Tarp tent

[selfbow]

Hi all

I have just got back from a trip in the peak's. I used my tarp as a tent for the first time but found that there was a lot of condensashion. Is there a way of stoping this ?

The set up was one pole at the front and the back of the tarp flat to the ground. a bit like a bivi tent and my jacket covering the opening at the front. Im more of a hammock man but when there are no trees i would like to use my tarp and not a tent

 

[Miyagi]

You'll always get a bit of condensation due to you breathing out as you sleep.

When we used to laager up in a harbour area using 58 ponchos as bivvies, there were clouds of steam once the sleeping bags were zipped open and sleepy bods climbed out of their shell scrapes at "stand to" just before dawn.

Unless you've a breeze blowing through or have left a wee gap, condensation is the norm as tarps and ponchos tend not be "breathable" materials.

Liam

 

[treadlightly]

One factor to consider is the weather. You don't say what the conditions were like. Damp, still days, or autumn days with a big contrast between day and night temperatures will produce more condensation.

Generally, the more airflow you can get through the less condensation you will experience. Maybe raise the one end a little off the ground and don't use anything to cover the entrance unless you think it is going to bucket down.

 

[selfbow]

Thank you all
I will try and get more air flow next time. Still new to this but love it

 

[Teepee]

IME, a gap of less than 1m from the ground causes condensation at this time of year. With a tarp tent, thats obviously not practical to do.

I find carrying a microfibre cloth and soaking up the condensation is the best way of dealing with it and not closing the doors unless absolutely necessary as Treadlightly said.

Its the nature of single skin shelters, nothing will stop it unless you have lots and lots of airflow.

 

[Shewie]

I think sometimes there's nothing you can do about the condensation building up, if it's wet on the ground and there's no wind then you're going to get it. I've spent quite a lot of time under a single skin shelter over the last twelve months and you just learnt to live with it, I notice it more if the day has been warm but the night drops cold.
I've had it with my hammock setup before too so there's just no predicting it.

The single skin theory is a bit of tosh though, you still get the same condensation with a two skin tent it's just that you can't see it until you take the inner down.

An absorbent cloth is the way to go, the microfibre ones Pete mentioned are the best I've found so far.

 

[jacko1066]

As its already been stated about the airflow thing.
I had exactly the same thing in Wales but because of rain I couldn't leave the door open.
The way that I'm gonna get round it next time is to simply carry a light weight breathable bivi bag.
It doesn't need to be waterproof either just water resistant.
Cheers


Leave only footprints take only memories

 

[shaggystu]

When I get up in the Peak I use pretty much the same set up as you've described, but leave the entrance open. I still get masses of condensation. What I do is make sure I use a bivvy bag too, that way I've got something between me and the condensation, then I just ignore it. As long as I've got something between me and the damp then all's good in my mind.

Cheers,

Stuart

 

[Shewie]

This was a soggy night for the condensation, a really warm day around 21*c in March, it dropped to frost temps at night so the whole of the inside of my Trailstar was sodden in the morning ..

I use a 207g MLD bivvy bag on top of 44g of polycryo groundsheet

 

[rik_uk3]

You'll never stop it even in a single skin tent thats well ventilated.

 

[Still Waters]

The more through flow of air you have the less condensation you will get
a synthetic chammy leather will do a grand job of soaking it up

 

[Elen Sentier]

Has anyone else tried Gossamer Gear's "The One"? It's a single skin tent, good ventilation around the bottom, sides and top. I still get condensation when I have to shut it up because of wind/rain but it's not too bad. I think it's made of fully waterproof high thread count spinnaker cloth, same as the Spin Tarp, but they don't seem to make it any more, just the tarp.

I'm not (yet) a hammock-woman, hopefully next spring, but I find this tent extremely good. Not used in winter as yet but spring/summer/autumn have been good. As it has a bathtub floor I can store stuff inside that I don't want on wet ground. Condensation is always a prob in muggy and/or cold weather especially as (so far) I've not achieved a deent night's sleep without breathing

 

[MattB]

Simplest thing to do is just make sure that your tarp is tight (so that water doesn't drip off of low points) and that you don't come into contact with it - that way it doesn't matter if it's wet on the inside!

 

[Gray]

Simplest thing to do is just make sure that your tarp is tight (so that water doesn't drip off of low points) and that you don't come into contact with it - that way it doesn't matter if it's wet on the inside!

Matts right, just make sure it's tight and don't touch it...happy days

 

[Gray]

You could even dig a little trench around the bottom, line it with a plastic bag and collect the moisture to make a brew. Waste not want not