No Vestibule – what to do?

[David Ure]

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[Sven Klingemann]

Well – if it rains you put them inside your shelter, preferably in a plastic bag so as not to get everything all muddy(not too heavy!)
S.

[Bob Bankhead]

Definitely inside.

I never leave my footware outside and unsecured. Racoons and other creatures like the salt and if they were to run off with one in the middle of the night……….

[EndoftheTrail]

I agree with above — and definitely inside a plastic bag.

OTOH, even leaving the plastic bag somewhat open, this severely affects the boots' chance of airing out and drying out through the night!

I've always left my hiking boots and socks in my tent vestibule and no animals or insects have ever molested them in my five years of backpacking. Of course, now that I said it…

[Roger Caffin]

I wouldn't use a shelter which did not have a vestibule. Priorities…

[Rod Lawlor]

I generally leave them under the floor of the tent, standing up. Keeps them dry and mud out of the tent. Works well with the kids.

Rod

[Diplomatic Mike]

I agree with Roger. I want a vetsibule for wet gear and cooking. It's the only thing stopping me from getting a Warmlite tent.

[Chris Townsend]

I guess it depends on where and when you backpack. I wouldn't consider a shelter without a bug proof inner and a vestibule for Scottish summers. However in the winter I sometimes use single skin shelters such as the GoLite Shangri-La 3. As I use a small groundsheet there is ample ground space inside to use as I would a vestibule. Such a shelter would be unbearable when the midges are biting. On trips to dry areas such as the High Sierra and the South-West USA I've mostly used tarps and not felt any need for a vestibule.

In grizzly bear areas, and places where black bears may be interested in my food, I've carried a tent and a tarp, setting up the latter as a kitchen and dining area in wet weather.

Damp gear increases condensation inside a tent if left in the open so if I have to bring it inside I keep it in a plastic bag or stuffsack.

Of course a small tarp can be used to create a vestibule for a tent without one, something I have done occasionally when testing tents.

[Franco Darioli]

No vestibule. What to do ?

1) Panic
2) Look around, it might be at the back or at the bottom end
3) OK , it's not there . Ask yourself "why…"
4) Look again, just in case

How about having one of those multiuse heavy duty trash bags, shove your boots in there, rig it so that you still have an opening but protected from rain.
For the Aussies : always turn the boots upside down and shake them before wearing them.
Franco

[Miguel Arboleda]

It's definitely not just you David!

[Richard Lyon]

While I own a couple of tents with vestibules I usually choose one without one. I'm usually camping in the Northern Rockies, grizzly country, and wouldn't think of cooking that close to the tent even if I had a vestibule. Mike, the Warmlite 2R has more storage space inside the tent than the vestibule on any 2-man tent I've seen. Richard

[Diplomatic Mike]

Hi Richard. I usually have a personal rain cloud that follows me about! My routine in pouring rain is to dive into vestibule, and dump sack. Then i open inner and take off jacket whilst backing into inner to sit down. My shoes/boots and rain pants are taken off in the vestibule. No wet gear ever comes into the inner. I reverse this when exiting in rain. Wet gear inside just adds to condensation. Living in a damp climate with usually damp ground, you have to work at minimising condensation. I REALLY want a Warmlite, the weights are so tempting, but i can't convince myself it would work for me. Even the act of opening the low angled door lets in rain.
I'm not bothered about midges/bugs, as i wouldn't be using it at that time of year. I've got a chance of a swap deal on a Hex 3, so i think i'll go down that route.

[Richard Matthews]

How about a tarp that is all vestibule and no tent?

Or better yet a hammock. The Hennessy is like a suspended tent with a vestibule below.

[Diplomatic Mike]

I'm away tarping this weekend Richard:) Not enough trees for a hammock though.

[Art Sandt]

It depends. I have a Montbell monoframe diamond shelter which doesn't have vestibule, but due to its double wall construction, I can easily fit my boots in between the rainfly and the inner tent to keep them out of the rain (well, mostly anyways). For a single wall shelter without a vestibule, like a Bibler I-tent, I would put the boots or shoes underneath the tent floor at the head area and use them as a base for a pillow.

[David Lewis]

I've never heard the raccoon thing before! Never would have thought of that. Has that ever actually happened to anyone? Or it is just a theory?

Great idea about keeping them under the tent floor. Very creative.

I agree also that I wouldn't use a shelter without a floorless protected area. That means either a vestibule (like my GG "The One") or a "tarp" type shelter (like my GG "Spinnshelter").

Regarding cooking… I never cook in the vestibule.

[Christopher Holden]

Never had a problem with racoons, but I can vouch for possums. Mean little bugger ripped one of my shoes to shreds. I've heard friends tell me about deer chewing on them too. This is how I learned to bring them inside at night.

[David Lewis]

Crazy. And good to know! Really… never would have thought of that. I always keep my shoes under the vestibule when using my TarpTent Squall.

[Chris Townsend]

On the subject of animals and footwear I lost a sandal to a pig on the GR20 in Corsica a few years ago. I was camped in one of the fenced camp sites found along the GR20 in areas where semi-wild pigs roam. I was just using a flysheet and so didn't have a vestibule. My sandals were under the flysheet close to my head. I was woken by a noise and thought it was the wind and dozed off again only to woken a second time to see my food bag disappearing under the edge of the flysheet. I grabbed the bag and saw a small dark creature run off into the night. In case anything else was missing I decided to scout round outside. That's when I discovered I was missing a sandal. I searched by headlamp that night and again in the morning inside and outside the fence but there was no sign of it. I did notice some holes in the wire fence through which I guess a small pig had wriggled. I also met another hiker scouring the campsite for a lost sandal. Luckily I was carrying some trail shoes as I wasn't certain the sandals would be suitable for some of the scrambling along the route (they weren't) so I still had some footwear.

[EndoftheTrail]

Reading all the posts, I like the idea about tugging your boots underneath your tent floor. This way, they're protected from rain but still get a little bit of airing out — and no worries about them soiling your expensive down bag — which you know will happen if they are let inside.

[Peter Craumer]

Once in the White Mountains (NH) a porcupine chewed and destroyed my boot laces, and in Glacier NP I had a deer carry off one of my trekking poles and drop it in the woods. Fortunately, another hiker saw that happen and retrieved the pole for me.

[Bob Bankhead]

I keep everything (that I can't afford to lose, which means virtually everything) INSIDE my tent with me. The bear canister is safely stored 50 yards away in a spot where even if found, it can't be rolled very far.

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