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Camping value of a good tent fly sheet

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Many tents are single-piece, self-contained units -- especially some of the dome pop-up tents -- that assemble quickly and easily, even under adverse conditions. Even such tents as these demonstrate, with their built-in fly sheets or the equivalent, the value of a good fly sheet (sometimes seen as "flysheet") to your camping experience.

For beginners, the simplest way to explain a fly sheet is that it is the waterproof/water resistant covering that goes over the interior tent in which you sleep and store you body and your stuff. Think of it as an outer tent, and remember this one thing above all to have an effective fly sheet when you camp: The fly sheet MUST be kept separate from your inner tent.

Why? Well, because having them touch means you're going to have moisture condensation problems that likely will leave you with a "drippy" experience inside your tent.

Ideally, when you pitch your tent you will be able to stretch the fly sheet between trees or tent poles, keeping it taunt, and allowing air space between your tent and the fly sheet. This will preserve the protective nature of the fly sheet and give you extra shelter from stormy, rainy weather.

If your tent is like many (most?) modern tents, fly sheets and setting them up may not be an issue. In many cases, as mentioned above, fly sheets, or at least an outer tent layer with built-in separation from the inner tent, is taken care of in the construction of your tent.

At the same time, if your space and weight limitations permit, it doesn't hurt to have a couple of heavy plastic tarps or drop cloths along just in case to keep the weather off, does it? Remember the old Scout motto and "Be Prepared"!

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