tent condensation

In my last camping trip , pitched on campsite in valley, I had a traditional 2-layer tent with a mesh inner and a fly outer which was a couple of inches off the ground.

The only damp problem inside was the condensation on the fly dripping onto the inner and if I sat upright I could cause sucking in.

I'm eager to lighten my tent equipment. The single-skin types I know will make condensation from myself but there these tarptent types which have mesh all around so would they be better/worse?

I looked at for example the Golite types and adding fly+tub+mesh just ends up same/more weight to my current tent.

shit happens old chap. not alot you can do about, open a vent or door or sleep outside. its all the same. thats why grass is covered in dew. your tent is just a big tussock in the grand scheme of things

get yourself a cheap- light bivy bag to use inside like a trekmates. they work, pimp up your sleeping bag and keep all inside dry.

Nigel,

I have used my Akto and been well condensated on a number of occasions.

But, I now use an MLD Trailstar and condensation is minimal. The pitch of the Trailstar (see Stephen Horner's excellent review/pitching guide) means that there is plenty of ventilation.

A light bivy bag does two functions: keeps out the drafts and adds some degrees to the sleeping bag. Even with my bivy bag the weight of the trailstar + bivy is 850 grms .... and you are in a massive space with plenty of room to sit up.

And, the Trailstar can handle serious weather! Like, full blown Scottish storms!

It's by far the best lightweight shelter I've ever had.

Something to consider: mesh inners are no lighter than 'solid' ones (for want of a better term).

To my mind, trying to save another hundred grammes when your shelter is already comfortably sub-kilo is a bit daft. You'd save just as much weight by urinating more frequently.

And having a hair cut, nail clip, poo, belly button fluff pick.... etc

Serriadh wrote (see)

Something to consider: mesh inners are no lighter than 'solid' ones (for want of a better term).

Yes they are.

Assuming you choose the lightest 'no-see-um' mesh, and not standard stuff.

Mike fae Dundee wrote (see)

Serriadh wrote (see)

Something to consider: mesh inners are no lighter than 'solid' ones (for want of a better term).

Yes they are.

Assuming you choose the lightest 'no-see-um' mesh, and not standard stuff.

Could you point me at an example? I've not seen anyone make two inners for one design of tent, mesh and ripstop, where the weights were not pretty much the same for both kinds (to within 100g or so).

Certainly, this never made much sense to me.

William Chilton wrote (see)

Standard noseeum is about 1.1 oz/sqyard, about the same as silnylon. However, there is a 0.7 oz/sqyard noseeum (or nanoseeum). MLD and ZPacks use it, and Bearpawwd have just started offering it as well.

 So, how much fabric does a little tent inner require? At ten square yards, that's a saving of 4oz, a little north of a hundred grammes; feels like a fairly minor improvement.

It feels like mesh could, and should be noticably lighter, but I guess it just doesn't get the benefit of other people's expensive R&D. Consider where cuben fibre and spinnaker fabric came from, etc.

Kiers has it right 2 mins to wipe any condensation off the tarptent solves it.  Little condensation with a tarp as there is so much ventilation. When conditions are right a bit more condensation in my tarptent Moment and the side mesh helps.

Choice of shelter is an issue but pitching choice and understanding the weather conditions are just as important, dew point and all that. I keep away from water sources and camp amongst trees on leaf litter where I can. In the  same weather I find camped on grass greatly adds to the condensation. I pitch also with some thought to the sunrise to come.

Mike fae Dundee wrote (see)

A 25%ish saving is pretty good, if you apply it to every backpacking purchase.

Sure, but we're not talking about knocking 25% off your total kit weight, but 100g off a shelter that's already well under a kilo... as compared to having a shelter that's still under a kilo and has a plain old ripstop inner layer to ward off drips, which was a grumble in the OP.

Anyway, I think we're drifting a little. I'm assuming the OP doesn't care about this particular tangent, so I'll stop leading you all astray

But i apply that logic to every purchase.

Knock 25% off every purchase, then obviously your total 'kit weight' will be 25% lighter.

My first tent was just a cloth type A-frame with a groundsheet you placed carefully in a bathtub shape to hope to keep rain out.

I remember waking with my mouth open and a slug halfway in my mouth. 

I since then swore I'd always have a continual barrier between me and the outside world, which later helped when camping in scotland and the midges banging their heads on the mesh. That has tended to keep me in 2-skin tents with a lot of mesh inside and right now that is all around the 800g-1Kg type and my TN Laser Comp is about that now and so not worth changing.

So help me with this - is condensation worse or better exposed to the outside world? Surely the damp is in the air and so the more exposure to it makes it worse? A more enclosed solution has less condensation? I'd expect once a wind gets up and the sun shines a more open outer layer would dry quicker?

The Trailstar, is the photo exactly how it is? 

Mike fae Dundee wrote (see)

But i apply that logic to every purchase.

Knock 25% off every purchase, then obviously your total 'kit weight' will be 25% lighter.