Condensation is a huge problem for many campers, a high level of condensation will lead to an uncomfortable camping experience.
So, How do I stop condensation on my rooftop tent?
The best way to stop condensation on a roof tent is to use a dehumidifier. Many people will advise you to open the windows to let the airflow do the job of removing humidity, but if you are camping in a cold environment, a dehumidifier is the best choice.
These are the best dehumidifiers for rooftop tents
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Zarpax LV2-G200 Dehumidifier
These reusable bags are the best choice for campers who like to remove condensation inside their roof tent without any noise, and they are easy to use, all you have to do is put them in a corner of your tent or in a storage bag (if you have one) and that’s it. Bad odor and bacteria will also be removed by these bags, the absorbing material is silica gel-based, which means that it can be reused, all you have to do to reuse the Zerpax dehumidifier bag is to put in a microwave for 5 to 7 minutes and you can store them or reuse them again. These are the best humidifiers that don’t any refills that exist on the market today.
You can check if the bags are at their limits by checking the small two penguin shapes that will change color to pink when the silica can’t absorb any more moisture.
But you should note that these bags need some time to work, the best usage method is to put them in the tent and go to sleep and let them do the job over the night, and don’t worry, they have a huge absorption capacity even if you don’t notice their effect immediately.
Eva-dry E-333 Renewable Mini Dehumidifier
Humidity in a roof tent is a huge problem, especially when camping in a small 2 or 3 person tent.
To solve this problem, you can use the Eva-dry to remove the excess water from the tent without any noise, this dehumidifier is very similar to the previous one, the main difference is shape, this one is smaller and more compact, once you put it in a storage bag you will forget that it exists, and you will not lose any storage space for your camping gear and tools.
It uses a renewable silica gel to absorb the humidity without the need for any power source. And it can work for up to ten years, with a 5-year warranty. It also has an indicator to know when it can’t absorb more humidity.
The manufacturer claims that it takes two to four weeks for it to reach its limit, but during our own tests, two weeks was the limit on a Smittybilt Overlander tent. It can be plugged into electricity for 8 hours to remove the water from the silica and it is ready for reuse.
Remington 365 Dehumidifier Mini
Originally developed to be a dehumidifier for gun safes, The Remington 365 mini dehumidifier can was effective when tested inside a rooftop tent, it is not only useful for having a camping night without condensation and humidity but it can also preserve you rooftop tent by removing any chance for rust to accumulate on the metal or wood frame.
Its size is suitable for most roof tents out there, especially the Smittybilt tents, you can just leave it in a pocket and forget about it, it doesn’t make any noise that can disturb you or your family.
If your tent does not have any storage option it is better to choose the Eva dry because it can be hooked to the ceiling of the tent.
The Remington 365 mini dehumidifier doesn’t emit any odors and uses special chemical crystals to absorb condensation from the air.
Just like the previous dehumidifiers, you can notice if the crystals reached their limits by checking the colors on the indicator, it will be blue when it’s dry, and it will turn pink once it is completely wet, during our review we found that the crystal can work for nearly two months until the indicator turns pinks.
This dehumidifier doesn’t need electricity to work but it needs it to get rid of the stored moisture, you can plug it for 10 to 14 hours and it will be ready for another 60 days of work.
You can check the link below to find the latest price of the Remington 365 mini dehumidifier on Amazon.
Pro Breeze Renewable Cordless Mini Dehumidifier
The Pro Breeze PB-04 is the cheapest dehumidifier for camping with a rooftop tent, it provides a great price to value, a low price with an excellent moisture reducing performance, we used it while camping in a cold environment, it was too cold to open tent windows to let the airflow removes the moisture, so using this portable dehumidifier was our only option, and thankfully it worked.
The worst thing in humidity while camping with a roof tent is the condensation that becomes liquid water droplets when it comes in contact with the ceiling of the tent and then it drops on you and wakes you at night, or it ruins your smartphone or tablet near you.
The Pro Breeze dehumidifier can absorb up to 145 milliliters of water in a single night and can be used for a full month until it reaches its full capacity (this is less than the Remington 365 mini dehumidifier but the lower price explains why).
Originally made to remove humidity from large spaces, which means that it is perfect for a camping tent, you can use it in your tent while camping and when you are done you can put it inside any place where humidity can be harmful, like a safety box or a closet, etc…
Colors on the indicators are different from the previous ones, it will be orange when dry and will turn to green when it’s wet, and it needs more time for the humidity to be completely removed from it (you can plug it for a 24 hours before going for a camping trip.)
