If you’re planning to go camping in the heat, you need to realize that you’re going to be extremely hot.
But fear not, because these tips in this article will help you stay cool so you don’t have to worry about the heat being too stressful, allowing you to put more of an emphasis on fun and relaxation time.
1. Take Your Tent Down During The Hottest Times Of The Day
Performing this simple task stops heat from building up inside the tent. And of course, it protects your investment so you can keep the tent for a long time and not a short time!
A good rule to follow is: Pack it up after you wake up and erect it again before nighttime.
2. Pitch Your Tent In The Shade
No matter WHAT! If you want to stay cool, being out in the open is not going to help you do it.
Pitch your tent in the shade and reap the benefits.
Mother nature is there for a reason, so use it wisely.
3. Use A Sunshade
A tarp does the trick just fine.
But if you want to take this step even further, a space blanket works much better.
However, if you want to get the most out of using tarps only, then use two of them so it blocks out the sun altogether! It might require extra work, but at least it gets the job done.
Note: Leave a 1-foot gap between the tarps and the tent.
4. Use The Wind To Your Advantage (Even If It’s Only Minor)
You should definitely consider having the door of your tent facing the wind.
By doing this, the breeze circulates through the tent and keeps the air flow moving! Ultimately keeping it cool enough to sit and lay down in for when you want to relax.
This is a great alternative if you refuse to pack the tent up during the daytime.
5. Keep The Rain Fly Off
This method works really well at nighttime when the heat becomes unbearable!
Most tents have mesh walls to keep them well-ventilated, stopping condensation form building up.
When we breath, condensation will get built up on the walls and roof if there’s a lack of ventilation.
During the night, this will turn into water and actually start dripping on you. A well-ventilated tent will mean absolutely NO condensation will get built up whatsoever.
However, the point I’m trying to make is, we can actually use these mesh walls to our advantage, simply by removing the rain fly so cool breezes come through the tent and keep us cool.
6. Mesh Windows/Walls And Why They Work So Well
As mentioned above, mesh panels and windows are GREAT, and even better when the tent is created with JUST mesh (no nylon or polyester whatsoever).
But they aren’t easy to come by.
Thankfully for us summer campers, the Eureka Midori 2 Tent aids in the cooling process due to the all-mesh walls it provides.
However, I find that cabin-styled tents possess the very best ventilation and airflow, as they are usually reinforced with advance venting systems.
The CORE 6 is one of them, but even better because it is in a great price range as well 🙂
7. Use A Fan
Your new fan will soon become your best friend when you see how useful they are.
You don’t even need to plug it in either since you can get battery-powered ones!
So as long as you’re car camping and not backpacking, you should be able to find enough room to fit one in.
8. Sleep In A Hammock
You might want to consider sleeping in a hammock – as long as you know what you’re doing, of course.
Hammock camping is not for the feint-hearted, nor is it as easy as tent camping either, so you need a lot of outdoor experience before you even consider this option.
But when you learn the ropes, you will find it much easier to camp in the heat, for the simple fact that you are out in the open with cold air helping you stay cooled down.
Bonus Tips
- Stay hydrated! Our bodies need water to survive, so drinking water frequently will stop us from passing out
- Keep a wet towel or bandana on the back of your neck to help you stay cool (a wet hat would also work)
- Go for a swim, because swimming ALWAYS keeps you cool – hands down
- Wear light-colored and loose clothing. The sun is attracted to black, so if you avoid black and other dark colors altogether, you will feel much cooler
- Wear a wide brim sun hat to shield your face and neck from the sun as much as possible, while sunglasses should also be worn to help protect your eyes
- If being in a sleeping bag makes you overheat, use a cotton sheet instead
Conclusion
If you’re camping in temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you’re going to be extremely hot – but of course you probably already know that.
But at least there are SOME tips and techniques you can do to help you stay cool.
And the ones I have outlined in this article are the most effective ones, the ones that have worked well for me over the years.
