Tarptent Contrail

[Hotel]

I have a tarptent contrail that is single walled. I have had problems with condensation on the inside.

1. Are there any tips to minimizing or eliminating the condensation problem? I know adequate ventilation is a must.

2. How does the tarptent contrail hold up to heavy rain/wind?

We are starting the GA section this weekend.

Thanks

[BradMT]

Tarptents are condensation collectors. Obviously good ventilation is critical, but even still it will collect moisture. The best advice is to carry a small microfiber cloth to wipe it off.

[Pages]

[QUOTE=Hotel;1348957]I have a tarptent contrail that is single walled. I have had problems with condensation on the inside.

1. Are there any tips to minimizing or eliminating the condensation problem? I know adequate ventilation is a must.

2. How does the tarptent contrail hold up to heavy rain/wind?

We are starting the GA section this weekend.

Thanks[/QUOTE



i had a contrail. returned it because it was not very storm worthy and was confining. bought a copper spur 1 and love it.

[Firefighter503]

Like has been said above, carry a small cloth, choose good camp sites (ie: not in low lying areas near water), and pitch it with the vents as open as possible for good ventilation. I spent a night in the smokies in a pretty good storm/35* weather in my contrail and had no problem, other than a bit of sag after it first gets wet. Just retention the lines and its good to go.

[garlic08]

In the heaviest of wind-driven rains, you will get some "misting", but a wipe or two with a bandanna will take care of that. That happened once to me on the AT.

As said above, site selection will help. On the AT, I tended to camp on ridges above the valley floors and I usually stayed dry that way.

Don't be afraid to really pull on the guy lines. Get them as tight as you can, then tighten them again later. You can't hurt the silnylon by pulling on it.

There is a learning curve to pitching the Contrail. I was still getting better at it after a year. Keep at it.

My Contrail has over 6000 trail miles on it plus a transcontinental bicycle trip. Needless to say, I'm very pleased with it and have used it in many different conditions over six seasons. It's a very good shelter for the weight and cost.

[Hotel]

All, Thanks for the replies. Does anyone use a foot print or other as an entrance, etc. with the Contrail?

[garlic08]

I have never used a ground cloth with my Contrail. I've had no problems with the floor. Site selection, again, is important. As with any tent, a well-drained site is preferred. You don't want to camp in a muddy depression during a rainstorm, but I don't know why you'd do that anyway.

[Theosus]

A guy I go with uses his contrail exclusively. He uses a bit of tyvec as a ground cloth. I've heard no complaints from him about it, and we spent a REALLY misty, cool rainy wet night at 6000 feet. Everything everyone had was damp, but not soaked in the tents. i like the look of the contrail. I'll probably go with a 2-man version eventually, when my kid wants to go somewhere with me.

[Firefighter503]

I never used a groundsheet with the contrail, but my brother does now that it belongs to him. Peace of mind I guess. I put it through its paces with no problems though.