When it’s cooler outside, all we hear in the Norwich Camping office is “It’s not rain… it’s condensation.” We get many phone calls and emails from campers, caravanners, motorhomers and campervanners, worried that their tents, caravans and motorhome/campervan awnings have suddenly sprung leaks and are “letting in the rain”.

We question, we listen, we advise. We even test some of the suspect structures under our special ‘weathering frame’, with ‘heavy’, ‘torrential’ and ‘monsoon’ rain settings. But, more often than not – actually, far more often than not – the culprit isn’t ‘rain’ at all, it’s condensation.

What causes condensation?

It’s been a long, long time since most of us at NCL learned this at school, but, with a little help from Google, here are the facts:

Air naturally contains a tiny amount of water vapour – about 0.0017% of it, depending on the surrounding humidity.

When warmer air meets a cooler surface this water vapour turns into liquid water. This forms tiny droplets on the surface.

The tiny droplets merge to form larger droplets. If the surface isn’t completely flat, these droplets start to trickle.

The trickles of water will start to pool and form puddles, often confusing people into thinking a leak has occurred.

What causes condensation inside a tent or awning?

A tent or awning will normally be full of air when in use, with the airflow and moisture affected by various things. We may cook, eat hot food, run anything electric that emits warm air, boil water to make drinks, switch on a heater etc. Plus, the one thing we all do: breathe. 

People and their pets exhale air, with the water vapour in our breath normally reaching around 400ml (0.7 pints) per person, per day! Think about that – a family of five, with a dog, essentially chucking over 4 pints of water onto the walls of your tent every day. If we’re talking awnings, add warmer air escaping from the doorway and windows of a connected caravan or camper. That’s a large amount of warm, moist air that’s contributing to those condensation puddles.

Typically, because the outside air cools at night, condensation greets us first thing in the morning. It’s had all night to settle on the inside surfaces of the tent, then run down onto the groundsheet. Human nature then makes us examine every millimetre of wall and ceiling material to find the supposed leak. We check the seams, examine the nearest zips, and agree that “zips aren’t as good as they used to be” when really, it’s all just a case of condensation.

Is condensation in a tent normal?

In summary, yes, it’s normal to find the inner walls of a tent or awning wet if it’s cool outside and there’s a lot of warm air inside. Unfortunately, that’s just science. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to avoid the inside of your tent getting slick.

How to prevent condensation in a tent overnight

As long as you exist and breathe inside your tent, condensation will exist, so there is no true way to stop it. There are, however, ways to minimise and prevent it so that you don’t wake up soaked.

Maintain good ventilation

Ensure there’s good ventilation throughout the tented structure to minimise the ‘warm air meets cold surface’ scenario. Use the air vents that are built into most tents and awnings to enhance airflow. Try leaving external doors partly open to allow a decent – and healthy – flow of air. Most structures have integrated mesh panels to let you do this without letting all the bugs in.

Invest in a weather-resistant tent or awning

Some tents and awnings are available with walls and roof sections made from ‘Technical’ Polycotton, also known as Technical Cotton (TC). This is a more natural fibre Polycotton than the typical synthetic polyester used for most tents and awnings. 

The benefit is that TC material gives your tent or awning extra ‘breathability’. It helps to keep condensation to a minimum and generally makes a structure more comfortable to use. TC is also more durable and will better handle prolonged use in adverse weather conditions. For all of these advantages, expect to pay a little more for TC models.   

We recommend the Vango Lismore Air TC 450 tent if you’re looking for a suggestion. This Vango tent is a luxurious 4-person sleeper, ready to keep you dry with its solid structure and breathable TC materials. 

Buy a roof-liner accessory

Manufacturers’ roof liners maintain an air gap from the structure’s ceiling. This ensures the liner stays at a warmer temperature than that of the ceiling, which is cooled by the outside air. The relative difference in temperature is sufficient enough to significantly reduce, and even prevent, moisture from forming on the ceiling. Less moisture, less condensation, less chance of waking up with wet bed socks.

Do things outside

Wherever you can, weather permitting, try to cook outside the tent or awning. Similarly, eating and drinking in the great outdoors lessens the amount of water vapour created inside the structure. 

With a caravan or motorhome, try to keep the door to the awning area closed until the steam has cleared through your van’s or motorhome’s exterior windows. Otherwise, you’re back to square one.

Invest in a dehumidifier

If condensation is a particular issue for you, take a look at these simple and inexpensive moisture traps and dehumidifiers. While not a complete solution, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have these accessories on hand to absorb moisture from the air, especially if you are camping when it’s too cold to leave vents open.

Invest in an absorbent sponge or cloth 

It’s not a preventative measure, but certainly handy to have. Bring absorbent cloths on the trip and simply wipe up condensation trinkets and puddles and wring the cloths and sponges out when necessary.

Can you put away a wet tent? What happens if you don’t dry your tent?

If your tent is from a trusted brand such as Kampa, Coleman or Vango, you can rest assured that it’s a quality bit of equipment and made from materials designed to withstand the elements. Because of this, a bit of water when your tent is packed up isn’t going to cause it any damage.

We would advise that if you have to pack up your tent while it’s wet (maybe a rainstorm has cut your trip short, or the interior is wet from your family of five sleeping inside), you air it out when possible. If you’re leaving, unpack the tent in the garden once you’re home to give it a chance to dry out. While high-quality materials won’t degrade, it’s still best to treat the tent with care to keep it in top condition.

Condensation issues solved

Camping, caravanning, motorhoming and campervanning are a lot about getting away from stressful day-to-day challenges and getting in touch with nature. Well, condensation is about as natural as it gets. It’s wise to get used to it, as for as long as we breathe, it’ll exist, but knowing how best to prevent it is extremely useful information to have in your back pocket.

Need a few more resources? Take a look at our condensation videos below. Filmed by us at our Norwich site, you can watch us apply the science of condensation to actual awnings on display at our Leisure Village store. Here, our seasoned reviewers (some with their very own sponges) highlight the condensation problem – something we see every morning on our outdoor display tents and awnings, especially when the temperature creeps lower at night.

If you have more questions or need some recommendations for the perfect family tents for camping dryly, don’t hesitate to get in touch by calling us on 01603 717600 or emailing us at sales@norwichcamping.co.uk. Or, come and visit us in-store – we’re ready to show you our tents and awnings on display and give you personalised tips for preventing tent condensation.

—————————————————————————————————————————–

Norwich Camping & Leisure Village is in Blofield, east of Norwich, Norfolk. We have one of the UK’s largest seasonal outdoor displays of tents and awnings. We’re also known for our indoor showroom displays of camping & caravanning equipment and outdoor clothing. Our Leisure Village site includes garden furniture and garden buildings, a fully-stocked garden centre, and barbecues. Our tent and awning brands include Vango, Kampa, Dometic, Telta, Outdoor Revolution, Coleman, Outwell, Oztent, Quest, Royal, Zempire, Camptech, Isabella, and Sunncamp.

The Leisure Village also has a farm shop, coffee shop, new and used campervan sales & hire and a professional-standard car, camper and caravan hand-wash station.

We have over 50 years of experience and provide practical, friendly advice – plus fast, free delivery on orders over £100. We offer a Best Price/Price Match Policy and 0% finance terms, so why not get in touch to learn more.