1.So what do you do when your only option is to set up camp on a slanted hill? (very slippery) 2. Is there any tips or tricks to keep the water out and the wind from blowing it everywhere other than putting some of the extra gear that I have on the edges?

Edited by veilsidecelica01 on 04/07/2011 21:06:30 MDT.

It doesn't matter what you have underneath; there's only so much you can do to overcome gravity/ If you camp on more than a very slight slope, you'll keep waking up trying to go through the sides of your tent/tarp and be climbing hills all night. Been there, done that, many times!

Fighting gravity is going to be a losing battle. I guess if you staked your bag or body to the ground you might slow the inevitable...
Keeping rain out can be as simple figuring out the lay of the land, sloped or otherwise to determine where water will run. You can always dig a "v" shaped trench at the up slope to help divert water to the sides of your shelter. This link is one idea for holding the polycryo in place.

http://gossamergear.com/wp/tips/hold-your-polycryo-down-when-it%E2%80%99s-windy

Throw a couple rocks on it until you're done setting up.

Re: water running under your shelter. That's one reason I use a ground cloth that is a little larger than needed and I roll the extra under, raising the edge a bit so any water runs under.

Trenching is poor Leave No Trace practice, but I remember that being a staple technique in Scouts (MANY years ago). Maybe sweeping up a little berm of duff to be spread out after?

No free lunch on sliding. I'm a restless sleeper and I end up in a heap at the bottom.


The hammock guys are grinning....

Edited by dwambaugh on 04/07/2011 22:02:51 MDT.

Trenching around a tent was considered acceptable forty years ago. However, it causes lots of erosion and leaves an ugly eyesore. They are prohibited in national parks and probably other places as well.

--B.G.--

thanks guys

Wow I stepped into that one. I guess I should have added a comment about erasing all evidence of your presence when you leave. I naturally make an assumption that we all practice LNT. I wasn't proposing a pick an shovel project but a simple dragging of your heel along the ground. Bottom line is that you'll probably never have to resort to that by picking your tent site with an eye towards the natural lay of the land and where the water will run. I've never been forced to use a site where there was a problem, yet.

I frequently camp on slopes and I usually use a GG Polycryo sheet as my ground cloth. But as I sleep with my feet eleveated anyway, I don't mind the feeling of being upside down anymore. There have been a few times that as I rolled in the night I slowly migrated downhill and I had to reposition my bag when I got up for the call of nature. I also have occasionally dug a shallow trench/dirt barrier using the heel of my foot uphill of my camp to help with drainage. Its very easy to erase any trace of it in the morning fullfilling the LNT ethics. The sort of trenching that has been banned in some places was that practiced by boy scouts decades ago and involved using shovels and was often deeper then a cathole. And yes, it wasn't very LNT.

The most creative camp on a steep slope (only done once and thankfully not in rain) involved placing my backpack upslope of a tree as a guard rail and pad and sleeping with my back against it parallel to the slope contour. The tree keeps you from rolling down the hill.

Edited by Miner on 04/08/2011 14:47:44 MDT.

I have purposely set up in a lower spot to avoid the combination of silnylon on polycro and a slope. With a thick mattress I have gambled that any water that may collect between the groundcloth and tent floor and seep through, would be of little consequence since I was elevated. So far I haven't had any problems even when the tent floor appeared to be a thin water bed mattress by morning. I must also point out that I have applied silicone to the entire tent floor raising the mm rating considerably.