Fjordsen rooftop tents: Happy Camping!

Please read more about condensation because every Fjordsen roof tent is waterproof. But condensation can form or there are situations where water can enter on seams (despite being taped). Please read below.

Polyester tent cloth has the disadvantage that it is not breathable. This means that condensation can only form from the inside in one direction and that is from the roof downwards. It then seems that the canvas is leaking, but in reality, it is pure condensation that falls down because raindrops tap against the flysheet. It is often thought that condensation can only concern a small amount of water, but in practice, it turns out that it can sometimes be liters of water.

For example, how can moisture build up in the tent?

1. Exhalation/Perspiration
At night you lose moisture when you sleep: on average about 0.5 liters per person. If you spend the night with, for example, two or three people in a polyester tent, that means 1 to one and a half liters of moisture. All this moisture will also condense against the outside.

2. Temperature differences
This happens especially during rain showers. The temperature outside cools down quickly during a rain shower and you often sit inside the tent. The tent canvas cools from the outside and the warm air from inside condenses on the inside of the canvas. The condensation can cover the entire roof surface and thus cause a lot of water.

3. Warm air
Sometimes the humidity is high during the day. If warm air enters the tent during the day, this air contains an extremely high amount of moisture and will therefore condense as soon as it cools down. You also get warm air in your tent when you cook in the tent.

4. Wet or clammy clothes
Did you get wet during a rain shower and your clothes and shoes are soaked? Do not let them dry in your tent, this also causes condensation.

5. Grass
Grass also 'breathes'. If you put the tent on a lawn, condensation moisture/vapour will also rise from the grass. The higher the grass, the more condensation.

Reduce condensation
Unfortunately, it is not possible to prevent condensation completely, because we have no influence on the weather conditions. There are a number of possible ways.

a. Ventilate
Fjordsen has many ventilation options. You can reduce condensation by using ventilation openings, for example by opening ventilation windows and the door. Use multiple ventilation points, one is not enough.

b. Summer / Warm days? Keep the tent closed during the day!
Are you going camping in a warm country? Make sure that you leave the tent as close as possible during the day and only ventilate in the evening when it has cooled down. At home you also keep everything closed in warm weather and only let it blow through in the evening. The 'evening air' contains much less moisture.

c. Don't cook in your tent
At home you always cook with the extractor hood that provides warm cooking vapors. When you camp with a roof tent, of course, you don't have a drain. It is, therefore, better to cook outside the roof tent. The warm air from cooking cannot go outside because polyester cloth does not breathe.

d. Store wet items outside the roof tent
Wet clothes and other wet items cause a lot of condensation. So put them outside the tent. Don't have that option? Pack the wet items well in a sealed plastic bag, so that no air from the wet items can get into the tent.

The fabric of our Fjordsen LIGHT 140 and LIGHT 220 roof tents is made of lightweight material. This allowed us to keep the weight as low as possible while still creating a lot of space. The moisture in your tent is condensation. We have created the option to ventilate the tent on all four sides to keep condensation as low as possible. However, condensation is hardly preventable in very humid conditions.

The fabric of our Fjordsen AIR XL roof tent is different. This fabric is able to absorb moisture at night and release it during the day. This fabric is a lot more expensive and also a lot heavier than the lightweight material of the LIGHT 140/220. As a result, the AIR XL is also a lot heavier (about 14 kg) and € 700 more expensive.

Both materials we use for the production of our tents have their advantages and disadvantages. It depends on how you want to use the tent which product is the best choice for you.