Waterproof tent...not so much

From here on out, the pics will have to wait. Can't get them into the blog in a reasonable time...

The tent we purchased had "welded seams" which are designed to eliminate the need to seal the seams after purchase. I awoke to the pitter patter of raindrops on the tent, secure in the knowledge that advanced fabrics and design would keep the moisture at bay. After a few minutes I heard the pitter patter of raindrops on our sleeping bag, and got up to look for the location of the tent leak. I was mystified that all the seams looked great, and the welded seams were keeping the water out. Unfortunately, the tent's fabric was woven by a screen door manufacturer, and was covered in drops that rained down from everywhere.

The rain stopped, but then the thunder started, and we got up early, threw the tent into the rooftop carrier, and got on the road for the short haul to Kalispell, near the entrance to Glacier. In Kalispell we got some coffee, landed at an outfitters to figure out how to deal with the tent. The only suggestion was to put a tarp over the tent strung between some trees. That would work, but with high pressure building and only a slight chance for showers, we decided to just deal with it.

We split up the family so that I could go grab a campsite at Sprague Creek campground in Glacier National Park and dry out the tent by setting it up. The park uses a first come first serve campsite reservation policy. You fill out an envelope with your name, address, phone number, credit card info, and # of nights. You place the envelope in a box and a stub by your campground. With that, your site is reserved. After a long drive in and back out, the family was back together and ready for the drive into Glacier.

We got the whole family back to Sprague Creek, had a nice dinner with some marshmallows, and got some rest for the next day.