Rainfly condensation?

[Mandalorian]

I'm relatively new to sleeping in a tent with a rainfly. I'm amazed at how much condensation builds up overnight. How do you or do you get rid of it before packing it away for the day's hike?

[MuddyWaters]

Well, in decent weather you need to ventillate as much as possible to reduce it.
Wipe down with bandana, will take care of some
In most cases, put in outside of pack and air out in sun to dry while taking break
Or just dont worry about it

[Tipi Walter]

You don't. Packing up a condensated or saturated tent is all part of the game. What's an extra lb of water weight? In the next camp set up and perhaps the tent will dry. Or not. Eventually maybe by Day 3 or 5 the thing will be dry if the rain stops or conditions are better.

One night you will have condensation, the next night everything will be bone dry. If you hanker to pack up a dry tent every morning you'd never leave camp.

[Tuckahoe]

http://windowoutdoors.com/WindowOutdoors/Dew%20Frost%20Condensation%20and%20Radiation.htm

Take some time to read over that link, as condensation on tents isnt really just about ventilation --


Keeping the fabric warm is important. Net loss of infrared radiation (IR) at night causes fabric temperature to drop below the air temperature and leads to condensation. Clouds, wind, and staying beneath trees all help with keeping the fabric from dropping below ambient temperature. Clouds and tree branches send IR radiation back toward the fabric, lessening the radiation imbalance. Wind increases convection heat transfer thereby keeping the fabric near the air temperature. The lesser amounts of condensation on windy nights have more to do with the wind keeping the fabric near air temperature rather than ventilating moisture, although both are important.

There is no reason one should be packing away a condensation soaked tent, it really isn't part of the game.

[nsherry61]

. . . How do you or do you get rid of it before packing it away for the day's hike?
I shake it off just like shaking off a dirty rug. It helps to fold the rain fly in half, with the wet side out, before shaking so the fly is functionally small enough to manage shaking. If it's been raining and both sides are wet, shake off one side, the turn the other side out and shake it off. If there are two people, you can work together to shake off all the water that will come off.

Then yeah, you are packing away a damp fly, but not one covered in water.

[Tipi Walter]

There is no reason one should be packing away a condensation soaked tent, it really isn't part of the game.




Then yeah, you are packing away a damp fly, but not one covered in water.

Sometimes I wonder if anyone has camped in the mountains of TN and NC. We get all sorts of humid weather (even though we're now in a persistent drought). I don't know anyone who winter camps with a tent and can avoid a condensation soaked tent---and these tents need to be packed up wet.

No matter how hard you shake off a tent it will be wet, not just damp. The only way to achieve a truly dry tent is to either let it air dry in camp if conditions are right for several hours or use a roll of paper towels and get the fabrics bone dry.

Oh and Tuckahoe in your link it says, "Keeping the fabric warm is important." (to lessen condensation). This will be impossible to do on a backpacking trip unless your tent is a hot tent with a woodstove. There is no way to keep a tent fly or canopy warm no matter where you set up. I have found wind to be the best cure for condensation---but not a 50mph windstorm with horizontal rain.

[GoLight]

I remember that condensation problem back in my tent camping days, but haven´t had a similar problem with hammock camping. Has anyone had a problem with condensation on rain fly when hammock camping?

[nsherry61]

Sometimes I wonder if anyone has camped in the mountains of TN and NC. . .
I can safely say that I haven't. But, I would like to some day.


. . . I don't know anyone who winter camps with a tent and can avoid a condensation soaked tent---and these tents need to be packed up wet.

No matter how hard you shake off a tent it will be wet, not just damp.
I winter camp a lot and rarely deal with condensation issues when it is below freezing.
That being said, in my previous response, I was focusing on condensation on the fly, not condensation on the tent body. I agree Tipi that there are times when your tent body is wet and just needs to be packed away wet, then unpacked and used wet. That's like.

And, on another note, solve the problem by sleeping under a tarp instead of a enclosed cloth box of isolation. Kinda like walkeatsleep alludes to in the context of hammocks. To the hammock and tarp condensation question, yes, I've had condensation on tarps also, but only rarely.

[Tipi Walter]

Good responses. Here in the Southeast we get pesky winter rainstorms at around 30F which tests the toughest shelters. Sleet storms, plain old blizzards, long cold rains, you name it. Hot summer days with cool humid nights---meadow dew covers everything. So we don't set up in a meadow? Naw, meadow camping and open bald camping is some of the best camping in the Southeast. Dealing with condensation is just part of a trip.

