How to Keep the Inside of a Tent Clean and Dry

Q: How do I keep the inside of my tent clean and dry?
— Connor, Benton, Arkansas

A: When you’ve been trekking through puddles, snow or mud, you don’t want to track any of that into where you’re going to sleep.

Place a towel, small plastic tarp or utility mat, like the Born Outdoor Mud Mat ($25, bornoutdoor.com), at your tent’s entrance, either inside or outside. It’ll act like a doormat. On it, you can take off your boots and outer layers of clothing so that whatever you’ve picked up from the trail doesn’t get spread around your tent’s interior.

One advantage to using a tarp or utility mat is that they’re usually made with durable, weather-resistant materials, making them easy to clean and use again. The Mud Mat is made with 600 denier polyester ripstop fabric, which feels similar to some heavy-duty backpacking backpacks. Denier ratings measure a material’s thickness.