From ventilation and drying out gear to planning ahead and cooking outdoors – find out everything you need and how to stop condensation in tents.
How to stop condensation in tents

It’s confusing the first time that you wake up under canvas and the outside of the tent is bone dry, but beads of moisture are trickling down the inside of your tent and collecting on your belongings. Why does your tent suddenly resemble a hammam, where did all this liquid come from, and how can we avoid it?
Even if your tent is perfectly water and weatherproof, condensation can make it start to feel like a tropical biome. How do we minimise this condensation, and what’s the best way to dry your tent out between uses? We’re here to help.
What is condensation?
Condensation occurs when gas or water vapour turns to water. You’ll have seen it on a window pane when it’s raining outside, or on the mirror after you’ve taken a shower. When you’re driving and it’s raining outside, the inside of the car steams up, and we need to either open the windows or blast air inside the car to defog it.

This happens because there’s moisture trapped in the car (generally from our breath). You’ll notice that the car windows fog up much more quickly if the car contains multiple people. When the windows or windscreen are colder than the dew point (the temperature at which dew forms), this moisture becomes condensation on the windows.
Why do we get condensation in tents?
Condensation in tents works exactly the same way as in a car. The average person exhales a litre of moisture as they sleep (no wonder we wake up thirsty!), and if your tent isn’t properly ventilated, that moisture has nowhere to go. When it comes into contact with the canvas of the tent, if the tent canvas is colder than the dew point, this moisture condenses.

If your clothes or gear are wet, or you’re camping in humid, boggy conditions, the amount of condensation is amplified.
How do we stop condensation in tents?
It’s difficult to completely stop condensation from forming in your tent overnight, but there are several ways to reduce it and speed up drying time in the morning hours. Here’s how you can help to minimise tent condensation when camping.
1. Ventilate your tent
This is the single, most important thing that you can do to reduce condensation. It might seem counterproductive to open a ventilation flap in your tent when it’s freezing cold outside, but by doing this you’ll allow for airflow, letting oxygen into the tent. The cold, oxygen-rich air comes in, and the warm, humid air which is lower in oxygen goes out.
2. Plan ahead
If you’ve woken up to a tent that’s covered in condensation or dew, try to dry it during the day. On multi-day hiking drops, this might mean taking the time to unpack your tent and letting it dry in the sun as you’re eating lunch.
It’s also worth packing a small microfibre towel on any trip to deal with condensation inside your tent. This is a camping essential that offers a lightweight and super easy way to remove excess water before leaving the sun to do its job over the course of the day.
3. Don’t sleep with wet gear
We’d always recommend leaving wet gear outside your tent when sleeping. This might mean leaving it outside on a camping line in summer, or placing it in the covered entrance of your tent.
Recommended Dry Bag – Osprey Ultralight Dry Sack 20L
The Osprey Ultralight Dry Sack 20L is the perfect-sized Dry Sack to store your wet gear after a hike in the rain. With IPX5 waterproof protection and a pricetag that won’t break the bag, it’s the perfect lightweight “just in case” dry bag for those damp nights under the stars.
Sometimes, however, it’s impossible to do so. If you’ve been hiking in the pouring rain and all your belongings are soaked, you might not be able to leave it all outside. But what you can do is leave it in a dry bag to stop the moisture from escaping into your tent.
4. Don’t pitch your tent on wet ground
Firstly, it’s not good for your tent to be pitched on a soggy base. Try to find dry ground, and pitch under the cover of trees if possible. Not only will this be warmer and more sheltered, but the tree canopy will collect a lot of exterior condensation.
It might seem like a nice idea to camp right on the banks of a river so that you can fill up your water bottle and go for a swim right from your tent porch, but this can be so much more humid.
5. Don’t cook in your tent
This should be obvious, but don’t cook in your tent. Not only is it a fire hazard, but the hot, evaporating moisture will create much more condensation in your tent. Why do you think we have extractor fans over the oven hob?
6. Choose a good quality tent
The type of tent that you choose can affect how much condensation builds up on your camping trips. Ultralight, 1-2 person tents are usually single-walled. It’s particularly easy for condensation to build up with these types of tents, but they’re easier to ventilate. A cheap single-walled tent is particularly susceptible to lots of condensation, so go for something higher quality, such as the Black Diamond Firstlight Tent.
Recommended 2P Tent – Black Diamond Firstlight 2-Person Tent
The Black Diamond Firstlight is an uber high-quality 2-person tent that’s proven to reduce condensation when camping in damp conditions. It’s a superlight tent with super performance that’s trusted by some of the top backpackers and ultralight campers.
On the other hand, double-walled tents like the OLPRO Ranger have two layers, an outer and an inner, which provide better insulation and allow for more airflow and ventilation, but they’re heavier to carry. Your choice of tent will come down to whether you’re heading for a week’s family trip away or a three-day trekking adventure.
How can we dry a tent or sleeping bag that has got wet from condensation?
Ideally, leave your tent to dry in the sunshine. If there’s a breeze, this will dry it even faster (the conditions will act a little like a hairdryer). Make sure your tent is well anchored so that it doesn’t fly off in a breeze. Weight it down with stones, or tie the guy lines to trees.

Sleeping bags can be difficult to dry when you’re on the go and the weather is inclement. Turn your sleeping bag inside out to allow it to dry faster. A sleeping bag usually takes a couple of hours to air dry, in dry weather.
How do we make a tent last longer?
Always make sure you air and fully dry your tent after all camping trips. If you pack it away with moisture inside, you’re going to end up with mould spots and your tent will start to rot.
Regularly top up the waterproofing on the outside of your tent – use this guide to learn how. We particularly like Nikwax, which sprays on easily to keep water out and maintain your tent’s performance.
Recommended Waterproof Spray – Nixwax Tent and Gear Solarproof and Waterproof Spray
The Tent and Gear Solaproof and Waterproof Spray from Nixwax is one of the very best waterproofing sprays on the market. Great for both wet and sunny conditions, the spray offers protection against wet weather and the harmful UV rays of the sun.
UV exposure also significantly shortens the life and reduces the waterproof properties of your tent over time, but regularly coating it with Nikwax helps this. Apply outdoors to avoid making a mess.
FAQ: How to stop condensation in tents
Still have a question about condensation in tents? Check out our FAQ section below and (hopefully) we’ll be able to answer your question!
If the inner lining of your tent is wet when you wake up but it hasn’t rained overnight, condensation is likely to be the culprit. This forms when the moisture you breathe out while sleeping is trapped within the lining of your tent. If this lining is colder than the dew point, this moisture will condense.
There are multiple ways to reduce condensation when camping. We recommend choosing a good-quality tent, storing wet clothing in a dry bag overnight, and ventilating the area as much as possible.
Start by mopping up excess water from the lining of your tent using a microfibre towel. It’s then best to leave your tent up and let the sun do its thing! During winter and on wet days, you can pack your tent away wet and then pitch it when home. This can be done in your garden when the weather dries out, or even in your home/garage to prevent mould from forming.
Still have questions about preventing condensation in your tent? Feel free to contact the Adventure Pending team over on our socials (or by email) and we’ll be happy to help!
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