5 Activities to Enjoy in Your Portable Camp Shelter
Sometimes you have a full day of outdoor activities planned for your camping trip…and then you see rain in the forecast. When Mother Nature strikes and your sunny weather turns to rain, don’t fret! With a portable camp shelter, you can stay comfortable and dry and still enjoy the great outdoors. Here are some of our favourite camping activities—and gear recommendations—for making memories together during a rainy day.
But First: The Portable Camp Shelter
While you can stay dry inside your tent or RV, a portable camp shelter (such as our 4-Wall Bear Cub Gazebo) should be an essential item on your gear list for rainy weather camping. Compared to a tent, a shelter gives you plenty of extra dry space to enjoy your campsite. It provides additional room for you to stand up, move around, and fit various gear inside, from tables and chairs to portable fire pits, the Busy Bear Camp Kitchen, and more. Plus, you can connect two shelters together, like our Super Bear Den Deluxe Gazebo (with connecting gusset), to double your space.
Our shelters also have various roll-up wall and window options (check out our full lineup of shelters here). This allows you to still take in the beautiful outdoor scenery from the cozy comforts of your dry, roomy shelter. Each shelter is also screened in, preventing bugs from crashing the party. Not bad for a rainy day!
Our 5 Favourite (and Dry) Rainy Day Camping Activities Inside a Portable Shelter
If you’re expecting rain and have a camp shelter at the ready, here are some great activity ideas for making the most of your camping trip while staying comfortable and dry in the process:
- Reading
There’s nothing like cozying up in a comfy Lazy Bear Heated Chair with a good book in hand, listening to the quiet sounds of rain and nature in the background. As a family, you can even pick a book that everyone enjoys and take turns reading chapters aloud together. And with your littlest campers, you can bring a Bear Buddy Double Chair and read a picture book together side by side.
Many people want to unplug on a camping trip, and reading is one of the best ways to do so if you’re trying to pass the time. A rainy day gives you the perfect opportunity to pick up that book you’ve been hoping to read.
Your shelter will also provide extra space for a Northstar LED Flexlite. Use the hook at the base of the light to hang it inside the shelter, and pivot the light’s arms to direct the light where you need for reading.
- Playing Card Games
For some friendly competition, a rainy camping trip can easily turn into a card game marathon. Now’s the time to practice your hearts, spades, or canasta skills with a deck of Kuma Playing Cards.
And with a portable camp shelter, there’s plenty of room for the whole group to sit around a camp table like the Big Bear Table with their Off Grid Chairs and have hours of fun. With connected double shelters, you can even add extra space to play multiple games or bring your cooking setup out of the rain.
- Watching a Movie on Your Device
When you know a rainy day is coming, download a movie or two onto your phone or tablet before departing for your camping trip. Worried about battery life? Plug your device into our portable USB-C power bank to keep your device charged while watching your movie together in the great outdoors. Bonus points if you pair the movie’s sound to our Bluetooth Trailmate Speaker Lantern for the full experience.
Under the warmth of the shelter, you can even snuggle up under our comfy Kuma Kamp Blanket while watching the movie as it gets dark. Our Hex Striped Peaks Outdoor Mat can also provide some extra footprint comfort to make the movie night even cozier. Can someone pass the popcorn (or trail mix)?
- Sharing Stories
It can’t get more classic than sharing stories on a camping trip. Whether it’s telling ghost stories, reminiscing days gone by, or making up something as you go, sharing stories is an easy, simple activity to enjoy when it rains. You just need to pull up a chair, like our Bear Trax Rocker when grandpa gets in rhythm.
But you know what makes stories even better? Sharing them with a beverage in hand. Our Orso 45 Quart Icebox keeps your favorite drinks cold for hours when you’re telling stories late into the rainy night.
- Gathering Around a Portable Fire Pit
You may think rainy weather means there’s no campfire, but not so fast. Roll up the privacy panels to let the air flow through, then bring in a portable fire pit, like our Hex Fire Bowl or Bear Blaze Fire Bowl. Talk about leveling up your rainy day camping experience! Soon you’ll be hearing the crackle of the warm fire and the soft patter of raindrops while relaxing in your favourite camp chair. It doesn’t get any better than that—unless maybe you have some S’mores Sticks on hand.
Be Prepared With Kuma Outdoor Gear
With the right camping equipment, you can fill a rainy day camping trip with fun memories you talk about for years to come. At Kuma Outdoor Gear, we provide camp shelters, chairs, tents, and other portable, luxury outdoor gear so you can stay comfortable camping in all kinds of weather. Shop our online store today or find a retailer near you.