I finally figured out why my tent kept getting wet inside on the Appalachian Trail

Turns out I was pitching it too close to the ground and blocking ventilation - after 4 trips in the rain I finally noticed the condensation was from my own breath, not a leak. Has anyone else dealt with that sticky feeling of waking up damp even when your fly is tight?

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charlie_lane853h ago

Yeah, I hear you on the sticky damp feeling - that's rough. But I gotta gently push back on saying it was "from your own breath" as the main cause. Sure, breathing adds moisture, but the real issue is usually the ground. Ground moisture wicks up through the tent floor even with a footprint underneath. If you pitch too low like you said, you trap that ground moisture AND your breath in there with no airflow. The condensation on the walls is mostly from the warm damp air inside hitting the cold fly. I've had the same problem and fixing the ventilation helped a ton, but I also started using a bigger footprint that goes just under the tent, not sticking out where it catches rain. Makes a big difference.