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Hilleberg Atko condensation

I open all vents and it is still soaking wet inside - ideas? I think I must breath out 2x the moisture most people do. It is soaking wet inside every morning, with water dripping all over.

When it's cool, no breeze, drizzling or near 100% humidity I've yet to find a tent that isn't plagued by condensation. You'd also be surprised how much moisture your body gives off via sweat. I once thought I'd "beat" the condensation drips onto my sleeping bag by sliding the whole thing into a huge contractor garbage bag. Within minutes I felt clammy and damp, so that wasn't related to breathing.

I had this issue years ago, myself and a bunch of friends always tent camped for the first day of trout season here (PA). The weather was all over the place from year to year. 70 degrees to 20 degrees. One of the fellas that camped with us turned us all onto using 9 hour emergency candles in our tents. I know this may sound crazy but it works. They sell a little mini lantern for the 9 hour candles that has a chain and a hook on it that you can use to suspend from the gear loft or whatever on the top of the inside of your tent and the flame is enclosed inside the lantern. I haven't bought one in a few years but they were right around $12-$15 for the lantern. They don't give off enough light to keep you awake but they do take care of burning off the condensation inside a tent.

https://www.ucogear.com/candle-lanterns/

You can check some candle lanterns out at this link. A little more $ than I remember but that's the way it goes.

Carl I remember the story well and tell it often! But I failed to learn......... I was camped right next to a cool creek - 10 feet away, I think this made it a lot worse?

Yeah, camping next to a creek really increases the condensation! Try camping a little higher where moist air won't settle. Ventilation (via breeze) is you only hope without adding some extra heat. Never heard of the candles, might be a very good option to try.

I had an akto and sold it. Condensation was horrible. I got rid of it and got a Niak. Free standing and didn’t have the condensation issues

Thanks! Why do you think the Niak is better?

Niak is a 3 season tent where the Akto is a 4 season. I imagine the Niak has more mesh fabric on the inner tent then than solid fabric like on the Akto. With my Nallo 2 I leave all the vents open and and just zip the screen on the inner tent door. Helps a lot with the condensation.

There is a reason tents are made with 2 layers................one inner layer of mesh and a SEPARATE rainfly over top. They are preferred for 2 reasons. One reason is better airflow (between the layers) and the other is the mesh is more permeable and lets the moisture go thru.................and even in high moisture conditions, the condensation will be on the inside of the fly and if it drips it will drip on the mesh and be dispersed and not go thru. The single wall tents all have issues with condensation unless you have some type of heat source to burn it off- as stated above.

I preferred the Niak to the akto because there’s more room than the akto. It does much better with condensation. I only use it for summer/ fall hunts. I’m not winter camping in it. I use to have lots of condensation in the akto even.

If I’m in need of cold I’ll take the Kifaru with wood stove

Therein lies the beauty of a canvas wall tent!

I had the enan (3 season version of atko) and had terrible condensation. The only night it wasnt soaked was near the continental divide in high winds. The small single person tent made it impossible to move without brushing water off the side. I tried to add a little kickstand vent and leave the flap open but it didnt help much. I really wanted to like the tent because its was so packable for the backcountry but eventually sold it.

The niak is like a 1.5 person tent but does feel much roomier on the ends than the enan/atko.

Good info thanks! I definitely want a 4 season tent. I agree the size makes a big difference, impossible not to brush against the tent. Also this last 9 day trip was rough on my back, constantly hunched over. I spent 30 minutes a day laying on the tundra stretching to alleviate pain from being hunched over at all times when inside my tent. I really wish the Atko was 4" higher, 6 inches even better.

I keep thinking more and more about a tipi style tent with a small stove.

Mule, assuming you have mules then perhaps a canvass wall tent is fine. But try packing one in on your back to the back country...or having one flown in a Super Cub.

Don regarding tipi they have their pros and cons also. Without a stove they often have terrible condensation, plus not very bug proof. Plus when windy in the desert everything inside gets covered with sand and dust...

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