The earth’s rotation has positioned us directly into the sun’s blaring gaze, and it is finally time for camping. But the soaring temperatures can kill the mood and motivation for such adventures.
It only makes sense because no matter how amazing the activity feels, no one wants to sweat while sleeping in the wild. It only gets worse when you wake up all grumpy and tired the next day, regretting your life choices. There is no point in stepping outside your house, a hundred miles away from the comfort of your air-conditioned room, if you can’t even unwind.
Camping is supposed to help you loosen up, but it is a tricky summer venture. In this article, we have rounded up a list of simple tips and tricks to help you beat the heat and stay cool while camping at 95 degrees.
Essential Gear to Stay Cool While Camping
Before leaving your house, you need your car trunk ready with gear to help you in the wild. Some must-haves are:
1. Portable Air Conditioner
Speaking of summer sun, a portable air conditioner is the most essential equipment you cannot afford to leave behind. During peak day hours when the temperatures are higher outside, a cooling system will keep the atmosphere inside the tent bearable.
So, select a chiller with a cooling capacity directly proportional to your tent’s size and the number of people in your camping group.
2. Cooling Towels
We don’t see why one would not include a cooling towel in their backpack while packing for a night in the open. These water-activated fabrics use evaporation to draw water away from the body, creating a cooling effect.
A high-quality microfiber cooling wrap can keep your neck, arms, or face cool for hours. It is the most budget-friendly cooling gear to have with you during your strenuous outdoor ventures.
3. Water Spritzer
Staying cool while camping is all about finding ways to maintain your body temperature, and a water spritzer can do that for you. Spraying your face, neck, arms, or complete body with water from time to time can keep the body’s natural cooling process going. It is an excellent alternative for a cooling towel, especially if you are active.
How to Keep Your Tent Cool?
It is not always the expensive gear that keeps your tent cool while camping in heat. There happen to be some other approaches to ensure that.
1. Find Shade for Your Tent
Shade is the first thing to look for when looking for a spot to peg your tent. In summer, stepping inside camping tents without shade is no different than entering a sauna. So, look for natural shade and a spot with an undisrupted wind flow.
Trees and rocks provide natural shade that can help you maintain a moderate temperature inside your tent.
2. Selecting Breathable Tent Materials
You might have found the perfect spot with undisrupted airflow from all sides, but it won’t help unless your tent is breathable. Usually, camping enthusiasts use polyester or nylon tents, but they are not permeable to air.
Instead, cotton, poly-cotton, or canvas tent are better picks for camping in hot weather, as they allow smooth airflow.
3. Disassemble Your Tent during the Day
Camping tents tend to trap heat and UV rays on scorching summer days, acting like a greenhouse. Humidity and heat inside such a tent will make it uninhabitable for the night.
Disassembling your tent as soon as you wake up in the morning is one way of keeping it cool. However, if you do not want to head out and the sun is already up, try keeping doors and windows open. Not only the sun, but no tent can stand the test of other weather conditions for a long time. You must dismantle it if you do not want it to get raggy or stained.
4. Use Reflective Tarps or Sunshades
When you cannot find natural shade to block the sun rays, deflect them using reflective tarps or sunshades to stay cool while camping.
The reflective side of these covers will divert the sunlight away from your tent or the seating area, keeping it cool. However, ensure the canopy is at least a foot above the tent, or you will restrict the airflow and defeat the purpose.
5. Create Shade Around Your Tent
No rulebook dictates that tarps should make your tent’s canopy only. You can use it to create a DIY shade around your tent for maximum sun protection. However, leave open spaces to ensure airflow or your tent will end up hotter instead of cooling down.
Choosing the Right Campsite for Summer Camping
Deciding on a location is not as simple as it might sound at first. Some areas that make great camping spots in winter can be a terrible choice for summer. Here is how to shortlist a place for camping in hot weather:
1. Evaluate Shade Options at Potential Campsites
You might not need it throughout the day, but shade is an important consideration while checking for the right campsite.
Ask your friends who have been camping at those sites or search the internet. Evaluate each potential option and see which can provide you with more natural elements to use as shade while camping in hot weather. Trees form an excellent natural canopy, and rocks can also provide ample shade.
2. Avoid Low-lying Areas and Heat Pockets
Finding greenery and pitching tents on valley floors is one of the most common mistakes people make. They look very enticing but are not a good option to settle down while camping in heat. The katabatic air encapsulates the atmosphere there in the morning, making it unbearable to catch a breath. One wakes up from an uncomfortable sleep, all drenched in sweat and humidity.
3. Consider Altitudes for Cooler Temperatures
Another way to ensure good tent temperature when camping in extreme heat is by choosing a place of altitude.
