How To Keep Your Tent Cool
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While nobody likes to camp when it’s very hot outside, for many people, summer camping is a popular season for camping. But there are simple things you can do to reduce the temperature in your tent. You can put your tent in the shade, you can keep the tent ventilated, you can use a tarp to create shade, you can use an upside-down survival blanket to reflect the infrared heat of the sun, you can bring a fan, you can wear a wet buff or hair, or you can even bring along a camping air conditioner.
We will now look at each one of these to see which is best. And we’ll even through in a couple of other ideas at the end.
And before I begin, let me say that in Texas, many of us just avoid camping when it gets too hot. In particular, in mid-August when it gets into the upper 90s. But if you do go camping, in the heat, make sure to drink enough liquids to stay hydrated. Cramping is not fun. And heat-stroke can kill you.
We have an article about how much water to bring here.
Enjoy the outdoors without feeling uncomfortable or sweaty with a misting fan
RYOBI ONE+ 18V Portable Bucket-Top Misting Fan Kit is the perfect solution for a hot day on your camping trip.
It comes with two brass nozzles that release mist. Thus you can run it as a simple fan or you can use water from either a 5-gallon bucket or garden hose to create an even more powerful cooling system!
The included battery will last 3.5 hours, and this kit has everything you need in one easy package - all of it compatible with any other RYOBI ONE+ tool out there.
Check it out at The Home Depot
It comes with two brass nozzles that spray mists of water
The RYOBI fan can use a 5-gallon bucket filled with water or a garden hose to feed the 2 brass nozzles that spray mists of water. The fan is perfect for campers to keep cool in hot weather. It’s easy to use and sprays enough water that I use the mist to wash my hands before meals. Enjoy cooling in the heat with a 3-hour battery life The fan runs on a 3.5 Ah 18V RYOBI Lithium-Ion battery which lasts up to 3 hours. The battery is compatible with all other RYOBI 18V ONE + batteries, and you can easily swap it out for a new one when the remaining power gets low. The quick-release feature on the bottom of the fan allows for fast-changing of the battery. It keeps you cool and relaxed on long, hot days, even at bedtime The fan can be used inside tents or when you’re on your cot at bedtime. When I was camping in Texas, the temperature hit 90 to 95 degrees and it was humid but the fan kept me cool while I slept inside my tent. Plus, using a misting system works great for those hot summer days if you don’t want to use a sprinkler. The 18V charger is compatible with all other Ryobi ONE+ batteries so you can quickly swap out the batteries for new ones when using multiple tools.
Check it out at The Home Depot
Comes with two brass nozzles that spray mists of water
The RYOBI fan can use a 5-gallon bucket that can be filled with water or a garden hose to feed the 2 brass nozzles that spray mists of water.
The fan is perfect for campers to keep cool in hot weather.
It’s easy to use and sprays enough water that I use the mist to wash my hands before meals.
Check it out at The Home Depot
Enjoy cooling in the heat with a 3-hour battery life
The fan runs on a 3.5 Ah 18V RYOBI Lithium-Ion battery which lasts up to 3 hours.
The battery is compatible with all other RYOBI 18V ONE + batteries and you can easily swap it out for a new one when the remaining power gets low. The quick-release feature on the bottom of the fan allows for fast changing of the battery.
Check it out at The Home Depot
Keeps you cool and relaxed on long, hot days, even at bedtime
The fan can be used inside tents or when you’re on your cot at bedtime.
When I was camping in Texas, the temperature hit 90 to 95 degrees and it was humid but the fan kept me cool while I slept inside my tent.
Plus, using a misting system works great for those hot summer days if you don’t want to use a sprinkler.
The 18V charger is compatible with all other Ryobi ONE+ batteries so you can quickly swap out the batteries for new ones when using multiple tools.
Check it out at The Home Depot
Keep The Tent In The Shade
The first thing to do is to look for a place where you can keep your tent in the shade. Large trees are going to be best. Though make sure you do get a breeze so that you will cool off. Make sure that the trees are healthy and you’re not under any widow-maker branches.
Make Your Own Shade With A Tarp
You might be camping in an area where there the trees provide enough shade. If this is the case, you can provide your own shade with a tarp.
If you do have some trees around your tent, you can tie the tarp to the trees to provide shade for your tent.
You can also use this trick to provide a covered area to sit under in case of rain. You can also use the tarp to provide a covered area for you to cook or socialize under.
If you don’t have trees available, you can bring along poles to use. Some tarps like the Topnaca Lightweight Camping Tarp Shelter, include poles so that it is easy to set up as a canopy.
Send The Heat Back To Space With A Survival Blanket
Sometimes, the shade from the trees or a tarp is not enough. So we can borrow a trick from keeping us warm in the winter, use a survival blanket.
You will want a survival blanket that has a shiny side and non-shiny like the Mylatech Survival XL Reusable Emergency Thermal Blankets. You can also use a tarp that has mylar coating on one-side.
Attach the survival blanket to your tent over the rainfly. Or it can replace the rainfly if you don’t expect inclement weather. You can attach it to the tent poles using binder clips.
Make sure the shiny mylar surface is pointing up to the sky. Mylar will reflect back 90% of the infrared energy that shines on it. And this should help cool your tent.
Maximize The Ventilation
A common complaint about sleeping in tents is the lack of ventilation. In particular, for single-walled tents. A two-walled tent can maximize ventilation because you can remove the rainfly. They have a mesh covering that will keep the bugs out.
If you are not expecting rain and are settling in for the night, you can sleep without the rainfly to sleep under the stars without the bugs. But this will give you the most ventilation.
Jump Through The Sprinkler
One of my acquaintances loves to camp at state parks in the summer because the heat keeps people away. But he always chooses a site with a water hookup so that he can bring his water hose and sprinkler. It becomes a hotspot for his grandkids and their new friends (all of the kids from other campsites).
They run through the sprinkler and it cools them off.
Wet Your Buff And Hair
Bring along a buff and you can soak it full of water. Then place around your neck and this will cool you off via evaporation. You can also keep your hair wet.
Leverage Fans
There are a wide variety of fans available for campers. These include battery operated as well as traditional electrically powered models. The latter would need to be plugged into either a generator or shore power at a campsite that provides an electrical connecton.
We provide a guide to fans here.
Improvised Swamp Cooler
If you have a fan plus a bucket of ice water (you could use one of those cheap styrofoam coolers), then you can create a swamp cooler.
You put the ice water in front of the fan. As the water evaporates, the fan blows the cool water over you.
Where it lands on you and then evaporates again.
These can work well as long as there isn’t much humidity.
Air Conditioner For Your Tent
For those of y’all who think any type of convenience doesn’t count as camping, can stop reading now.
But if you’re really wanting to maximize comfort in your tent when trying to sleep in the heat of the summer, you can bring along an air conditioner.
We have an article about them right here.
