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#205143 - 01/07/21 08:52 AM Permanent'ish tents and condensation
willie1280 Offline
member

Registered: 07/05/17
Posts: 48
So, given the cost of building materials these days, i'm thinking about building an elevated platform and putting some sort of tent on top of it. I'm thinking 10'x10' so it'll likely be a large wall tent, outback tent or something of those sorts. So the material will likely be canvas, plastic/tarp like, nylon or some other material. Regardless, i would have a wood stove for heat to keep it warm during the Wisconsin winters.

I know condensation is the enemy when winter backpacking so i'm wondering if and how a permanent tent setup will be different? What can i do to manage this issue since ventilation within these larger type tents/shelters is non existent at the roof. My other concern is what happens when i leave after a weekend at my property and the tent sits for a couple weeks and then i go up and use it...is it going to be extra wet because it's been sitting unheated through all the temp fluctuations?

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#205148 - 01/07/21 04:30 PM Re: Permanent'ish tents and condensation [Re: willie1280]
BZH Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/11
Posts: 1189
Loc: Madison, AL
I don't think this will be that big of an issue. Condensation is such a big issue because we camp in relatively small volume tents. Our exhaling breath can quickly and significantly increase the humidity of the environment. What you are talking about is a much, much larger volume and it will be that much more difficult to alter the humidity. If you were to construct the tent of a non-breathable fabric like plastic and really effectively seal in every exhaled breath, you might have a problem.

Also, you are not going to have a condensation problem when you are not there (and therefore not exhaling into the tent). Long term the biggest damage to the tent will be from UV light and extended time set-up in rain/snow (particularly problematic if moisture is getting trapped anywhere).

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#205151 - 01/07/21 05:28 PM Re: Permanent'ish tents and condensation [Re: willie1280]
wgiles Offline
member

Registered: 05/19/14
Posts: 182
Loc: Central Illinois near Springfi...
Canvas(or Cotton Duck) will breathe, while coated fabrics will not. A Canvas wall tent with a coated synthetic fly might be a good choice. The fly should have a few inches clearance above the canvas to allow air flow. The fly should have some overhang on all sides, possibly more on the front of the tent. White is a good choice for letting sunlight in, but not such a good choice for UV resistance. I don't know how long the fabrics would last in the sun. Coated canvas tarps seem to last a couple of seasons, maybe more.

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#205156 - 01/08/21 09:59 AM Re: Permanent'ish tents and condensation [Re: BZH]
tramp Offline
member

Registered: 01/24/12
Posts: 119
Loc: WV
I don't have any advice but would like to ask that you share the construction and erection of this. Never seen anyone make anything on quite this scale before.

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#205159 - 01/08/21 10:47 AM Re: Permanent'ish tents and condensation [Re: willie1280]
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
I'd like to echo about UV radiation deteriorating the fabric, but mechanical strain from flapping in the wind can destroy it faster than anything else. Make sure everything is properly guyed out.
_________________________
The journey is more important than the destination.

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#205171 - 01/09/21 04:06 PM Re: Permanent'ish tents and condensation [Re: willie1280]
PerryMK Online   content
member

Registered: 01/18/02
Posts: 1391
Loc: Florida panhandle
I’ve seen yurts in similar setups. There must be books explaining the details.

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