You’ll all agree with me that camping is one of the most thrilling experiences one could ever have. Camping during summer is especially more fun. You will not have to wear a dozen clothes which will weigh you down during hiking and neither will you have to carry a lot of items to prevent you from the cold as you would while camping during the winter season.
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The biggest challenge as you camp during summer is how to keep cool. The key to keeping yourself cool during your camping adventure will depend on your knowledge about how to stay cool in a tent. The moment your tent is kept cool, then you can be sure that you will escape the effects of the scorching summer heat.
Too much warmth especially when you are sleeping causes too much discomfort such that you are likely to feel sick. Read on and get to learn easy ways to keep your tent cool as you camp in places that are generally warmer.
13 Simple and straightforward tips on how to keep your tent cool
Sleeping is one of the most important activities in a human being’s life that should not be compromised on. Other than carrying your AC unit, which I agree is quite portable, I will share with you several affordable tips that will keep your tent cool as you camp this summer.
1. Size of your tent
The size of your tent may seem like an insignificant factor, but it matters a great deal in determining the temperatures inside the tent. If you are going to camp as a couple, then you will need the 2 person tent. But if you are going to sleep more than two people in one tent, then you need a bigger tent.
Bigger tents will enhance good air flow which translates to a calm atmosphere. A large tent will also create more room for a tent to accommodate more people and still enhance a smooth airflow.
2. Minimize the number of people sleeping in one tent
The more the number of people sleeping in a tent, the higher the probability that it will be very hot in there. This is because air circulation will be difficult, preventing heat from escaping from the tent. Having few people sleeping in a tent will ensure that air circulation is sufficient which will enhance the escape of heat from your tent. This will make sure that your tent is kept cool.
3. Have your tent under a shade
A shade protects your tent from the direct impact from the sun. This prevents it from overheating during the day when the summer sun is hot. To get a camping shade, you can rely on the Aluminet camping shade which will protect your tent’s inside from direct sunlight by deflecting the heat and at the same time enhancing sufficient airflow.
4. Lay a poncho liner beneath your tent
During summer, the ground absorbs so much heat which penetrates into your tent causing it to heat up. A poncho liner can prevent heat from the ground from penetrating into your tent hence making the temperature within your tent cool. Place your poncho liner right under your tent, and it will serve you a great deal.
5. Wear light clothing
While sleeping in a tent, I would advise you to wear light clothes and avoid wearing dark colored clothes. Dark colored clothes absorb too much heat which causes the tent to heat up. Wearing light clothes which are brightly colored will help in reflecting heat away and enhancing sufficient air circulation.
6. Place your tent in a small pit on the ground
During your camping spree this summer season, you should be willing to go to greater extents to ensure that nothing compromises with your comfort. You can dig a small pit into the ground where you intend to place your tent.
The pit should be about two feet deep. The effort you will take to dig the pit could be too much, and it may make you fatigued, but the results will be worth the challenging work.
7. Set up your tent away from crowds
Crowds can be very loud and rowdy at times. If there is a festival taking place at your campsite, I would recommend that you take your tent away from the crowd to prevent it from absorbing too much heat and to create some privacy for yourself.
8. Get a breathable tent
A breathable tent will allow smooth air circulation. During the summer season, the best tent for your camping spree is a 2-season tent. The easiest way for you to determine the breathability of a tent is by getting one that has windows which are made of a light material which is meshed. The tent material is the major factor to consider when getting a tent for your camping spree.
The windows should be at least two for ventilation purposes and to enhance circulation of air. For durability purposes, a tent that is made of cotton material will serve you for more summer seasons and will keep your tent cool compared to those made of polyester or nylon. Cotton is more breathable and a good insulator.
It barely causes condensation which makes it a better candidate for a perfect camping tent during summer. If you are camping during a season when no rainfall is expected, remove the rainfly to prevent heat from being trapped in the tent. This could limit air circulation.
9. Design of the tent
There is a perfect design for tents which are suitable to be used in hot areas. The suitable design ensures that the vents can be manually opened up and also propped up. This minimizes condensation inside your tent.
A tent with a rainfly is also ideal. This is because it will prevent the sunshine from causing the inside of the tent to warm up. With the rainfly present, your tent will have two walls. In between the walls, there will be sufficient air circulation which will bring a cooling effect to your tent.
Having a tent with many windows will enhance air circulation whether you are in the tent or outside. Even when many people are sleeping in one tent, you will not have to worry about having an incredibly hot tent during the nights, and neither will stuffiness be an issue of concern to you.
10. Bring with you some cooling items to the camping spree
As you set out on a camping spree during the summer season, carry some ice and a cooler with you. Both a cooler and ice inside your room will enhance an all night long cooling effect to your tent. You can put some ice in a dish and place it strategically inside the tent at a place where its cooling effect will be significant. You can choose one of the best coolers for camping from this article under-the-open-sky.com/best-coolers-for-camping/
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The dish you choose should be big enough to hold all the water after the ice has melted. A camping fan is also another option though not viable when dry camping. This is because you will need electricity to operate it or a 12-volt battery which will serve you for quite some time during your camping expedition. Do not let the camping fan to blow at the tent wall directly, but instead, let it blow on you as you sleep.
In the market, we have tent air conditioners which are portable. According to my opinion, this is the ideal deal when it comes to keeping your tent cool. For a tent that measures a hundred and fifty square feet, a tent air conditioner with ratings of 5000BTU will be ideal. This can only function if there are a power source and an extension cord of 15 amps. The cord should be heavy duty to support the tent air conditioner.
11. Consider the time when you set up your tent
Setting up a tent is an easy task to most people who love camping. Most of the time at noon, the sun is usually scorching hot. This is why it is advisable to set up your tent in the evening during sunset and bring it down in the morning when the sun is rising.
This will help a great deal in preventing the build-up of heat within your tent during the day. You do not need to worry about feeling so much cold at night because your tent will still have retained some heat.
12. Consider the direction of the wind
Pitch your tent in a position such that its meshed windows will allow the wind to pass right through to allow for air circulation which will maintain cool temperatures within your tent. The best position to place your tent is as it faces the breeze and leaves the entrance open.
You just need to ensure that your tent windows are open all day long. Getting a tent with many windows is ideal to enhance air circulation.
13. Make use of either a reflective tarp or a reflective blanket
A reflective tarp and a reflective jacket help in creating a sunshade. Place either of these some feet away from your tent for them to reflect away the heat from the sun from having a direct impact on your tent.
You can strategically hang or tie them to trees which are around your camping site according to the position of the sun as well as the extent to which its rays hit your tent. This way, the heat that gets into your tent will be minimized, but it will still be having a cooling temperature which will ensure that you get some good sleep during the night. This is because there will be some heat trapped inside.
Wrapping up
I hope that you have learned a lot from this article about how to stay cool while camping in a tent. This is particularly useful those who love camping. You no longer have any reason to stop you from camping even during the warmest months of the year. There are very many simple and affordable methods you can use to keep your tent cool during your summer camping sprees.
You will be assured of a good sleep which will give you the feeling of home away from home. Every time of the year is camping time. Do not hold back. Go and enjoy interacting with the environment first hand and trust me, you will not regret.
Leave us a comment on the article and let us know which your best method is when keeping your tent cool whenever you go camping during the summer season. Feel free to make inquiries if you need clarification on any issue. I will be glad to offer assistance where I can.