Altitudes receive a heavy flow of air currents that can be a good source of ventilation inside your camp. But you might want to ensure the safety of the hilltop you choose. Stay away from exposed ridges, especially if there are predictions of a storm.
4. Proximity to Water: A Cooling Campsite Factor
The areas in close vicinity to a waterbody tend to be cooler naturally. Pegging your tent in such a location will keep your tent cool, ensuring a peaceful night. However, you might want to stay 200-300 feet away from the water. This way, you are less likely to contaminate the water and will be safe from the risk of flash floods.
How to Keep Food Cool While Camping
It is a no-brainer how humidity can spoil your food while camping. So, you might have to think of some foolproof strategies to keep your food safe in addition to keeping your tent cool while camping in extreme heat.
1. Optimal Cooler Packing for Food Preservation
Milk and dairy products are the quickest to go sour while camping in the heat. So, you might want to keep that in mind while taking any such thing along. Take dry milk or transfer liquid milk into a flask that keeps it from heat and moisture.
Moreover, be swift in opening and closing the lids and make sure they stay tightly closed.
2. Utilizing Ice Packs and Reusable Cooling Elements
A layer of ice over your food might seem like a good idea only until the ice lasts. Once the ice starts melting under the heat, your food gets soggy and a breeding ground for microbes. Prefer using ice packs and other reusable cooling elements to keep the food safe while camping in hot weather.
3. Portable Freezer
You cannot expect to survive out in the open without a car refrigerator. These devices operate on your vehicle’s power to keep your drinks and eatables from spoiling indefinitely. Whether you take cooked food or frozen to cook later, you might need a place to store it safely in this hot weather.
4. Insulated Food Containers and Bags
The heat and humidity factor will destroy your eatables, and they will start stinking before you know it. To keep the food dry and frozen for a long time, buy air-tight jars and insulated food carriers. If you have stored them in a cooler, cover the cooler with an insulating blanket to retain the temperature.
Tips for Camping in Hot Weather
Staying cool while camping goes beyond expensive equipment, campsite, and tent pitching. Here are some tips for you to beat the heat:
1. Wear Something Light and Comfortable
You have to be careful while packing clothes for your hot-weather camping venture. The fabrics should be breathable, easy to dry, and light in color. Avoid packing dark colors because they absorb heat, causing a person to sweat more.
2. Stay Hydrated
Water acts as a great channel for the body heat to dissipate. So, staying hydrated throughout the day will keep your body fresh while camping in extreme weather. Besides, ignoring your body fluids outdoors will make you lethargic before you can even start enjoying.
3. Ensure Sun protection
Camping in heat is tricky; you might not want to come back with severe sunburns. Whether you plan to go for a hike or not, do not forget your sunscreen and UV protection hat. Sun protective glasses and T-shirts will be a plus to have in your bag.
4. Shower Before Hitting the Hay
Going for a swim before sleeping is a natural way to stay cool while camping in summer. Your body temperature drops, turning itself into a self-contained cooling system.
However, you don’t have to worry if there is no lake nearby because a portable shower tent will also do the job. Even a quick shower will make a huge difference and will ensure a peaceful night’s sleep after a long day.
5. Drop the Sleeping Bag
Most sleeping bags tend to get hot while camping during the summer. Sooner or later, you will wake up all uncomfortable and soaked in sweat. So, drop the idea of carrying a bag and take a stretcher or air mattress for a comfortable night instead.
FAQs About Camping in Summer
1. What temperature is too hot for camping?
Most camping enthusiasts agree that it is too hot for comfortable outdoor activities as soon as the mercury reaches 95 degrees. However, there is a 10 to 15-degree gap between unsafe and uncomfortable that you need to keep in mind.
2. How to stay cool while camping without electricity?
If you are out camping without electricity, you can use reflective tarps, water spritzers, ice packs, and battery-powered fans to stay cool while camping.
3. How to stay cool while camping in the desert?
Keeping track of your fluid intake is the number one way to combat desert heat while camping. Moreover, sand tends to get hotter during the day and cools down in the evening, so plan your outdoor activities accordingly.
4. Is it safe to camp in 100-degree weather?
Unarguably, triple-digit mercury reading is too hot to camp for anyone who is not used to outdoor activities. However, a heat level above 105 degrees is dangerous, according to the National Weather Service.
Conclusion
Properly planned trips are purely refreshing getaways with zero panic or frustration. Unarguably, pre-planning for everything can make camping in heat enjoyable for anyone.
From portable chillers to reflective sunshades, VEVOR has all the stuff to help you keep your tent cool while camping in extreme weather. You will not have to worry about missing out on anything or leaving something important behind.
What is more convenient than finding all the required stuff on a single website at the best prices? So, get your stuff all geared up because it is time to head out into the wild!
