1) Seam Seal.. Everything.

A little preparation can go a long way, if your gear isn't seam sealed start there.

There are two ways to seam seal, brush on sealant from the outside (typically with a silicone based sealant, with silicone coated fabric) or heat weld seam tape (trickier to do yourself).

2) Setup Priority.

When you arrive to your camp site in the rain the order you set up camp in could mean you are dry as a bone or miserable. Setup your rain protection FIRST, if you are hammock camping set up your rain fly or air tent. If you are ground camping set up your poles on your footprint and then add the rain fly (if possible). With your rain shelter in place you can unpack the rest of your gear while being completely dry. 

Pro Tip: Keep your Rain Fly or Shelter at the top of your pack or on the outside, so it's easily accessible WITHOUT pulling all your other gear out. 

3) Take the High Ground.

If you are ground camping this is crazy important. Pay attention to the grade of your campsite, setting up in a low spot or a flat spot could equal a flooded tent. Try to position yourself on a slight slope or at least create a trenched exit for the water to flow towards. 

Air campers have a much easier time here, since you are elevated you don't have to worry about your shelter flooding out. You can even setup on a slope so you aren't stepping into a mud puddle when you exit your Air Camp. 

Pro Tip: Don't forget about where your pack is during a storm, a wet and muddy pack equals a terrible trail day not to mention ruined gear. 

4) Is Your Fabric Waterproof?

Most shelters aren't actually "Waterproof" they are "Water resistant", which means water will bead up and roll off - to a point. The reality is you want your rainfly to withstand a water column of pressure, not just bead up and roll off. High end rain fly's and shelters generally use coatings for waterproofing fabric,  the typical looks like this: DWR exterior and a Polyurethane interior (with a waterproof rating). Some people go a step further and apply silicone coatings to the exterior. The minimum water column for a rain fly should be 1200mm.  

Pro Tip: If you find out your fabric isn't waterproof, make it through your trip by wiping the fabric down with "Never Wet". Next thing to do is upgrade. 

5) Air Campers Pay Attention to your Suspension.

The MOST vulnerable area of any hammock are the connection ends, more specifically the suspension connecting the hammock to the tree. What generally happens is water will collect on your suspension line and then run down that line to your hammock, ultimately soaking you and your insulation. To avoid this you need to create a 'water break' on your suspension. Some people tie shoe laces on their lines to help with this. We opted to incorporate suspension protection into our shelter designs. 

We Love the Wild

The whole idea behind Sierra Madre is elevating your outdoor experience. It starts with adapting your gear carry out to each adventure. Car Camping trips look different from Backpacking trips, make sure you have the gear you need to make the most of every adventure. 

The Adventurous Richard Branson loves Sierra Madre gear too!

Sierra Madre is the sound of a revolution in the outdoor world. Whereas other corporate conglomerates are figuring out which colors to push next year, Sierra Madre creates real innovations that empower you in the wild.

That's why Sir Richard Branson (possibly one of the most adventurous people on the planet) backed Sierra Madre. He believes in disrupting the status quo with the best product and service and was thrilled to partner with Sierra Madre. 

Sierra Madre gear is built to last a lifetime and only available on our website.

Sierra Madre gear was created to maximize your time in the wild, we've carefully developed a line up of accessories that help you adapt to every adventurous situation you find yourself in.

No two adventures look the same, No matter where adventure takes you, we've got your back.

Our founder, Richard Rhett, created Sierra Madre because of two epic gear failures he experienced in the wild. Both left him stranded and completely ruined his adventures. As a Mechanical Engineer turned Entrepreneur. After over 10 years of building gear, Richard has held fast to our two pillars of our gear design, 1) solve problems, and look good doing it 2) over build it with hyper quality. 

“Sleeping in the wild should be restful and enjoyable, when you're not worried about getting wet or cold - it's so much easier to feel at peace in the wild”. Being comfortable, protected, and warm in the wild helps you feel at peace... Feels like home. "That's what it's all about."

We'd love to share one of our favorite stories with you. This came from a (now) customer. 

"Hello,

My name is Jim Aexfor and I am from Minnesota. I recently returned from a trip with a friend to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota.

I have a Kammok hammock setup while my friend has your Nubé setup he purchased early this year.

During our trip we encountered a bad storm with 50+ mph winds. During the storm my Glider hammock shelter ripped in half. This happened on day 2 of our weeklong adventure. My friend's Nubé shelter withstood the winds and we ended up adding my hammock above his in the shelter so I had a place to sleep out of the rain. We had another night of rain later on in the trip and had to do the same.

I had to let you know how awesome your product is and what a trip-saver is was for us. Otherwise, the trip would have been pretty miserable for me.

I will be shouting from the mountaintops about the quality of your product and will be advising my relatives and friends to check into your products. Ever since I started hammock camping many of my relatives and friends have become interested in this great outdoor experience.

I will be selling my hammock and investing the money into one of your setups. I am a teacher and a volunteer EMT so during the upcoming winter months I will be saving up to purchase the entire Nubé system.

Thank you so much for your incredible products that saved our trip!

Jim

What an REI employee said about us...

“I work for REI in the camping department and I also teach wilderness skills for the outdoor school. I have had plenty of experience with other camping gear but not until I tried sierra madre I was never satisfied. Sierra madre has worked the kinks out with their incredible innovation!” — Robert

All Sierra Madre products are created with sustainability at the fore front.

We strive for sustainability in our product design and excellent working conditions in every factory we partner with. We believe that every human has value and if people are taken care of, then they will take care of our planet.

We also believe that quality drinking water shouldn’t be a luxury. As part of our 1 for Clean Water Promise each piece of gear contributes one year of clean water to a person who desperately needs it. Together, we can end the water crisis.