Taking care of a tent when you live in a n apt

“I haven't been out backpacking since I moved into my apt. I use to hang the tent up in the garage. I don't have aplace to pitch it outside. So how would I air it out now.

The things you have to think about while living in an apt.”

“Air it out in the Apt, inside out? It's worked for me so far. I let it sit there for a few days, maybe a week (OK, tend to be lazy). I could also bring it to my roof but the wind gets going a bit.”

“A few weekends ago it got a little wet from some overnight sprinkles. When I got it home I actually hung it over my upright vacuum. I shifted it around a few times a day to make sure it dried out really well. You can also hang it over your shower curtain rod.”

“If there's no wind or rain, I lay my tent across my deck. Otherwise, I hang it in the bathroom over the shower-curtain rod. The tents generally dry in a day or so. No mold yet, so I guess its working.”

“I always set the tent up in the spare bedroom.
A few nails in the carpet work for stakes if it's not freestanding.
Just don't forget to remove the nails when the tent is taken down. They are he11 on bare feet.”

“I was wondering if the shower curtain would work.

pixie, I haven't got a vaccum cleaner yet, want to bring me yours to use ;)

SS, I only have one bedroom apt

btw see my post about a kayak..lol”

“I would own a kayak if I had a garage. (sigh) I love kayaking and renting is so expensive. I love being on the water. I was in crew in highschool.
I recommend Wally World for vacuums. I got my Bissel there recently for about $40. It's cheap, lightweight, and works well. Plus the "wand" doesn't have to be messed with. Just pull one end out and it's good to go for the edges and corners. Stick it back in and it's back to regular function. My other one required a lot of annoying attaching and detaching.”

“pixie, does that mean you aren't going to visit me :(”

“I've done the shower curtain thing before, it worked. I used to just lie it out on the floor, maybe draped over a chair, but now my cats think it's fun to play under something like that and I'm afraid they'd claw it!”

“Ewker - No spare bedroom? Then use the living room and step around it until dry.
In my apt. days, I only sleeped at my apt. During the week I was at work and in the mountains every weekend.”

“Stay in a continuing state of backpacking.”

“I'd go get some of those suction cups with hooks for hanging stuff and put those suckers in the shower and hang the tent in there.”

“I rinse mine out in the tub in cold water ,that way it dont stink up the place so bad if its getting a bit musty ,then I hang it in the shower across the curtain rod and also across another rod,one of those telescoping rods with the rubber on the ends that you can get at wallyworld or the dollar store. That spreads it out a bit more to speed drying a bit. Sometimes I put it up in my living room and use weights instead of stakes.
I just had a brainstorm!! Just mark where the stakes would go on the ceiling and put eye screws there so you can just set it up,upside down to dry!! HEH?? HEH?
OK ,whos gonna try it first?? Hey it was my Idea,somebody else test it!”

“streamweaver, good idea

tent hanging from ceiling, kayak hanging from wall behind couch, 2 bikes on a stand in a corner

dang a few more items laying around and i got an store :)”

“You don't NEED that security deposit for the apt back do you?
Make those holes in the walls and ceiling!”

“SS, I didn't pay any security deposit :)”

“I drape mine over the shower rod or over my bicycle and just move it around so it gets dry everywhere.”

“You can always use the deck if the weather is nice. Don't most apt.s have decks overlooking the pool?”

“Alrighty, in the Badlands my "good" tent got clay all over the botttom and various other places. Best way to clean that? I don't know that sponging off is gonna work. Seems more like a washing machine kinda thing. LOL! Oh and I don't have a tub, just a fairly wide shower (with sitting place) and of course no plug to hold water.

As to the apt. problem, is the tent wet or just airing out? hehehee... put something over the top of your bed, set the tent on it, go to bed and pretend you have a harem coming by.

LOLOL!!

And what's with the need for stakes anyhoo? ;-P loser-non-free-standers. LOL!”

“Ive lived in these APTs since 96 and I have yet to even see the pool!! They tell me its nice but they also told me its the cheapest baby sitter in town and the whole kiddie crew is there all summer!!
They dont allow anything on the decks except for chairs and plants and they are trying to outlaw that!! Its like a Gulag around here!!Man if they saw some of the stuff I keep in my closets ,they would not only take the security deposit but prolly call the fire dept too!!”

“Lizs,get you one of those big plastic storage tubs,fill it half way up with cold water and mild soap like dish soap or sport wash and stick the tent in. Use a soft bristle brush and gently clean the clay and mud off .A washing machine can do evil things to a good tent!!”

“LOL. Streamweaver
Back when I was caving a lot, I kept the caving clubs barrel of Carbide in my front closet. ;-)”

“Carbide????”

“Carbide lamps were and are still used for caving. I was the chairman of the Smoky Mt Grotto of the National Speleological Society in Knoxville TN back in the 80's. We were mostly UT students and recent grads.
We bought carbide in bulk by the barrel and sold it to our members by the quart.
The advantage of carbide was, as long as you had water and carbide, you had light. No batteries to run down. Water is what forms caves so water is almost always there somewhere.”

“Even if I could visit you all the way from Seattle, it would be doubtful I would lug my vacuum out with me !! LOL!”

“pixie, your right. You will just have to come by yourself ;)
then we can head over to the Smokies and spend sometime bping”

“Shower curtain rod seems to be the way to go for us "yardless" folks. At least it's always worked for me. Tent would be dry as a bone by morning -- especially if you turn the air conditioner on (speeds up the drying process).”

“Speaking of which... ahhhhhhhhh... the air conditioner just got put in the window. Really hadn't needed it till the last couple days. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

“Placing the tent and fly 'through' separate plastic or padded hangers, and then hooking the hangers over the upper door frame trim in an open doorway works for me. I can usually kinda keep them out of the way, and they dry well.

The bathroom is the most damp place in our house, and the tent would be in the way too often in the shower.”

“Set your tent up in your living room before you go to work Ewk. By the time you come home it should be dry.”

“In the winter I take my wet gear and and hang it in my sisters room since she is at school. I simply take para-cord and string it from the door to the window blinds and stuff like that.. Mom hates it, but it keeps my gear happy.”

“I hung mine from the ceiling, worked faster than the others and looked cool!!!!”

“Strap it to your luggage rack and drive down the highway.”

“i have eye hooks screwed into the top of closet doorframe the closet door is always open anyway and when the tent is hanging it just acts like a set of those cool beads to seperate a room...”