Car camping can be fun and at times much easier than using a tent or other shelter. There are now products available to help with the inconveniences that come with the use of a car rather than a tent. Comfort and ease should be the goal influencing your choice to sleep in your car when camping. With the popularity of modern SUV’s car camping has boomed in recent years. SUVs offer great space relative to sedans. The rear liftgate even provides some measure of canopy sheltering. These SUV attributes, along with several others, boost car camping popularity. Although there are many benefits that go with car camping, most do not address common issues that arise when car camping, big issues are humidity, moisture, and condensation.
What is Humidity, Moisture, and Condensation?
Humidity
Humidity as defined by NationalGeographic.org is the amount of water vapor in the air. Humidity can have negative impacts in many ways on your car camping experience. Humidity can be so high that it feels like you have difficulty breathing. While this may be an extreme case, it can and does happen. In most cases, the lack of ventilation will cause increased humidity. In cases where it’s very humid outside, you may think about reducing or stopping all ventilation for a while, while it’s raining or there is a very dense fog in the area.
Moisture and Condensation
Moisture and condensation can be almost the same thing in certain circumstances. A highly concentrated moisture content results in condensation. Moisture is defined by Mariam-Webster as liquid diffused or condensed in relatively small quantity. In most definitions of moisture, you will find “condensed”. That’s where condensation enters the relationship. Condensation is defined as the conversion of a substance (such as water) from the vapor state to a denser liquid or solid state usually initiated by a reduction in the temperature of the vapor. A typical accumulation of condensation occurs on hard surfaces, most commonly on windows when car camping, but on any hard surface where there can be a temperature difference between the surface and the vapor in the air.
Methods to Reduce
Ventilation
There are numerous products and methods used to try to reduce the amount of condensation inside your vehicle while camping. One way to reduce condensation is ventilation. The higher the humidity, the easier the condensation can begin to form. Because condensation is formed from water vapor, the more water vapor or humidity in the air, the easier it may form. Something to consider when ventilating is the atmospheric humidity outside your car. Many camping areas in forests or near bodies of water are common areas the humidity levels are normally higher. A simple “feel” test can normally let you know. If the air feels “wetter” outside your car, then you may look for other alternatives than simple ventilation.
Electronic Dehumidifier Devices
Most available electronic dehumidifiers that are available are designed for home use or 110-120v use. Using one of these, with an inverter to convert the 12v to power devices requiring 110v, can be a huge benefit to car campers. Many of these devices pull a large amount of moisture from the air. The problem is that it can be detrimental to the car’s battery life. These are great to use when the car is running and actively charging the battery and producing electricity thru the car’s alternator. If your car is equipped with the ability to power 12v devices while the car’s engine isn’t running, the power it can deliver will be reduced drastically, and likely can’t power an inverter to run one of these electric dehumidifiers thru the night and crank your car the next morning. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s electrical requirement specifications when using an electric dehumidifier while camping in your car.
Traditional Desiccant-Based Dehumidifiers
Products that are desiccant-based are simple and relatively effective in pulling moisture out of the air. Desiccant-based products pulled moisture out of the air by absorption. Because the method of removing the moisture isn’t amplified by electric motors or mechanisms the volume will be reduced drastically. The most common material used in moisture control products is silica gel. Silica gel is a granular material that in some tests absorbs 32% of its weight in moisture in the right environment. Although some companies say their silica gel can absorb up to 40% in an environment with 100% humidity. Other common desiccants include activated charcoal, calcium sulfate, and calcium chloride. Look for products with the largest surface area that will be exposed to the air and place a few in your car when car camping to help reduce the moisture and condensation.
Constant Battle
There will almost always be a moisture issue inside your car if you are in your car for any length of time, due to you breathing out moisture. Moisture and humidity is a battle I’m very familiar with due to my locale. The area of the country I live in keeps an annual average humidity of over 78% and often times it’s in the 90% range without rain. There will almost always be a moisture issue inside your car if you are in your car for any length of time, due to you breathing out moisture. These methods and products can help reduce the moisture and humidity to make your car camping experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