How to reduce condensation inside a rooftop tent
Your lungs can exhale about 1 liter of moisture every night, this amount of condensation inside a tent can be really annoying for people inside the tent and damaging for any electronic equipment.
- Keep a steady airflow: ventilate your tent, a good airflow is the best way to remove condensation from a tent, remove the rainfly if possible and open the windows (most good rooftop tent comes with mesh-covered windows that let the air inside while blocking bugs and mosquitos), you can also pitch the door of your tent towards the wind direction to get a lot of air but this is not really practical at night due to the need of constantly checking if the speed of the wind is too high.
- Remove heat sources from the tent: heat inside a roof tent is the quickest way to increase water condensation inside of it, a stove, for example, can evaporate the water on the ground that will condensate afterward on every cold surface, note: cooking inside a tent is also dangerous if the rain makes it impossible to cook outside, put the stove near the main door of the tent to help heat to get out of the tent.
- Prevent the rain and snow from getting inside the tent: when the weather is rainy always check your rain covers and windows, a small amount of water or snow that gets inside a tent will evaporate immediately (especially if you are camping in a small tent).
- Can you use a dehumidifier in a tent?: Using dehumidifiers is the best way to remove condensation from a rooftop tent, the best portable dehumidifiers for a rooftop tent are the ones using silica to absorb water, with no noise and no need to electricity, every camper needs one of these.
- Wipe the existing condensation using a towel: removing condensation completely is hard, but using a microfiber towel to wipe the surfaces of the tent is a great way to reduce this issue, just don’t forget to put the wet towel outside the tent to dry or put it inside a closed bag.
- Use a ventilator: If there is no airflow going through the tent even if the windows and doors are open, you can use a small ventilation fan to help the process, the compressed air generated by the fan prevents the water from condensing on the cold surfaces of the tent.
- Don’t hang wet objects on the tent’s ceiling: don’t try to dry wet towels and clothes by hanging them inside the tent, instead, put them either outside or inside a stuff sack.
- Put your head outside of your sleeping bag: When you exhale inside the sleeping bag, you are preventing airflow from evaporating and removing moisture, if it is too cold outside make sure to close your windows to raise the temperature inside the tent and use a portable dehumidifier instead of relying on air.
- Don’t put your tent on the wet ground: if you have a completely enclosed tent (tents that have their own floor) then this problem doesn’t concern you, but if you don’t try to not camp on wet grass and remove any snow in the tent area before setting it up.
How to choose a good dehumidifier for your rooftop tent?
To check if a portable tent dehumidifier is a good choice or not you should check the following points:
- How much time will it take to recharge and dry?
- What is the absorption capacity of this portable dehumidifier?
- Can it fit inside my tents storage pockets?
- Does this dehumidifier emit any noise or odor?
- How many months or years will it last?
How much time will it take to recharge and dry?
Most of the dehumidifiers listed above will dry in 24 hours or less, but why is this important, well, imagine this, you are preparing to go for a camping trip and you only have hours left to get everything ready, a dehumidifier than can be ready in 12 hours is better than the one that needs 24 hours.
What is the absorption capacity of this portable dehumidifier
The human body will produce around 1 liter of water per night on average (this amount can change from person to person and also by the current amount of water that exists inside the body).
So, the number of people inside of a tent and the size of this one is an important factor of dehumidifier choice, but remember, humidity levels can be lower but you can never get rid of it completely.
Can it fit inside my tent’s storage pockets?
Rooftop tents are expensive, and every bit of space inside them is needed, you don’t want to have an annoying bulky dehumidifier getting in your way every time you try to move inside your tent.
Small size dehumidifiers will solve this problem, you can put them in a storage pocket or hang them in the ceiling or just put them in a corner inside the tent.
Does this dehumidifier emit any noise or odor?
A quality of life feature that exists in all of the dehumidifiers that we listed above, some low-quality ones use chemical components that emit a bad odor when they react with water.
A great thing about portable silica-based tents dehumidifiers is the lack of any noise generation.
Eva-dry E-333 Renewable Mini Dehumidifier
Pros
- Doesn't emit any noise
- Great price to value offer
- Absorbe a significant amount of condensation
Cons
- None