Conditions change enough to notice eventually. In December I was pulling a long trip in the TN mountains and got hit with a 75 hour rainstorm at around 32F. Condensation was terrible but my double wall tent kept me dry and all of the water on the inside of the fly went down the fly or onto the inner tent canopy and off to the ground.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Backpack-2015-Trips-161/Three-Citico-Nuts/i-JJswqpq/0/XL/TRIP%20170%20015-XL.jpg
This is fly condensation hitting my inner tent canopy but not on me. Good reason to not carry a single wall tent in the winter.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Backpacking2012/Tipi-Walter-in-Snowbirds/i-PTDNCcH/0/L/TRIP%20129%20123-L.jpg
In Jan 2012 I got caught in a 153 hour rainstorm and spent one night atop Haw Mt at 5,500 feet. It was windy and wet as old Haw is very exposed.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/18-Days-in-the-Big-Frog/i-Bv5J7zH/0/O/TRIP%20141%20227.jpg
My worst winter rainstorm was in January 2013 with 180 hours of rain in the Big Frog wilderness. Here I am on Big Frog Mt.

Point is? Get ready for some real-world condensation.

[RangerZ]

If its warm, dry and breezy I either take the fly off and put it back on the tent frame inside out to wipe it down, or if there's time set up my bear line as a clothes line and hang my rain fly, sleeping bag and sleeping base layer to air out.


You can always keep your fly open but that gets into personal choices. :banana

[Runsalone]

Sometimes I wonder if anyone has camped in the mountains of TN and NC.

He said condensation, not condescension. Jeez.

[Rasputen]

He said condensation, not condescension. Jeez.


It's Tipi. Your just reading him wrong. He's probably got more time in our Southern Highlands, inside a tent-all times of the year, than anyone on this site.
He speaks the truth on the condensation issue. Your going to have it, at some point, no matter what you do.

[swede]

I remember that condensation problem back in my tent camping days, but haven´t had a similar problem with hammock camping. Has anyone had a problem with condensation on rain fly when hammock camping?

I camp a lot in western NC. Depending on elevation, and conditions, my Hennessy fly does condense moisture. I fixed the problem by draping another tarp over the netting line, otherwise I would wet out, warmer too. Recently I camped 3 days on Green Knob trail in the Western Prong and the first night I tarped, (having no trees, right?), and wetted out with the clouds rolling over. Next nights were dryer with a slight breeze. You're gonna deal with wet conditions, and it's important to find time to dry out gear when possible.

[HooKooDooKu]

If I have condensation in the tent fly, I simply flip the fly upside-down on the tent, wipe the excess water with a pack towel, and give it a chance to dry while I eat breakfast. Then pack it up... maybe a little damp, maybe bone dry.

[Ktaadn]

Step one is condensation prevention. If it isn't too cold/windy, I try to pitch my tent with the bottom of the fly as high off the ground as possible. If it isn't raining, I'll leave the top of the fly door open a bit also. Obviously, I'm trying to improve airflow here.

If I do wake up with a lot of condensation (in the winter it is often in the form of frost), I'll take my fly off of my tent first thing and shake it. I then hang it on a tree, shelter, or table and let the morning sun/breeze work its magic while I eat breakfast and pack up.

When it's time to go, wet or dry, it gets another good shake and stuffed into my pack. If it is still damp when I put the tent up in the evening, it is usually dry by the time I go to bed. Then, the cycle of life begins again.

[Lnj]

I remember that condensation problem back in my tent camping days, but haven´t had a similar problem with hammock camping. Has anyone had a problem with condensation on rain fly when hammock camping?

Glad you said this, as I was just wondering the same thing. Thanks,

[saltysack]

You don't. Packing up a condensated or saturated tent is all part of the game. What's an extra lb of water weight? In the next camp set up and perhaps the tent will dry. Or not. Eventually maybe by Day 3 or 5 the thing will be dry if the rain stops or conditions are better.

One night you will have condensation, the next night everything will be bone dry. If you hanker to pack up a dry tent every morning you'd never leave camp.

+1.....I just started pulling my rain jacket over the foot box of my quilt and not worry about it.....it drys fast the next evening.....unless your like me and hike till after dark.....never seems to dry!


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