Hence why I am sharing them with you – fellow campers 🙂
Thanks for reading my article!
Let me ask you something:
1. Do you have any other methods that you would like to share with us?
2. Do you plan on using the ones I have mentioned in this post?
Cheers!
-Brandon
Camping Mastery
Hey, Brandon! So, I live in Arkansas and BOY is it humid here in the summer. I definitely think that the more fresh air I get will be helpful. I never thought of using a hammock instead of a tent. Do you have any hammock recommendations?
Oh yeah, that place is REALLY hot indeed. I don’t specifically have any recommendations, but this guide will help you make the right buying decision 🙂
You have offered some awesome tips here Brandon. We are thinking of doing some camping this summer and where we are, it’s super hot, in AZ… so your tips will be very helpful.
I really like your #4 tip, to have door face the wind.. you would think that’s easy to remember but from all the camping I’ve done, I’ve never thought of this!
I think I’ll stay away from the sleeping in the hammock, wouldn’t you get bitten a lot (regardless of how much spray you put on) to sleep in the open like that? I would be scared to death! LOL
Your bonus tips are great too, I will have to bookmark this so I can reference it again once we get closer to our camping trip!
Thanks so much!
Grace
There are SO MANY simple tips and tricks that can be done to help you stay cool, yet they are always overlooked.
And you probably don’t want to go hammock camping because it’s actually for experienced campers, and no, you won’t get bitten if you use the right bug spray.
If you want to be on the safe side, you could always use a bug net to place around you.
And thanks for the bookmark, I’m sure you will learn a thing or two when you come back again 🙂
Cheers!
You know I’ve always wanted to try camping? Thanks for all the information this site has been very informative and who knows I just might man up and go camping now ?
Lol. If you need a little rundown on camping (especially if you’re a newbie), you should read how to do it here.
Simple yet effective tips. I love camping and some of this stuff I didn’t even consider doing like taking the tent down during the day. Great tips and making me look forward to summer.
Thanks Joshua. That is a good idea if you don’t want to make it feel like a sauna.
And remember to keep the rain fly off at nighttime AND daytime, well that’s if you choose to keep it pitched during the day.
I was never a boy scout nor do I do I enjoy outdoor camping. But I’ll say these are pretty good tips to keep in mind when my son get older and discover his passion for camping.
I think having the door tent facing the wind is a simple brilliant idea. Just one question. I live in tropical climate where it’s hot all year long. What else should I be aware of?
A lot of people like that idea 😀 So thanks for the great feedback!
Well, you are more prone to heat stroke or heat exhaustion – especially if you don’t know what you are doing, so you better know the signs of both of these by reading this article.
Hope this helps.
Great post.
I have the Core 6 tent and it is amazing! Would not leave for a trip without it.
Thank you for your letting us know 🙂
Hello there,
Thank you for the awesome tips.
I love camping, especially in the mountains but also on the beach.
Last year I bought a nice tent and I can’t wait to use it in the nature.
Where do you love to do camping usually?
Hello Asen,
Thanks for your comment.
Make sure you pitch that new tent multiple times just so you know everything is in working order or not, while you should DEFINITELY pitch it before you go on your camping trip as well.
I’m in NZ, so me and my family just go to public campsites.
We have done wilderness camping a few times too, it is also great!
These are great tips Brandon! I would really love to sleep in a Hammock but have never tried it before. It does seem like a lot of hard work and requires a lot of skills. Thanks for these tips!
Hello Olivia. It might be a lot of hard work and require a lot of skills, BUT it is definitely worth it in the end 🙂
I am getting busy now as I am starting to pack our things for the camping later and this article was shown to me by my cousin and I was really glad that we were able to find this one on the last minute. Thanks for this!
That is GREAT! If you need help with anything I’m only a comment away.
Redneck air conditioner… put the fan behind an open ice chest to blow the cold icy air on you