that came with it. I have never had a problem with it getting wet while riding.

Now the other gear... Trash bags work great. We used a combination of kitchen sized trashbags and ziplocks. My sleeping bag is usually in a waterproof pannier, but Erica and Lauren both had theirs on the top of the rack.

They either lined the stuff sack with a kitchen trash bag or slipped one over it. The first approach is quieter because there is no flapping plastic. The second is easier if an unexpected rain pops up since you can quickly slip a bag over the stuffsack.

The sleeping pads were also on top of the rack and got similar treatment. They are less critical because they can be easily wiped off.

I too hear that compactor type bags are tougher but have not used them.

I could ride Rt. 29, but the rollers are brutal.

I'm not sure "brutal" would apply to that section of route 29. There are one or two steepish bits, but for the most part it just follows the river and by definition is pretty flat. I'd worry more about traffic, since the shoulder is either non existent or very narrow. However, I did not have a hard time when I was on it on a Sunday but traffic does not bother me as much as it might other folks.

I've noticed that the biggest disadvantage of camping in the rain, is that it limits your activities. IOW, you'd better have a good book to read in the tent if you'll have a lot of time on your hands.

I went on a little weekend tour last spring knowing it would rain one day/night. It began raining after I'd set up my tent and rained steadily for almost 24 hours. I slept late, cooked a nice breakfast/coffee under my vestibule, and read my new velo news and dirt rag before loading up and riding a few hours in the rain. I stopped early enough the next night to allow my tent to dry. It was a good trip and I'd do it again rain or shine. A good/bad tent will make/break the trip.

"Originally Posted by Wanderer The tent liner then gets "bathtubbed" with the sides going up 6" of the walls, keeping the floor waterproof.

I'm not sure I get that one. I have found that if the ground sheet projects from under the tent it directs any water that might run down the outside of the tent to pool under the tent. I take care that the ground sheet is not sticking out at all from under the tent.."

Exactly as you surmise.

I like heavy plastic sheeting, the thickest you can find, to use as ground cloths and tent liners, because they fold up so small and are inexpensive.

The "bathtub" I refer to makes the inside floor liner completely waterproof, even if some wate seeps inside. Plus - what's the first part of the tent to wear out? The floor, and it is completely protected, using this system. Floors now last forever, and the rest of the tent along with it. Cheap, easy, and quick.

It also makes the tent extremely easy to clean - it's very easy to wipe up any mud with a damp cloth(ever try that on nylon?) For complete cleaning after being in camp for a couple days, or before striking camp? Fold the tent liner up inside the tent, take it outside, shake it, and replace it. No dirt, no grit, no dust, no bugs, etc.

I really like it, and have been doing it this way for a very long time. I actually pack my tent with all of the liners, ground cloth, tent, just as they are, and they still fit in the same bag.

Get to the next site, roll it out in one piece, stake it down, erect, throw your gear in.

I like heavy plastic sheeting, the thickest you can find, to use as ground cloths and tent liners, because they fold up so small and are inexpensive.

The "bathtub" I refer to makes the inside floor liner completely waterproof, even if some wate seeps inside. Plus - what's the first part of the tent to wear out? The floor, and it is completely protected, using this system. Floors now last forever, and the rest of the tent along with it. Cheap, easy, and quick.
Still not sure I get it. Do you actually use a ground sheet AND a liner both of the heaviest plastic sheet you can find?

If you don't mind the weight I guess it works well. With inner and outer tarps, it must weigh a good bit. I am inclined to resent the weight of even a 10 mil poly groundsheet and don't always use one. Depending on where I will be camping I might use none, a 10 mil poly one, or a tyvek one.. My tents last a good while before I need to patch or treat the bottom to re-waterproof it.

Isn't the inside tarp noisy and slippery?

The purpose of ground sheets is to sell you something. Most tents will take heavy use for a long time, and need no ground sheet. That might vary on the kind of thorns or rocks you have, but on soft ground or smooth rock, it isn't a problem. Right at the moment good tents can be had for 200 bucks for a 2 person. that's like 2-3 nights in a roach motel around here. If I get ten-20 years out of a tent, I don't think it owes me anything. The fact they sell something doesn't mean it is useful. The above assumes you take boots off, put your mattress down over the tent, and climb in. If you are doing something that causes the tent to rub back and forth on the ground like a scrub brush, you may have a problem. Keep in mind any hole you get in a tent floor can easily be repaired with a lot less weight than a sheet.

By the way, back in the early 80s when I ran a backpacking store. We never had a single tent returned for wear in the floor, and at that time almost all gear had a lifetime guarantee (later dropped by many manufacturers), and ground sheets were not commonly sold, no fitted ones I ever saw. In the 5 or so years I did it. Apart from the odd manufacturing flaw, like bad zippers, the only tent returns we handled were for broken poles, as I recall. Mostly shock cord failures. One North Face VE 24 had massive pole failures in 100 mph winds in Iceland. Most people never wear a tent out. 365 day a year use would be another mater.

I believe what wanderer meant when he said it gets bathtubbed is that the portion sticking out from under the tend gets pulled together at the corners with a clothespin or something so that it goes up the sides of the tent (the outside) about 6" inside of the edge of the rainfly. This would be in case water runs, or soaks across the ground going under the rain fly and reaching the floor edge.

I like to use a trash bag or two for a groundsheet. The reason for this is that the bottom of a tent will often be wet and dirty, even if it doesn't rain. If you use a trashbag for a groundsheet, a lot less moisture & dirt/mud on the tent itself, and you can just throw out the wet dirty trash bags the first chance you get. But I agree with others, a groundsheet isn't going to make your tent last any longer.

One thing that is important... if your tent is wet and packed wet, make sure at the first chance you get, you dry out the tent. Especially if you aren't going to use the tent the next night.

Sorry, but nothing said in this thread will convince me not to use a groundsheet for my tents. And I have spent around six months in a good-quality tent, and I have pretty well worn that tent out.

There are a number of reasons why I have used and will continue to use groundsheets. Not least being they come in darned handy when I want to use them for things other than a groundsheet.

...will continue to use groundsheets. Not least being they come in darned handy when I want to use them for things other than a groundsheet.

Yep. If conditions are amenable, groundsheet = tarp.

Latest forecast is for 1.5 inches of rain and thunderstorms. I draw the line at thunderstorms. Tour scrubbed or postponed.

I've found another campground in the area that's open year round, so I'll tackle that next weekend.

Thunderstorms? Wise to stay at home. Machka and I had a rather nasty experience in a thunderstorm in the Rockies in August -- a lightning bolt down a tree about 20 metres from our tent at 2.00 in the morning (the tent was not under any tree). It was one of the scariest experiences of my life, and we had to check that we were both still alive.

We found ourselves in a thunderstorm on one night in the Indus Valley. It was the lightning that woke me up, and once I'd oriented myself and figured out that it wasn't dudes with head-torches trying to steal our stuff, I relaxed a bit and enjoyed the show until I fell asleep again. I thought it was pretty cool. BUT... it was dry when we pitched and struck camp, so it was easy for us. I don't think I'd like the thought of setting off on a tour in the rain with such a crap forecast. Good decision.

I also like the use of groundsheets, but don't see the need to buy one for +$40.... cutting your own out of heavy plastic is cheap/good idea. I just make them the size of tent floor.

The Historian,
You get a pass my friend. Thunderstorms aren't the time to playing around. But I would recommend learning on what to do if a thunderstorm is coming while you are on tour. My biggest touring fear would be like if I am in Western Kansas where's there is no trees, and a funnel cloud is coming your way.