Single Wall Condensation

[WoodBow]

Im new to the floorless world but will share my limited experience. I built a tipi similar to a kifaru 8 man. I added a large vent in the peak. I made fixed length stake loop extensions to allow it to draw air. We were camped at 11.5 and it was just too drafty pitched like that, even though we had almost no condensation. We ended up packing out, changing areas, and setting up camp at almost 12.5. I pitched it tight to the ground and left what we called a bear hole. If you pitch the tipi a little small, after you work your way around staking it, the last panel will be too long to pitch tight. That allows you to uses a longer cord to pull it out mid panel and stake it. This creates a very large ground vent. I place this on the side out of the wind.

We also used lightweight shower curtains as ground cloths under our pads. A lot of condensation would form on the bottom side of those.

With this combo and 3 guys inside, we had condensation still but no drips and no drafts.

 

[AK Troutbum]

If you have a tipi with no floor and there's any moisture in the ground cover/soil, etc. that moisture will find it's way, in part, along from the moisture from you cooking, drying off, breathing, etc. onto your tent walls. This is one very good reason to have a floor made of watertight material as it will help exclude a significant source of moisture from the tent environment. If you want to be comfortable to hunt hard day after day, often this means staying dry. A tipitent with a true floor and true bugproofing and a large amount of adjustable ventilation (they do exist at packable weights) that also takes a stove is a key to this, especially in bad weather. As is often the case, it's a weight packed vs. comfort issue, unfortunately.

While I agree with a lot that is said here, ground moisture, cooking, etc., greatly increases the amount of moisture that can form on the inside of the tent wall. I too think it is of the utmost importance to be comfortable in your shelter when getting a good nights sleep is imperative however, I don't think that it is necessary to take a stove or have a floor inside of a shelter to be comfortable. No doubt that the best way to dry up the inside of a shelter is with some sort of dry heat, there are other ways to accomplish this, they are just not as efficient. Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation is key with any floorless, single wall constructed shelter. I have done an extensive amount of spike camping/hunting in single walled floorless shelters, in some very wet areas of our state and the only time condensation became a major issue, was when I had the shelter staked tight to the ground all the way around.
My entire sleep system/large shelter (shelter is 85 ft.² and 6'3" tall), including pillow, quilt, pad, bivy sack, dedicated shelter pole, all stakes for every guyline and all guylines is just under 5 pounds. For one person it is a mansion, with plenty of room to move around without even coming close to the walls, and very comfortable even in the harshest of environments.


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[Clarktar]

Even with this pitch, on a exposed ridge I had a good deal of condensation. I think I have about 5 inch's of gap all around the tent and slept with one door completely open! Ground was very dry also...

I don't think there is anyway around the issue.

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[AK Troutbum]

Spiking on Kodiak, last September. It had stopped raining for a short time when this pic was taken but, you can see a lot of water on the outside of the fabric but none on the inside door panel that is laid open.

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[trapperjay]

So I'm trying a tarp/bivy this fall. What should I expect with that setup in terms of condensation, same thing if I don't ventilate the sides/ends?

 

[ianpadron]

Spiking on Kodiak, last September. It had stopped raining for a short time when this pic was taken but, you can see a lot of water on the outside of the fabric but none on the inside door panel that is laid open.

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What kind of bivy you using there trout?

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[AK Troutbum]

The one on the left is a Borah Gear and the one on the right is a Ti Goat Kestrel. Both weigh 6 oz.


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[reaper]

How long should you make the cord for the guyouts?

I use 20"

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[CiK01]

Digging up this older thread.

Has anybody done this with a larger tipi (8-man) with similar success as the smaller tipis?

 

[parshal]

I've been doing it with my 12-man SO tipi. I'm not 100% convinced as to how much better it is.

 

[Beendare]

Condensation is the reason I sold my SL5...it was horrible

 

[colonel00]

Condensation is the reason I sold my SL5...it was horrible

What did you go with instead?

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[Sverimerica]

Last night was the maiden voyage for my Seek Outside Cimarron. Set it up at 7,000 feet in a nice little meadow.

I kept the door open all afternoon and by the time I was ready to hit the hay, the inside of the shelter was already soaked. I spent 0 time in it during the day, moisture was presumably plant based.

I slept half the night with the zippers partly open, but was forced to close them when a nasty windstorm blew through. That same wind quickly turned the tent into my own personal car wash, whipping the condensation off the walls and all over my stuff.

Needless to say, by daybreak, I was soaked.

Looking for input on what could have been done better to alleviate or better yet, prevent this from happening.

My thoughts are these:

1) setting up over lush greenery in the summer is a bad idea, those plants are giving off moisture nonstop.

2) pitch the tarp higher with a bit of breathing room beneath.

3) add a bivy to the gear kit and keep my sleeping bag dry that way instead of just a ground cloth.

Thanks in advance!

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Not happy you got wet, but the description "personal car wash" really gave me a laugh...

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