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  1. #1
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    Tarp Condesation Problems Help Needed

    Okay guys go easy on me here because this may be a no brainer. Last night i got my first chance to test out my 3/4 Crowsnest and Burrow which performed wonderful. My only problem was that i had a tremendous amount of condesation dripping down on me from my tarp. What's the best way to prevent this from happening because i'm a little worried that my TQ is going to get soaked through out the night.

    The Bearded Buddha

  2. #2
    Senior Member wisenber's Avatar
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    The closer you are to the tarp, the more condensation you will have. The lower the air circulation, the greater the condensation. Smaller tarps require for the hanger to be closer to the tarp to provide weather coverage. Larger tarps afford more flexibility in blocking the wind without having the hammock too close to the ridgeline.
    In short, you need more air to remove the moisture under the tarp. Hanging the tarp higher above the hammock provides space to accomplish this.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by wisenber View Post
    The closer you are to the tarp, the more condensation you will have. The lower the air circulation, the greater the condensation. Smaller tarps require for the hanger to be closer to the tarp to provide weather coverage. Larger tarps afford more flexibility in blocking the wind without having the hammock too close to the ridgeline.
    In short, you need more air to remove the moisture under the tarp. Hanging the tarp higher above the hammock provides space to accomplish this.
    It seemed like last night when I slept in my hammock it was more dew then anything. Would hanging higher or having a waterproof coating have an effect on that?

  4. #4
    Senior Member Shewie's Avatar
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    I think the condensation comes from the difference in temperature inside your tarp to that on the outside.

    Did you have a saggy section of tarp which would cause the condensation to run down, gather and then drop ? Maybe try and get the tarp taught and deny it any places to pool the condensation.

  5. #5
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    yeah it did sag troughout the night so that was probably the major contributing factor.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheBeardedBuddha View Post
    It seemed like last night when I slept in my hammock it was more dew then anything. Would hanging higher or having a waterproof coating have an effect on that?
    You mentioned that the condensation dripped down on you and you mention dew. Sounds like you were getting moisture from dew (moisture condensing from the air as it cools and drops) on the topside of your tarp and moisture rising from the ground beneath you on the underside of your tarp? When that happens there really isn't much you can do.

    Back when I slept on the ground under a tarp I noticed that a plastic ground cloth would stop the ground moisture but get a little muddy on the bottom side and that a breathable Tyvek ground cloth would not stop the ground moisture but not get muddy on the bottom side. So my choice was dealing with a muddy plastic ground cloth or deal with condensation on the under side of my tarp.

    When in a hammock you don't need, use, or want a slippery ground cloth so you are just stuck with the condensation from moisture rising from the ground, which isn't something you always get. It depends on the conditions. Grass or foliage can be pretty bad with moisture rising but it is basically ground fog, I think, but it doesn't have to be thick enough to see as fog to condense on the underside of your tarp.
    Youngblood AT2000

  7. #7
    Senior Member sir_n0thing's Avatar
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    In certain conditions, with dew, fog, etc, there's not much you can do. You're just going to get wet!
    Aside from that, getting your tarp up higher away from you does help, as does having it oriented for airflow under your tarp.
    "I know the feeling - It is the real thing - You can't refuse the embrace!" | "Go n-éirí an bóthar leat."

  8. #8
    Senior Member wisenber's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheBeardedBuddha View Post
    It seemed like last night when I slept in my hammock it was more dew then anything. Would hanging higher or having a waterproof coating have an effect on that?
    While having the tarp further away from your face does reduce the amount of condensation from your respiration, it also reduces the amount of heat that your tarp will reflect back on you.

    When you mentioned waterproof coating, I forgot to ask if you had any seams that were not sealed on your tarp as that could promote dripping. I don't know if you were out in the severe rain that hit most of the country last night, but the severity of rain could cause enough pressure for water to penetrate sil.

    Airflow is your friend in reducing moisture under your tarp. Airflow is your enemy in that it also removes heat from you. Sometimes you just have to balance what you want to do. If you need the windblocking of the tarp for warmth over the air to reduce condensation, sometimes you have to resort to the trusty camp towel to wipe down the inside of the tarp. Still, barring a rolling fog or mist, airflow tends to keep the underside drier.

  9. #9
    Senior Member jeffjenn's Avatar
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    I'm having trouble understanding how you got drips on you from anywhere but the ridge. Wouldn't any moisture that formed on the sides of the tarp run down the sides to the bottem edge & drip off there??? Now if the ridge isn't seam sealed that would make sense to me.
    My knife is so sharp it cut the sixth finger off my right hand! On the plus side, Inigo Montoya no longer hunts me.

  10. #10
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    its the stock tarp from hennessey the smaller one. i think it was because it was sagging so much that it dripped. probably just didnt have it taught enough. I tried it again the next night higher up and tighter and had no problems. i think i'm just going to use the hex tarp. yeah it weighs more but i like the coverage it provides.

    The Bearded Buddha

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