A question for Atko, TN Laser et al users

[nirakaro]

It's a good point: certainly dew is condensation, but not all condensation is dew. I think we tend to call it dew if it condenses outside, and falls onto the tent by gravity, and condensation when it happens inside the tent, as a result perhaps of the moisture in our breath. My tent is often very wet with the former, but I've rarely had any issues with the latter.

[Jezrant]

I think that's the usual distinction between the two. I was referring to condensation that forms inside a tent, not outside dew. I have the impression that these small one-person tents are more prone to this problem, but I may be wrong. I've never used one myself, so can't directly compare with my well-ventilated 2-person tunnel.

[tatanab]

Hilleberg Akto - I had one about 8 years ago. I used it for maybe 6 nights before selling it. It was not for me for the following reasons -
1. Height. I am only 5' 8" but found I could not sit upright in the center.
2. Condensation. Ok it was a bit foggy etc when I used it but I found the condensation inside was too much to allow me to move around and dress without getting wet. Yes I had all the vents open.
3. Nose height. The inner hung very low to my face which I dislike and because it was close it meant that condensation from my breath formed inside the inner immediately above my face. Not nice at all.
4. I like to have my kit inside the tent and there really was not enough room for it.

The few nights I used it were uncomfortable for the reasons above, so I could not imagine using one on tour. I sold it quickly and bought an old Terra Nova Solar which I used happily until I wore it out. 3 years ago I bought a Hilleberg Unna which does not have the height and space issues of the Akto although the inner is still a bit saggy being an outer/together pitching tent. I use this tent about 40 nights a year quite happily with a longest trip of 28 nights.

Many people really love their Aktos but it simply was not for me.

[martin113]

My choice of tent is a VauDe Power Lizard Ultralight, and that was after looking hard at all the competition, the Terra Novas and the Akto. It has the best room to weight ratio of all of them at 1100gms. This summer for two weeks condensation was never a problem. I slept with the outer closed but the inner open. There were some pretty cold nights in late August but the sleeping bag did the job. Back in April, however, condensation forming on the inside of the roof of the inner and dripping on to my down bag was a big problem but at 3 degrees at night I was sleeping with the inner done up fully, which I think might have been my mistake. I'll see what happens in October when I try it again in cold conditions and this time I'll try leaving the inner doors open, but maybe I'll just freeze. It's all a question of trial and error I guess.

[hazel dunn]

i use a Nemo Meta 2 .light,quick to put up,and BAGS of space.

[andrew_s]

2. Condensation. Ok it was a bit foggy etc when I used it but I found the condensation inside was too much to allow me to move around and dress without getting wet. Yes I had all the vents open.

Some nights you will get condensation in any tent, or even a flying tarp. You can only judge relative condensation levels for different tents if they are used next to each other on the same night.

In the absence of much of a breeze, condensation is driven by the temperature difference between one side of the material and the other.
If you close up a non-mesh inner tent, but leave external vents open, you'll build up a fug inside the inner, but the gap between inner and outer will remain cool, so you'll get condensation on the inner.
If the outer vents are closed and you leave the inner door mesh exposed, the gap between inner and outer will also warm up, so you'll get condensation on the outer, but little on the inner.

US style tents with a sizeable gap at the bottom edge of the fly and a mostly mesh inner are good at minimising condensation as cool air gets to all parts of the tent and temperature differences are as low as possible. The downside is that they aren't very warm so you may need a better sleeping bag.

[meic]

The downside is that they aren't very warm so you may need a better sleeping bag.

I like to leave my tent well ventilated and I get condensation on* my sleeping bag.

*I say on but it seems to hover a millimetre away suspended on microfibres.

[andrew_s]

I like to leave my tent well ventilated and I get condensation on* my sleeping bag.
*I say on but it seems to hover a millimetre away suspended on microfibres.

I dare say your body heat was enough to keep the bag shell warm enough, but that it didn't conduct up the microfibres so they were cooler.
If it's a problem you might have to close up to get the inside of the tent warmer and put up with condensation further away.

Given the right bag and the right temperatures, you can also get condensation inside the bag - i.e. on the down part way between the inner shell and the outer shell.