Camping is an excellent summertime activity. Keeping a tent cool in summer can make your camping trip more delightful.
Not only does camping give you a chance to bond as a group, but you will also have a chance to enjoy some outdoor activities that you won’t be able to enjoy at home.
In this article, you will know more about ways to stay cool while camping in hot weather.
20+ Ways to Stay Cool While Camping In Scorching Hot Days
In this section, we listed many ways to help you keep a tent cool in summer.
- Pitch Your Tent In the Shade
When you arrive at the campsite, you should find a place to pitch your tent that gets shade during the hottest time of the day.
If your tent is in the sun early in the morning or in the evening, it isn’t a big deal. During these times of the day, the temperature outside is cooler, and it won’t heat your tent as much.
You want to protect your tent from the sun during the late morning and early afternoon hours.
- Pitch Your Tent On Higher Ground
If you are staying at a campground, it is best to ask for a site on higher ground. The breeze is stronger at higher ground, which will keep your tent cool and ventilated at night.
If there is no shade to protect your tent on the sites at higher ground, you can create your own by tying a tarp to cover your tent. You can also use tent poles.
- Take Your Tent Down In the Morning
If you want your tent to be cool when you go to sleep at night, it is best to take the tent down when you wake up. This will require extra work because you will need to put the tent back up at night, but it will be worth it.
When the hot sun is beating down on the tent all day, it will be very hot when you get in, even if the sun has gone down.
After taking your tent down, you should fold it up and keep it in a shaded area.
- Bring a Pop-up Canopy
Pop-up canopies are great because they provide extra shade when you are camping. You can cover the cooking and picnic areas during the day to provide extra shade during the day.
You can cover your tent with the canopy at night, which will prevent the morning sun from heating the tent too much.
- Camp Near the Water
If possible, find a campground that has a lake or pond for swimming. You can take a quick dip before getting into your tent for bed, which will cool your down before going to bed.
This will make sleeping in the tent much more comfortable, allowing you to get a good night’s sleep. Also, if there is a body of water for swimming, it will keep you cool when camping in summer.
- Pack an Inflatable Pool
If you don’t have access to a body of water, or if it is too far from your campsite to take a dip several times a day, you can bring an inflatable pool.
This will give you a place to soak for a bit, keeping you cooler.
If the pool is large enough, your whole camping party will be able to enjoy the pool, which can be fun and relaxing.
- Take a Shower Before Bed
If you are staying at a campground with showers, you should take a cool shower before going to bed.
This will bring down your body temperature quite a bit, keeping you cool enough to fall asleep. This should make it easier to fall asleep.
- Choose the Right Tent
There are plenty of tents on the market, but not all of them will keep you cool. It is best to buy a light-colored tent because the bright colors will reflect the light from the sun. Choose your best summer tent before trip!
A dark-colored tent will absorb the heat, causing the inside of the tent to warm up. The tent you buy should also be a lightweight, double-walled tent. Finally, choose a tent with mesh windows to provide ventilation.
- Choose a Bigger Tent
When choosing the right tent for your camping trip, the bigger, the better. Even if you plan to sleep alone or with another person, you should go with a four or six-person tent. The larger your tent, the stronger the breeze.
- Dig a Pit
If possible, dig a pit that is about two feet deep before putting up your tent. If it is partially underground, it will keep your tent cooler during the night. If you are staying at a campground, be sure to fill in the pit with dirt before leaving.
- Don’t Use the Fly
Most tents come with a fly designed to protect the inside of the tent from the rain. If there is no rain in the forecast, you can leave the fly off. This will allow a cross-breeze in the tent, which will keep you cool at night.
Also, without the fly, the tent’s top mesh will be see-through, allowing you to get a great view of the night sky.
- Choose the Right Blanket
A sleeping bag will make you too hot during the summer. You can bring one to provide an extra cushion when you sleep, but to cover up, you should bring a think cotton sheet from your bed at home.
You can also buy a silk sleeping bag. These sleeping bags will keep you much cooler than a cotton blanket, and they are quick drying. If you start sweating during the night, the excess sweat will dry quickly, rather than being absorbed.
- Purchase a Tent Fan
If there is no breeze to help stay cool while camping, you should bring a tent fan. It can be hooked to the tent’s ceiling at night, which will give you the breeze you are lacking.
You can move the fan to the main sitting area during the day, which will provide a breeze when Mother Nature isn’t cooperating. The Amacool camping fan may meet your need.
- Set Up a Thermal Survival Blanket
The best way to keep your tent cool is to reflect as much heat as possible. This can be done by setting up a reflective thermal survival blanket a couple of feet over your tent the same way that you would set up a tarp.
This can keep your tent several degrees cooler when the sun comes up.
- Sleep In a Hammock
Sleeping in a hammock will keep you cooler than sleeping on the ground because warm air won’t be trapped underneath you. If your tent is large enough, you can put a self-hanging hammock right inside the tent.
If not, you can tie a hammock between two trees and hang a tarp above to protect you from the sun and the elements. If you can hang the hammock high enough, you will get a nice breeze above you and below you while you sleep.
