Tips for Camping in the Rain with Kids

You’ve packed all your gear and you’ve been looking forward to this trip for the kids to connect with nature. Then the weatherman says there’s a  chance of rain. Don’t panic!  Unless it’s a guaranteed storm there’s no need to cancel your trip. Showers do pass and you’ll soon be dry again. Rainy days are all part of the experience and the kids really don’t seem to mind, if you pack a few clever essentials you can still have a great time. Here’s our tips.

• Check your gear before you go – especially if it’s been packed away for a while, check seams for rips. Make sure you have a tent with a decent water rating – anything under 2000mm rating you may want to look at getting higher. Your tent should be seam sealed, have a bucket floor and high water head rating.


• Take an extra shelter with you – a tarp and poles are good or consider adding a quality canopy to your kit for shade or rain so you can have somewhere other than your tent to socialise and eat.


• Get your gear up off the ground. Camp chairs are essential and a decent size camp table is a bonus.


• Grab your door mat or take old towels to line the entrance to your tent to prevent bringing mud into dry areas, extra towels are also handy for wiping down a wet tent and gear when it’s time to pack up.


• A dustpan and brush to clean up grass and wet leaves from the tent.


• Take some washing line and pegs to give you some hanging space to dry clothes and towels.


• Don’t set up at the bottom of a slope or in a valley shape – your tent will be where the rain collects.


• Take rain coats, an umbrella, gum boots and a hat with a brim. If it’s hot and wet let they kids play in swimmers.


• Take a few extra changes of clothes.


• A full pack of baby wipes for muddy kid clean-ups.


• Take a roll of garbage bags to store wet gear or keep essential gear dry. They make for great emergency rain capes and you’ll all look like batman.


• Take games that you can play while sitting under shelter – craft, cards, uno, travel board game, crafts, reading, drawing.


• Research the local area for things to do before you go, if it all gets too much head out for a day trip.


• Just go with it… kids love jumping in puddles and getting muddy (and so do adults if they let themselves)