Condensation?

[bjj4287]

I backpacked out and tried out my new tarptent cloudburst 2... when i woke up the walls were like dripping and soaked... and the outer layer of my sleeping bag was wet from it touching the side of the tent... but when i felt the outside of the tent it was dry.. any tips to make this not happen?

thanks

[le loupe]

more ventilation

[le loupe]

http://www.netbackpacking.com/the-battle-against-tent-condensation.html

[garlic08]

Pick your sites carefully. If you have the choice between a breezy ridge and a low damp dew-filled valley, take the ridge.

Stake the tarptent as tight as you can before you sack out. Get as much ventilation as possible. Don't touch the sides. Carry a cotton bandanna to wipe condensation. Put on your raincoat before you get out of the bag. All sorts of tricks that will make it worth it in the long run.

[rafe]

Were you camped on grass or in a meadow, by any chance? If you want to avoid condensation, pitch the tent in the woods, on forest loam. Grassy meadow on a clear cold night = maximum condensation situation.

[bjj4287]

right by the swamp with not much undergrowth...

[4eyedbuzzard]

right by the swamp...

That would probably guaranty pretty saturated air in and around the tent. Now add the pint or so of water vapor you exhale while sleeping plus moisture/perspiration evaporating from you and your clothing. The thin tent fabric cools almost instantly to the outside air temperature, while the inside of the tent is warmer and the air completely saturated with water vapor. Unless there is air movement to carry it away condensation is inevitable.

Even with all the tent flaps opens as much as possible, there will be times due to humidity, temperature, and lack of air circulation, that you simply will not be able to avoid some condensation.

[saimyoji]

breathe less....:cool:

[Compass]

Hammock.

[various]

no tent

[Blissful]

right by the swamp with not much undergrowth...


That will do it. Terrapin is right. Pick spots in the woods.

[Tipi Walter]

This is a good example of the dilemma arising from using lightweight gear, and from it comes suggestions to avoid certain places, don't camp here, don't camp there, carry a bandana to wipe moisture, don't touch the sides, wear a raincoat when you get out of the bag, etc etc. Phew, you might as well avoid camping or pick and choose yourself out of a trip.

Why the utter fascination with everything light? Get a double walled tent and it won't be such a problem, or less of one. I would never let a piece of gear dictate where I'm gonna set up, it should work both in a river valley with high humidity at 100 degrees and atop a high open bald in a blizzard with high winds and zero temps. A shelter system should work wherever you decide to use it.

[SassyWindsor]

This is a good example of the dilemma arising from using lightweight gear, ....... Get a double walled tent and it won't be such a problem, or less of one. ..........

I agree, one item I now carry is my lightweight double walled tent. I got tired of waking up in a pool of water and ditched the cheaper single walled one. It weighs a little more initially, but I figure I end up about the same since my sleeping bag, etc weighs less without the extra moisture.

[rafe]

This is a good example of the dilemma arising from using lightweight gear, and from it comes suggestions to avoid certain places, don't camp here, don't camp there, carry a bandana to wipe moisture, don't touch the sides, wear a raincoat when you get out of the bag, etc etc. Phew, you might as well avoid camping or pick and choose yourself out of a trip.

Why the utter fascination with everything light? Get a double walled tent and it won't be such a problem, or less of one. I would never let a piece of gear dictate where I'm gonna set up, it should work both in a river valley with high humidity at 100 degrees and atop a high open bald in a blizzard with high winds and zero temps. A shelter system should work wherever you decide to use it.

Thru-hikers approach the woods differently from you, Tipi. They need to make miles, day after day. They don't linger. And yes, they're trading off comfort for weight. Truth is, the condensation bothered me twice in my Tarptent, but was otherwise a non-issue. Truth is... a Big Agnes SL1 is only a few oz. heavier than my Tarptent, and I may need to own one more tent anyway. :cool:

[Lone Wolf]

Thru-hikers approach the woods differently from you, Tipi. They need to make miles, day after day. They don't linger.

sounds like a lot of fun :rolleyes: that's why the ones that do make it look miserable as they get near the terminus

[Roots]

This is the main reason for me sticking to double wall tents. I have a lightweight double wall and make miles just fine. :)

[stranger]

I had a Cloudburst and it helps alot if you stake out the pole ends, I used to just use some bungy cord tied in a loop, and just slide it onto the pole before you place it in the grommet - this will keep the tent much taughter. Plus, then you don't have to have so much strain on the other guyouts.

