I’ve camped lots before but not recently and I can’t recall how normal it is for the inside of a tent to get damp. I’ve just bought a new tent and used over the weekend in the garden with my seven year old as a test before a camping trip next weekend.

This morning, after rain overnight, the inside is pretty damp to the touch and doing do causes moisture to condense into droplets that then shower onto the floor. Is this just condensation or might there be a problem with the tent?

I bought an ex-display model that will have been up on the retail site all summer.

condensation – needs to be well ventilated. Vents must be open

Sounds pretty normal to me. Should be 100% waterproof as long as there is an air gap between the inner and outer. Any contact with the outer and the water can wick through. I expect posh ones might not do this but all the cheap ones I’ve owned have done.

to add to what Pawsy_Bear is saying vents and air flow, is there air flow between the outside and the vents – pole sleaves etc. can stop air moving in some designs. What are the vents like and how does the outside get through?
Was it pitched right? if it’s windy or moving and it’s not tight then the outer and inner touching will let water through.

Depends on the tent design. It almost certainly isn’t leaking, it’s condensation. Some of the tents I have rely on being properly guyed out to maximise air flow around the inner.

How long is string?

Two night ago I camped in a small clifftop gully with a strong breeze coming in, enough to speckle the flysheet in sea-foam The grass was short/grazed and the (tiny coffin tent) was bone dry in and out in the morning. It’s a cheapo HiGear Soloista, yet the inner is about 30-40% mesh. The stiff breeze, taut fly, good gap between outer and inner and the short grass were favourable factors for ventilation. Meanwhile at basecamp my Vango Halo is in long grass in a hollow and in wind the tired old baggy fly touched the inner where the mattress is. Damp and nasty because small vents and can’t open the flysheet/door flaps until rain stops. Will cut grass/re-pitch.

What the others have said about air flow and ventilation is key.

Also, IME, a new tent will not breath as well as an older one, I guess that the treatment on the fly sheet is 100% which will allow moisture to build up more.

So much of it is condition specific, I highly doubt it’s to do with the tent

I’ve had condensation on the inside of a tarp! And that was pitched fairly open as well

I’ve had condensation on the inside of a tarp! And that was pitched fairly open as well

Me too. Seaside pitch, no breeze, sea mist prevalent. It’s hardly a surprise in those circumstances.

Thanks for the responses. I can rest easy that this is just condensation.