Condensation in tents

[Tengu]

How to prevent it

I can leave the inner door open, just do up the mesh one??

any other ideas?

[SimonM]

It all depends on the tent style, and the ambient air temperature IMHO...

...but generally, make sure that you have lots of ventilation, allowing the air to circulate.

Leaving the inner door partially, if not fully, open will help. With my Hogan tent I usually leave the outer door open a little too - this obviously depends on the tent design tho, as to how practical it is.

HTH

Simon

[Aliwren]

I usually have the inner door on mine half open with the mesh done up and then a small opening to the top of the outer so air can get in and circulate. Adjust for the weather and temp.

[rik_uk3]

How to prevent it

I can leave the inner door open, just do up the mesh one??

any other ideas?

Use one of your cotton tents Tengu

[Gailainne]

Along with the front, make sure (if your tent has one) that the ventilation flap is open at the back of the tent, I learned that lesson the hard way on Texa.

[Tengu]

Thanks very much

[susi]

If you're many nights in the same spot, and depending what you're sleeping on, and the weather outside, it is well worth removing your mattress/kip mat and sleeping bag and hanging them from the nearest tree for a few hours during the day. Even if they don't feel damp, they very likely contain plenty of moisture after a nights sleeping.

[sharp88]

I've found that the recent nylon tunnel tents seem to condensate most.

I use a 30 year old mustard yellow, a-frame, scout tent, that my dad swapped an old car for in the 70s. Its got a great smell to it, a rubberised floor that is tough, the canvas outer is seriously hardened and swells up in the rain and condensation seems to be minimal. They don't make em like the used to.

One of the worse was a leaky Vango 4 man, with 6 men stuffed in it.

[scanker]

A lot depends on the tent design and the orientation to the wind (if any). I often used to have the top of the inner tent down about 6" front and back on the Quasar and that seemed to eliminate condensation altogether all of the time. The Quasar was quite good in that you could lower the inner tent door but maintain the mossie net.

[crazydave]

also how wet the ground is, air humidity etc.. unless you have a full breeze flowing throught the vents then all tents will sweat out.

[rik_uk3]

I mentioned earlier in this thread about using cotton tents, you don't get the condensation problems with them. I remember back in the early 70's I bought my first nylon tent, IF I remember rightly is was a Blacks tunnel tent designed by Doug Scott. For me it was a complete contrast to the classic 'A' frame tents I was used to, it was very light, but I used to end up with condensation dripping down on me. Me and that tent parted company and I went back to using my Blacks Mountain tent or Vango Force Ten. The rush for lightweight gear seems to have overtaken common sense to a degree. While many here will only use pollycotton etc for tarps, how many still use a cotton tent? (not counting Tipi or bell tents)

My Hex 3 is pretty good regarding condensation, but its still there, but the Vango Force Ten Mk5 I'm taking up to North Wales tommorow won't have any condensation problem, and is still water tight. Yes its heavy, but its bomb proof. Is the two man version weighing about 6 kilo too much for two people to carry? Many here would say yes, but for many of us older members, we would carry that on our own back in the day. It would be great to see tent makers making cotton tents again, or at least tents with a cotton inner