Thread: Question re Fly Camp location

We have fly-camped a number of times in low scrubby bush near a river and have noticed that there always seems to be a lot of condensation under the fly and often on our gear. On our last trip we shifted about 100m, still beside the river but under some mature trees - in the morning no condensation!
Anyone know why the difference?

better ventilation?

Originally Posted by 300CALMAN

better ventilation?

Yeah, breeze going through under the trees I would think.

Oh ...... an open ended fly - disregard my post.

So if I understand you are saying it’s basically the moisture from our own breath in an open ended fly?
Can’t recall if there were still nights in the open or not
So a still night under the trees should produce condensation also?

The ground gives off moisture, people give of moisture - and it all goes up.
The inside of your fly becomes wet where it all condenses, the moisture can't get out - so rig your fly so it can.

Those nice little enclosed set-ups are great - but wet, wet, wet. Get them off the ground and open an airway to get circulation ............. and I could go on and on .......

And the others are right - it's probably a breeze, or better ventilation, or the 'hand of God' ....... the world is a strange place.

I always found you don't get condensation under the bush I put it down to the put to the jew on a cold morning as that makes the fly cold so it condensation more & you don't get the jew under the bush so it becomes a double skin tent like

Originally Posted by hunt08

I always found you don't get condensation under the bush I put it down to the put to the jew on a cold morning as that makes the fly cold so it condensation more & you don't get the jew under the bush so it becomes a double skin tent like

I really hope you mean dew and are not blaming the Israelis for this.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

I really hope you mean dew and are not blaming the Israelis for this.

A women camped outside in Israel and woke up with a heavy dew on top

Originally Posted by Tahr

A women camped outside in Israel and woke up with a heavy dew on top

Stick to hunting mate

In the bush the dew settles on the trees, not on the fly. You can still get condensation but the dew won’t be adding to it.
On a dewy morning like today go for a walk and you will see the dew on the grass in the open area but not under the trees

Originally Posted by Cigar

In the bush the dew settles on the trees, not on the fly. You can still get condensation but the dew won’t be adding to it.
On a dewy morning like today go for a walk and you will see the dew on the grass in the open area but not under the trees

This, plus the air will be a little warmer on dry ground under mature trees so the 'dew point' may not be reached, whereas the night draft draining down the valley will cool the air below the dew point even in summer.

And the riverbed and flats are the coldest part of a valley, camp on a bench a few hundred metres up from the river bed and you will have less dew and warmer, and wont stink up good hunting areas.

Originally Posted by Cigar

In the bush the dew settles on the trees, not on the fly. You can still get condensation but the dew won’t be adding to it.
On a dewy morning like today go for a walk and you will see the dew on the grass in the open area but not under the trees

I was sitting outside the doorway enjoying the early morning sun, after the sun warmed the area a bit the wind picked up to a gentle breeze and it started to rain, but only under the tree as that's where the dew had settled. I never camp out in the open.

An interesting observation.

In theory, the fly will be radiating heat off into the clear night sky when in the open or scrub but not in the bush, where tree canopy will radiate it back. So the fly material will get colder in the site with a clear view of the sky. Theres planty of water vapour in the air to condense on both outside (dew) and inside ( condensation).

Tents are more often used in clear sites and flys usually under canopy.