Canopy over tent

[csb80918]

I was thinking about putting my tent inside my 10 x 10 canopy and buying a cover that goes around all 4 sides of my canopy.

Has anyone tried this? If so how did it work?

I was thinking this would cut down on condensation, dew, wind and rain from even coming into contact with my tent.

[Rosie]

Hey there,
Not sure exactly what your canopy looks like, but it sounds like a similar setup to one we had in belgium.It was HOT (well by our UK standards at least, around 40 degrees), so we had a gazebo over the front of our tent. It kept the tent in the shade first thing in the morning (allowing us to sleep beyond 5am!) and then gave us some shade for breakfast.

Sounds like your plan would work, and ideal for extreme hot or cold climates.

Let me know how you get on!
Rosie

[Bigdog57]

Maybe not condensation. You would lose your ventilation of the tent itself. Not to mention the cumbersomeness of a 'tent inside a tent'.....

[tplife]

Buying a better tent might cut your condensation. More liberal use of mesh on today's models will stop your breathing from condensing on the inside of the tent, and it will condense on the rainfly instead. High-end tents offer full-coverage rainflys so you also won't be colder due to the use of more mesh.

[csb80918]

Thanks for the replies. In the future I'd like to get a much better tent, but presently I don't have the money for it. I have a cheap $40 dollar tent, it can easily fit inside my 10 x 10 canopy. The tent is only 4ft tall, but I can raise the canopy to at least 7 ft and the ceiling on the canopy isn't flat so there would be even more space between my tent and the canopy for air to flow. If I take the tarp(rain fly) off the top of the tent it should be enough ventilation. To prevent moisture from entering the bottom of my tent I guess I could just lay the tent on a tarp or even put a tarp on the bottom of the inside of the tent.

I've slept in my car before when bad weather has forced me out of my cheap tent and the only moisture the car gets is on the windows. The ceiling of my car doesn't get any moisture. Do the more expensive tents have a similiar material on the inside of the tents to prevent condensation?

I sometimes hang a sheet above me in the tent and it seems to stop any moisture from falling down.

I don't camp for recreation I camp for work, since I'm a traveling salesman. It saves me a ton of money not having to pay for motels. All I do in the tent is sleep, I'm not in the tent during the day at all. I just drive up go in the tent sleep and then get out.

[csb80918]

Thanks for the replies. Currently I can't afford a better tent, but I do have a sturdy proven canopy that I could put the tent inside of.

The canopy has gone through 30-50 mile an hour winds. I don't camp for recreation very often, but I do camp for work. I travel frequently and it saves me a ton of money not having to pay for motels.

The cheap tent I have now is useless in rain or wind. However; I have endured many storms while inside of my canopy and stayed dry and it also blocked the wind. I don't know why I didn't think of putting my tent inside of my canopy sooner. The tent would remain dry and it would be blocked from the wind. I could actually sleep inside the canopy on an elevated cot, but then insects or snakes could get inside. I'd just use the tent to prevent insects or snakes from bothering me. If the canopy happens to develope a micro leak then the tent could easily handle that.

I'd just leave the rain fly off at night. Put a sheet between myself and the top of the tent to prevent/reduce moisture from falling down on me or my sleeping bag. I'm going to try it and let whoever is interested know how it works.

[tplife]

Necessity is the mother of invention. :D

[Bigdog57]

Sounds like a workable solution! I've read of folks using tarps as rain barriers, and have done similarly with a camping buddy here - my dome tent's front half was up under his tripod Kelty Tarp, which he used to shield the back end (galley) of his tiny teardrop trailer. Kept the rain from my tent door, and gave us a dry area to sit and enjoy the day.
I have a cheapo Ozark Trails four-pole tarp shelter that I will use this next camping season for our big January meet locally. Either have it over the dome tent or the van, depending on which I will sleep in. We always get at least one night of cold thirty-some degree rain!

[Christn2000]

I like to string up a tarp. Setting up a canopy with sides over a tent seems redundant. It's like putting the bedroom in the closet, if you catch my drift. I put the tarp on a line over the tent "A" style so I can get a breeze around/through the tent and still keep the rain out.

[joecamper]

Thanks for the replies. In the future I'd like to get a much better tent, but presently I don't have the money for it. I have a cheap $40 dollar tent, it can easily fit inside my 10 x 10 canopy. The tent is only 4ft tall, but I can raise the canopy to at least 7 ft and the ceiling on the canopy isn't flat so there would be even more space between my tent and the canopy for air to flow. If I take the tarp(rain fly) off the top of the tent it should be enough ventilation. To prevent moisture from entering the bottom of my tent I guess I could just lay the tent on a tarp or even put a tarp on the bottom of the inside of the tent.

I've slept in my car before when bad weather has forced me out of my cheap tent and the only moisture the car gets is on the windows. The ceiling of my car doesn't get any moisture. Do the more expensive tents have a similiar material on the inside of the tents to prevent condensation?

I sometimes hang a sheet above me in the tent and it seems to stop any moisture from falling down.

I don't camp for recreation I camp for work, since I'm a traveling salesman. It saves me a ton of money not having to pay for motels. All I do in the tent is sleep, I'm not in the tent during the day at all. I just drive up go in the tent sleep and then get out.

I commend you on your frugality! It is a rare and admirable trait!