My tent is wet in the morning, is it leaking?

Modified on Tue, 24 Jan 2023 at 10:04 AM




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Q: Why does water come into my tent? Is my tent leaking?


If you have been unlucky enough to find water in your tent the good news is that it is very unlikely that your tent has leaked. Vango tents are made to the highest specification, using quality materials and components.


Where has all the water in my tent come from?

1 person can produce up to 1 pint of condensation per night. 5 people in a tent equals a potential 5 pints of water. Other sources of moisture include wet shoes, clothes, dogs, cooking, even the air itself.


What causes condensation to form in a tent?

Air temperature in the tent can become warm and humid from people, heaters and a lack of ventilation. When the warm air inside the tent hits the relatively cool fabric of the tent, the moist air condenses into liquid form.


Do all tents suffer from condensation?

In certain weather conditions, the design of any tent can be overwhelmed by moisture. If it is a cold night and there is no breeze to circulate the warm, moist air out of the tent, it could be difficult to prevent condensation.


The air held within the beams of a Vango AirBeam tent, circulates within the beams. If the outside temperature is much cooler than that inside the tent, then the cooling of the air in the beams is quite quick. The warm, humid air inside the tent then condensates onto the area of the beams inside the tent. This moisture can then appear as water droplets on the AirBeams and in some cases create pools of water at the base of the AirBeams. If the prevailing conditions are particularly prone to condensation, remove items from around the base of beams.

What weather conditions can make condensation worse?

Condensation can be made worse when the air outside the tent is significantly cooler than inside, especially after a warm, humid day.

Rainy conditions can also increase the chances of condensation occurring, often leading to the appearance of a leaking tent. Rain water on the outside of the tent, or rain water evaporating off of the outer surface of the tent causes the temperature of the fabric to decrease, leading to more rapid condensation as the air inside the tent comes into contact with it.

My tent is wet from condensation, what should I do?

Wiping the walls with a towel or cloth is a good way to remove condensation from the surface and stop any drips. Avoid anything touching the side of polycotton tents as this can cause water to seep through.


If you are staying in one location, remove all wet items from the tent and dry them so that they don’t create more moisture the next night. Dry and ventilate your tent as best as you can.


Tents can be slow to dry on cold mornings. If you are trekking, you may wish to pack your tent and dry it out properly in the midday sun.


How can you prevent condensation in your tent?

Here are our top tips for a dry night!


  • Ventilate!
  • Store wet stuff outside
  • Don’t touch the sides
  • Never cook inside
  • Turn Heaters Off
  • Pitch in a spot that gets a natural breeze
  • Don’t pitch too close to water



Leaking 


If you suspect that your tent may be leaking and your tent is less than 12 months old, please contact the retailer you purchased it from (your contract of sale with the retailer should remain valid through any warranty claim). The retailer they will advise you of the most appropriate course of action. If the product needs to be returned for inspection, the retailer will do this on your behalf. The more detail you can provide, the quicker and more accurate we can be in our response.


Products must be returned for inspection clean and dry. Any products received in an unsatisfactory condition will be returned to the sender without inspection.


Please be aware that the following are NOT covered in the Vango warranty;

  • General wear and tear over extended periods of use
  • Misuse
  • Flaws in the fabric caused by excessive wear
  • Water ingress through fabric as a result of UV degradation
  • Water ingress through seams caused by excessive abrasion of seams or seam sealant tape
  • UV degradation
  • Condensation, usually caused by lack of ventilation
  • pole breakages, including collateral damage from a pole breakage


If you have owned the tent for longer than 12 months, and you have an issue with your tent, then please contact us on info@vango.co.uk