- Eat Something Cold Before Bed
It would help if you ate something cold before bed. Ice chips, popsicles, and ice cream are all foods that will lower your body temperature, making it easier to fall asleep.
If there isn’t a store nearby to buy cold or frozen treats, you can keep them on ice in your cooler.
- Drink Plenty Of Water
If you are going to keep your body cool at night, you need to stay well hydrated. Your body will lose a lot of water when it is hot outside, so you need to drink more water than usual.
It is best to drink about three liters of water during the day to keep you well hydrated all night long.
- Wear the Right Clothing To Bed
Although sleeping naked is ideal for staying cool, if you stay at a campground or camping with a group, sleeping naked won’t be possible.
If you wear the right clothes to bed, it is the next best thing to sleeping naked. It is best to wear light-colored clothes that will reflect the sun. Also, pack clothes made of linen or cotton. These fabrics can breathe easily and release heat, keeping you cooler.
You should also choose clothing that covers your body as little as necessary and don’t wear tight-fitting clothes.
- Sleep With a Cold Water Bottle Under the Blankets
You can create a nighttime camping air conditioner if you put a bottle of cold water under the blankets when you got to sleep. The blankets will keep the cold air trapped inside the blankets.
It is best to freeze the water in a few water bottles before leaving and putting them on ice until bedtime. If you don’t have any frozen water bottles, cold water will also work.
- Go To Bed Early
If you want to stay as cool as possible inside your tent, you should get to bed early. If you stay up too late, you won’t be able to wake up early when the sun starts beating down on the tent.
If you can wake up just before dawn, you won’t be asleep when the sun starts to heat up your tent.
- Buy a Portable Air Conditioner Cooler
If you plan to camp often during the summer, you should consider investing in a portable air conditioner cooler.
You can keep the air conditioner in your tent, keeping you cold all night long. You can find these air conditioners online or in stores, and they will run you about $120.
- Store Your Gear Outside Of the Tent
Many people prefer to store their belongings inside the tent for safety and security reasons, but this is a bad idea if you are camping during the hot weather.
Your camping gear will insulate your tent, making it hotter inside than it needs to be. It is best to store your gear outside and keep just your valuables inside the tent.
- Don’t Pitch Your Tent Near the Fire Or Grill
If you are going to keep your tent cool, you need to stay away from heat sources such as the grill, camping stove, and campfire. This will make your tent hotter than it needs to be, making it difficult to stay cool at night.
- Choose a Campground With Amenities To Keep You Cool
If you are camping at a campground, you should choose one with amenities that will keep you cool. It would help if you chose a campground that has showers so you can shower and cool down when it gets too hot.
You should also choose a campground with a pool or a lake, so you can go swimming when it gets too hot. Finally, try to find a campground with an air-conditioned lodge or rec room.
If it gets too hot during the day, you can spend some time playing games or just hanging out in the air conditioning.
- Spend Some Time Away From the Campground
If the daytime temperature gets too hot to handle, you should consider going sightseeing away from the campground.
You can eat lunch in an air-conditioned restaurant or go shopping in a shopping center. This will help you have fun while passing the time until the temperature starts to drop.
- Check the Weather
Before you leave for your camping trip, you should check the weather. If it is extremely hot at night and during the day, you should consider postponing the trip.
Extreme heat will make it difficult to have fun during the day and stay cool at night.
What Temperature Is Too Hot For Camping?
It is important to check the weather before going camping to determine if you should go or postpone.
If the temperature is expected to reach 95 degrees during the day and the low 80s at night, it might be best to postpone the trip.
Not only will temperatures this high make you very uncomfortable, but the heat can also be dangerous. If you spend too much time in extreme heat, you are at risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Signs Of Heat Exhaustion And Heat Stroke
If you are camping during the hot summer months, your body temperature can increase to dangerously high levels, which can cause heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
It is essential that you know the symptoms so that you can cool yourself down quickly and seek medical attention.
Symptoms Of Heat Exhaustion
The symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
- Profuse sweating
- Cold, clammy skin
- An extremely fast or very weak pulse
- Nausea and vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Feeling tired or weak
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Fainting
If you experience any of these symptoms, move to a cool place. You should also drink plenty of water, take a cool shower, or go swimming in shallow water.
You should go to the hospital if you vomit, if your symptoms worsen or if they last longer than an hour.
Heatstroke is more serious than heat exhaustion.
Symptoms Of Heat Stroke
The symptoms of heat stroke include:
- Temperature 103 degrees or higher
- Hot, red, dry skin
- Hot, red, damp skin
- Rapid pulse
- Severe headache
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Loss of consciousness
If you experience these symptoms, call 911 immediately because this is an emergency situation. While you are waiting, don’t have anything to drink. Try to move to a cooler area and use cool clothes to keep you cool.
Conclusion
Camping is a great summertime activity. Because it can get really hot in the summer, you need to know how to keep cool when camping.
Not only is this essential in keeping you comfortable, but it will also keep you from developing a dangerous heat-related illness.