winter tent condensation

[haptalaon]

So i've done my first winter(ish) camp out, in a bog standard 2 man tent. I DIY'd a ground mat from reflective packaging, a yoga mat, a wool blanket and down duvet, and put my fesca sleeping bag on top. wonderful night's sleep, blissful.

I was struck by the level of condensation that built up on the inside of the tent, and how quickly as well. This was especially a problem cus me and my bedding barely fit into the tent (I have to sleep diagonally)

Are there any tricks to get around this? I have a hooped bivvy but i really would not have wanted the sides any closer to my bedding than they already are, esp with how hard it is to dry things in winter.

(PS - Epic fail on cooking pasta over a real fire, but there's always next time)

 

[crosslandkelly]

Ventilation is all important in keeping condensation down. Tents with an inner mesh and an outer fly do better than single skin tents.

 

[demented dale]

ventilation is all you can do. I live in a bell tent and its a cotton liner that saves me. It also helps that there I have no sewn in ground sheet which means the condensation can roll down the sides and soak into the ground. The only other thing is to sleep outside x

 

[Pattree]

Indeed, unless you have a heat source, which you certainly haven’t in the set up you describe, leave the door open and let some of the water vapour out.

I can’t remember which 19th century doctor calculated the amount of water that we expire overnight but it is a hell of a lot and you can’t stop doing that. ( you’d expire if you ever stopped expiring ) Your cold tent is a great condenser.
I struck the tipi this morning completely forgetting that all the condensation had frozen and as I folded the frozen fabric I was damaging the waterproofing. Ho hum, another £20 of Fabsil!

I don’t have a sewn in groundsheet either and I have four big ventilators (400x300) near the bottom of the tipi and the whole cone for the top 600mm is a covered ventilator and I still get a lot of condensation in winter.

 

[BumblingAlong]

Ventilation and physically avoiding contact the innermost layer

 

[Pattree]

Ventilation and physically avoiding contact the innermost layer.

My polycotton can stand being touched when wet, most modern fabrics can. I’ve only got one layer. I flail about when I sleep so even on my own on a three metre circle I always touch the fabric at some point. @haptalaon is inevitably going to wake up against the tent wall.

Touch doesn’t affect the condensation.

Are you thinking of rain leaks? My first tent (1950’s) was very sensitive. It quickly developed drip points if touched during rainfall. Thank goodness for modern textiles.