Wondering how to stay cool in a tent? Do you love camping but feel like you just can’t stay cool in a tent, so you avoid summer camping altogether? You decide to just wait until the temperature lowers before pitching a tent again. Well, now you don’t have to!
If you’re curious about keeping cool in a tent, this is the blog post for you! In this guide, I reveal 7 tips for keeping cool in a tent. These warm weather camping hacks will help you extend the camping season from three seasons to four so that you can camp year-round!
7 Tips For Keeping Cool in a Tent
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1. Pitch Your Tent in the Shade
When camping in warm weather, try to pick a campsite with full shade. If you can’t find a full-shade site, a morning sun (afternoon shade) site is your best option. If you snag a site with afternoon sun, you and your tent will bake in the heat, making it incredibly difficult to cool off.
Pitching your tent in the shade is a game-changer because you’ll have a comfortable place to cool off during the day.
2. Use the Wind to Your Advantage
Wind is a natural air conditioner! Use the wind to your advantage by pitching your tent with the angle of the wind. Determine the wind’s direction and turn your tent in a way that allows the air to flow freely through your tent.
3. Sleep With the Rainfly Off
Sleeping with the rainfly off is a total game-changer in warm weather camping! Rainflies were designed to keep rain and other moisture out of the tent, but in the summer, they can also trap heat inside. It doesn’t take long for the inside of a rainfly-covered tent to turn into a sauna.
Before peeling off the rainfly, check the radar; you don’t want to get dumped with rain. As long as no rain is in the forecast, and you’re okay with sacrificing a small amount of privacy (it’ll be dark anyway), sleep with the rainfly off so you can get ultimate ventilation.
Plus, sleeping with the rainfly off allows you to see the starry sky above! Win-win!
4. Use a Portable Fan
If you’re camping in the frontcountry and space isn’t a major issue, try bringing a portable fan! A small portable fan like this one will do the trick; it’ll keep the air flowing through the tent, especially if there isn’t much of a natural breeze.
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5. Place a Cold Towel on Your Forehead
This trick works whether you’re camping or hiking. When I’m hiking, I’ll soak a bandana in cold water and wrap it around my neck to lower my body temperature. The same trick works for camping!
Right before going to bed, soak a towel or bandana in cold water and drape it over your forehead. This will lower your body temperature and allow you to get a better night’s sleep.
You can also do this throughout the day, of course!
READ NEXT: 12 Tips For Sleeping Better While Camping
6. Take a Cold Shower Before Going to Bed
If the campground that you’re staying at has a shower facility, use that to your advantage. Take a cold shower before going to bed. This is another way to lower your body temperature and help you sleep comfortably.
7. Bring Cold Drinks & Treats
Finally, I’d recommend bringing a quality cooler and stocking it with cold drinks and treats. There’s nothing quite like drinking an icy beverage or eating a frozen sweet treat on a hot summer day.
Don’t just bring “any cooler” though! Bring a cooler that will keep ice solid and everything inside nice and cool for your entire camping trip. I use my RTIC cooler on three and four-day camping trips, and everything is still cool inside (and most of the ice is still solid) on the last day.
CHECK OUT SOME OF MY OTHER CAMPING GUIDES!
- 14 Tips For Keeping Warm in a Tent
- Inflatable Vs Foam Sleeping Pad: Ultimate Comparison
- How to Set Up a Tent in Every Terrain
- 10 Tips For Beach Camping
- 12 Tips For Sleeping Better While Camping
- How to Practice the Leave No Trace Principles When Hiking and Camping
- Camping Gear You Never Knew You Needed
- 14 Fun Camping Games For Adults & Kids
- Campsite Etiquette: 15 Tips For Being a Good Neighbor While Camping
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These are such good tips! We went camping once in a major heat wave and we took a cold shower right before bed every day. Gotta keep these other ones in mind
Cold showers feel so great after a hot day at camp!