Quote:
Originally Posted by Soreneck Racing
So here's a question for the experienced winter tent campers. . . How do you minimize the condensation issues?
This past weekend I spent two nights in a small two man tent (alone) and woke up with significant moisture on the top of my mummy bag. Had the windows half open for ventilation both nights. Maybe I need to open the fly too?
I hung my bag on a line between the nights so I wasn't cold. Just would like to reduce the condensation issue.
Any thoughts? |
X2 on AD
If you
are going to use a tent, keep the windows and doors and fly entryway as wide open as possible. You just need to keep the spindrift out. No bugs to worry about in the winter. Many winter tents have two doorways which help with this. The more airflow, the less moisture, the more comfortable you'll be, even if it doesn't feel as "warm" in the tent when you first crawl in. A proper sleeping bag for the conditions should keep you warm provided you're out of the wind, and you're not getting blasted with snow. My personal preference is to rely on a good sleeping bag for insulation, rather than the structure I'm sleeping in, which I just use to keep the elements out. The exception would be quincees, igloos, or snowcaves which, as others here have pointed out, are remarkably warm due to the insulative properties of snow. They can get damp in certain conditions though. Either, way, moisture can be a problem if it gets out of hand or if you're out for an extended period of time. Anyway you can minimize its buildup is good. If you can air your bag out during the day, that always helps a lot (
sleeping bag, that is).
hk
Another thought - your sleeping bag might be a bit warm for the conditions. If your body heat is making it's way through the bag, it'll melt any snow or frost that settles on the bag surface causing it to soak into the insulation and "wet-out" the bag prematurely. Thicker, warmer, bags will minimize this, allowing you to brush precipitation off the surface of the bag, where is stays in frozen state.