Tips if it rains!!
Discussion
After losing my Le Mans cherry last year in temperatures that some bedouin tribesmen would have called hot ,I am worried that I am automatically expecting the same this year and may not be prepared for rain. Does anyone have any essential tips for if the heavens open, apart from wearing a coat?
Is there anything that is a must do with your camping pitch to prevent flooding and generally ballsing all our stuff up?
Any help along these lines would be much appreciated
Is there anything that is a must do with your camping pitch to prevent flooding and generally ballsing all our stuff up?
Any help along these lines would be much appreciated
I assume you will be on one of the tracksite campsites:
- In some places it's worth to dig some sort of drainage around your tent, just watch out where you pitch up your tent
- The lower parts of Houx Annexe and Karting Nord can get heavily flooded, I've experienced this myself in 1995 and 2001.
- In case it rains and you don't know what to expect when coming back to the campsite just store everything that shouldn't get wet - e.g. your sleeping back - in the car - assuming you don't arrive by motocycle;-). Take some plastic bags with you to keep essentials dry.
- In some places it's worth to dig some sort of drainage around your tent, just watch out where you pitch up your tent
- The lower parts of Houx Annexe and Karting Nord can get heavily flooded, I've experienced this myself in 1995 and 2001.
- In case it rains and you don't know what to expect when coming back to the campsite just store everything that shouldn't get wet - e.g. your sleeping back - in the car - assuming you don't arrive by motocycle;-). Take some plastic bags with you to keep essentials dry.
If you maintain a minimum level of alcohol in your system it's surprising how little a difference a bit of rain makes. Skin dries much quicker than even the most advanced waterproof fabric so keep with the shorts. A decent brimmed leather hat and good jacket was all I needed. And a bottle of fizz.
simplygod said:
After losing my Le Mans cherry last year in temperatures that some bedouin tribesmen would have called hot ,I am worried that I am automatically expecting the same this year and may not be prepared for rain. Does anyone have any essential tips for if the heavens open, apart from wearing a coat?
Sounds to me like you weren’t there on Wednesday last year then 
I have yet to have a proper wet Le Mans, and am hoping this won’t be the first.
Oh and the comment about sleeping bags and boots is a great one if you don’t have a boot that leaks
My back up plan this year centres around a motor home.
i think it has pissed it down each of the 4 times i've been for at least one day/night. but i have yet to experience a proper wet le mans.
last year we did make the mistake of pitching our tent with the door facing uphill, but it was only gear in the porch that got wet...
most tents these days have a good few inches of "groundsheet" up the wall before any openings so water shouldn't get in so keep valuables in there, and tbh, if they're that valuable shouldn't they be with you?
last year we did make the mistake of pitching our tent with the door facing uphill, but it was only gear in the porch that got wet...
most tents these days have a good few inches of "groundsheet" up the wall before any openings so water shouldn't get in so keep valuables in there, and tbh, if they're that valuable shouldn't they be with you?
simplygod said:
After losing my Le Mans cherry last year in temperatures that some bedouin tribesmen would have called hot ,I am worried that I am automatically expecting the same this year and may not be prepared for rain. Does anyone have any essential tips for if the heavens open, apart from wearing a coat?
Is there anything that is a must do with your camping pitch to prevent flooding and generally ballsing all our stuff up?
Any help along these lines would be much appreciated
I thought it was hotter the previous year. I got a touch red on Thursday after driving down in fairly serious rain on Tuesday or Wednesday.Is there anything that is a must do with your camping pitch to prevent flooding and generally ballsing all our stuff up?
Any help along these lines would be much appreciated
I think the only preparation will be to drink beer. A grandstand ticket would be of use though as long as there was someone with you to keep fetching more beer.
NormanD said:
I've booked a room on the second floor at the Hotel Arbor overlooking the Mulsanne Straight.
That way I would need 10 feet of rain before I could not see the race!
What happened ? Couldn't you get a pitch at Houx Annexe, never mind, maybe next year.That way I would need 10 feet of rain before I could not see the race!
Anyway, try to enjoy yourself.
I have been going every year since 99 and its only been wet one year, and that year it was seriously wet. That said we ended up having a few extra beers to compensate and it ended up the funniest year ever.
The race was dramatic with about 10 smash ups in the first half hour.
Its worth chucking in some plastic sheeting or the like if you have a crap tent then you sling over the top and relax in the knowledge that at least you have somewhere out of the rain for your stuff.
This year we have new motorhome to take (very cheap to rent) so bring on the rain.
Bennno
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