You have finally come back from your camping trip and now, it is time for you to pack away and store all your gear and equipment and face a new day in the real world.
Your trip happened on a rainy day and you now have to dry the tent fast so you could put it back in its storage bag. Although air-drying your tent is possible, the last thing you want is to leave it hanging up.
Can you dry a tent in the dryer, then? No, you cannot dry a tent in the dryer. While you might find it tempting to just toss your tent inside the dryer to get the job done faster, the time you save will only cost you more in the long run.
Since it is not advisable to use the dryer to dry your tent, it is important you know how to properly dry it up without causing any damages.
Why You Cannot Use the Dryer to Dry Your Tent
It is imperative to make sure that all your camping gear is completely dry before putting them in storage. This is because wet gear can become a thriving spot for mold and it can get ruined when not cared for properly.
If you are living in a small and cramped space and you don’t have the luxury time for air drying larger gear pieces, such as a tent, you are probably wondering if you can toss them in your dryer.
Sadly, putting specific gear pieces such as a tent in your dryer or even your washing machine is one of the easiest ways to damage your gear.
Since it is not advisable to put your tent in a dryer, it is best to search for other methods to make sure that your tent will be free from any traces of moisture before you store it for a long period of time.
How to Dry a Tent Properly After Your Camping Adventure
Without a doubt, the best and most advisable way for drying your tent after a camping trip is to just hand dry this on the clothesline outdoors on a sunny and warm day with light wind. You can minimize the risks of damage if you dry your tent this way.
If you don’t have a clothesline, another option is to drape your tent over the fence. You can also pitch the tent in a sunny area to dry it fast and check for any damages at the same time. The only downside of this method is that it makes it harder and even impossible to dry the tent’s base.
Meanwhile, putting the tent in the dryer could easily cause damages to the waterproof coating of the tent or even the fabric itself. Dryers can rip the tent’s fabric and result in serious damage, specifically with tent bodies usually constructed from a mesh.
How Long It Takes to Air Dry a Tent
The particular length of time required to dry a tent will depend on the conditions the tent has been dried in as well as how wet the gear was in the first place.
A sunny and warm day with light wind and low humidity can make the tent dry rather fast even when it is soaking wet. Given these ideal conditions, damp tents can dry in a matter of 30 to 45 minutes.
Having said this, tents are going to dry much longer if it is particularly humid or cold outside. During these conditions, except that it will take hours or even days before the tent dries out.
However, take note that if the outdoor temperature is too cold, there is the risk that your wet tent will freeze. On the other hand, if it is extremely humid outdoors, your tent will be damper than when you started.
Is It Possible to Dry Tents Indoors?
For those living in a place with notably poor weather or there is an impending storm just when you have decided to dry your tent, you might consider drying the gear indoors.
It can get quite tricky if you are living in a cramped space since you need to look for a good spot for hanging your tent, such as a makeshift clothesline in your garage.
When everything else fails, you can dry your tent on the shower rod, especially if it actively drips water because the bathroom has been designed to deal with moisture.
After you have identified an ideal place for hanging a tent indoors, you now need to create the perfect conditions for drying it. You can always hang up the tent in your bathroom but you need to wait as it can take some time and you will eventually need to use the shower.
With low humidity, slightly windy and warm conditions are ideal to dry tents, you need to mimic these conditions as much as you can inside your house. The best way to achieve this is to use a fan and a small space heater.
You can plug in these two and have them aligned with your tent while making sure that the heat is at a safe distance away from your tent to ensure that it won’t get damaged.
This helps you create the wind and heat required for drying. If you want to dry the tent inside the bathroom, it is recommended to keep the door closed and turn on the exhaust fan to lower the room’s humidity level.
The Bottom Line
Can you dry a tent in the dryer? Simply put, using the dryer to dry a tent is the fastest and easiest way to destroy your precious camping gear.
This means that you will be better off if you hang up your tent to dry outside on a warm and nice sunny day. In case it is impossible to hang up the tent outdoors, the bathroom or garage can also serve as ideal makeshift areas for drying your tent.
Taking extra care of your tent ensures that you can use it for more camping adventures in the years to come.
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