Condensation - there is absolutely no way to avoid it. Condensation is largely the result of a difference of temperature between the inner and outer wall. Ventilation will help, but certainly won't eliminate it. Obviously site selection is important but you will still have condensation in any tent, single or double walled. The difference with a double wall is that you don't brush up against it and if it drips the mesh or breathable nylon helps catch it and soak it up a bit - but not always.

What's good about tarptents is that the floor is usually smaller than the fly, which means most condensation will run down the walls and drip outside through the mesh. But in heavy rain, on a still night, the rain drops hitting the outer fly will cause condensation droplets to rain down on you.

I would keep the main front beak mostly open unless its pissing down, this will help with airflow.

[taildragger]

I prefer to sleep under trees anyways, so I haven't had problems with condensation.

So, for me its no issue, but if I am camping somewhere, or on short trips, I bring my hammerhead 2, its well ventilated, and roomy as hell, but weighs a ton.

[hikergirl1120]

Ok this bringings me back to the question of what do you do if you are camping witha down bag? You def don't want to get it wet and the condensation does just that....

[rafe]

Ok this bringings me back to the question of what do you do if you are camping witha down bag? You def don't want to get it wet and the condensation does just that....

Not generally a problem, as long as the condensation stays on the tent ceiling. A few drops landing on the bag is no problem... but a puddle on the floor might be.

[taildragger]

Ok this bringings me back to the question of what do you do if you are camping witha down bag? You def don't want to get it wet and the condensation does just that....

http://www.backpacking.net/gear-reviews/sleeping-bag-review/

This article will talk a little bit about water and down bags. Water will seep into the bags at the stitching, however, all shells are not created equal and some will keep water out for quite a while.

[stranger]

I think there is somewhat of a myth that down bags can't get wet, and just what does "wet" mean?

All down bags on any long distance trip will get wet to some degree, even if water never touches them. During the night your body heat dampens the insulation, the air temperature will dampen the insulation, and condensation from tents will dampen the insulation.

In almost every tent I've even used I've noticed that my bag has some moisture on it when I wake up, it's not a lot, it dries relatively quickly, and it's really no big deal.

Down bags can't get soaked, but a little water here and there is no big deal, especially on the AT where towns are always just a couple days away and you can sprawl out your bag in a hotel and dry it out.

[buckwheat]

Tipi,

Is that an 8-pound Hilleberg Staika you're hauling around? Is that your primary everywhere tent option, or is that just your "snow tent."

[Camping Dave]

I backpacked out and tried out my new tarptent cloudburst 2... when i woke up the walls were like dripping and soaked... and the outer layer of my sleeping bag was wet from it touching the side of the tent... but when i felt the outside of the tent it was dry.. any tips to make this not happen?

thanks

This happens to me almost every time I get in a small tent and zip it closed. It's one of the reasons I rarely sleep in tents any more, even during extended car-camping trips. Your body moisture just has nowhere to go. The problem reduces greatly in hammocks or under tarps, as long as the tarps are vented at both ends. I get condensation near the top of my tarp along the ridge line sometimes, but never on my sleeping bag.

In the morning, the last thing I pack is my tarp. Shake it out, stuff it into an outside pocket, and you're good to go. You can let it air out during breaks if you want.



sounds like a lot of fun :rolleyes: that's why the ones that do make it look miserable as they get near the terminus

And here's a fine example of a useless, off topic comment. Do yourself a favor, wolfie: walk away from the keyboard and resist the temptation to hurl insults when you have no actual knowledge.

[saimyoji]

And here's a fine example of a useless, off topic comment. Do yourself a favor, wolfie: walk away from the keyboard and resist the temptation to hurl insults when you have no actual knowledge.


lol....Dave, you're a riot. :)