Family tent fan [Archive]

saimyoji

01-05-2007, 23:22

Lookin around for a ventilation fan for a family size (7x7) tent. Saw the one on Campmor, too heavy at 1.7 lbs. Anyone know of any products out there that could increase ventilation?

I'm looking for something to attach to increase outflow of moist air, reducing condensation inside the tent, but still keep the windows closed to cut down on cold air coming in.

namehere

01-06-2007, 00:17

something like this http://www.cetsolar.com/smartvent300.htm in an ultra-lightweight version would be cool.

iamscottym

01-06-2007, 07:23

I've been experimenting with a 12VDC brushless computer cooling fan and a lithium ion 11.1V battery. It weighs 5 ounces and has 8 hours of battery life. However, lithium ion cells are expensive and require a smart charger, and should not be used by those without battery expertise (hint...they can explode if charged/discharged improperly).

You can pick up a 12VDC fan at radioshack for 10 bucks or so, and for batteries you can use alkalines, nimh's, whatever. You might try some sub-C Nimh cells from cheapbatterypacks.com or the like. It'll weigh more than li-ion, but less than alkaline and it'll be rechargeable. It'll probably cost around $50 for a 10 cell 4500mAh pack. (This pack would give you ~28 hours of fan run time).

Frolicking Dinosaurs

01-06-2007, 07:36

What style is your tent? I ask because I've had some success making minor modifications in tent design to increase natural convection to vent excess moisture without cooling the tent interior as much as a fan likely would. I added a small triangle of bug net with a silnylon cover to my 8 x 9' dome tent (car camping). It is placed about 10" above the point where the bathtub floor is attached to the wall and the cover held open by a piece of a straw with piece of cording threaded thru it (cord is attached to bottom of bug net and bottom of vent)

4eyedbuzzard

01-06-2007, 11:35

I'm looking for something to attach to increase outflow of moist air, reducing condensation inside the tent, but still keep the windows closed to cut down on cold air coming in.

As Scotty might say, "I cannot change the laws of physics Captain." PV= nrT -- If you are exhausting a certain volume of air with a high water vapor content, it still must be replaced by the same volume of air from somewhere else, in this case, the cold air from outside. Short of carrying a dehumidifier(not likely), you have a choice between the highly saturated (with water vapor) air inside and the ambient air from outside, which may be only partially saturated and able to replace/absorb the vapor laden air in the tent. At times, the outside air may already be saturated, in which case you will definitely have condensation in the tent. Welcome to physics.:)

4eyedbuzzard

01-06-2007, 12:06

Oh, one more thing. Saturated air is less dense than dry air at the same temperature(I know this sounds counterintuitive, but it is so:-? ) and your exhaled air is also generally warmer than the surrounding ambient air. As such, the moister air in a tent tends to rise, as does the rest of the air warmed by your body, making the best places for a tent "exhaust" vent near the top and the "inlet" near the bottom, in order to take advantage of the natural convective airflow(chimney effect) in the system. Condensation in roof systems have plagued both building engineers and tent designers for years, and sufficient ventilation is always the solution. Teepee's are remarkable examples of how to take advantage of convection in creating a dry, warm living space.

I guess that's my 4 cents on the subject.;)

RiverWarriorPJ

01-06-2007, 12:16

Coleman carries a few tent fans....

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/newsrelease.asp?releasenum=267

DragonStar

04-03-2008, 15:43

I take one of these with me (.99 at the Evil Empire) and put a Sanyo/Eneloop rechargable battery in it. Much longer runtime than a standard AA and renewable. :)

http://www.safetycentral.com/cobapopofan1.html

It hooks easily to the roof of the text, damages nothing in case of hitting the tent or you, and is pretty light. I've only taken it out on two overnights, but it has lasted thus far. Paired with a solar charger, this could be a good solution.

88BlueGT

04-07-2008, 00:26

I've also done some experimenting with little fans from computers. I just took a fan, attached a connector with a 9v connector on the other end and strap a 9v to it. Worked pretty good in testing but don't know how long the battery lasted. I've never actually taken it out.

Bob S

04-07-2008, 01:19

I have 5 of these.
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=830A350T&categoryid=6000 (http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=830A350T&categoryid=6000)

Wal-Mart normally sells them for $12.00, a few years ago at the end of the season they sold them for $2.50; I bought 3 more to bring my total to 5. even for $12.00 they are a good value.

They run on 1-D battery, provide a fair amount of air movement, and run like 16-hours on a battery. (and they really do run this long) They are magnetic and have a metal plate so you can put them anyplace on the tent. These are great fans.

I have been using them for years and am very happy with them. :sun

88BlueGT

04-07-2008, 21:50

whats the weight of that coleman fan?

Bob S

04-08-2008, 00:21

I don’t know the weight. But picking one up with a battery in it I would say it’s a little heaver then 2-d batteries. It has a big magnet on it and this is a large part of the weight.

I know almost everyone here is concerned with weight, but to me one of these fans would be worth packing. And I do pack one with me. My 18-year old son also packs one with him, he feels it’s worth it, as do I.

The problem is that if you forget to turn it off when you fall asleep you will burn up a battery in 2-nights. If you use it sparingly to cool off before you fall asleep and turn it off, you can get 4 or 5-days out of a battery. D batteries are heavy and packing very many of them would add up to a lot of weight.

NICKTHEGREEK

04-10-2008, 06:18

Tractor

04-10-2008, 06:25

was wondering the same thing. maybe it was a typo?