How to Stay Cool While Camping [Exclusive Tips from IBC7 Outdoors]

Camping is one of the most preferred activities when it comes to outdoor recreational activities.

Camping involves spending long days outside and swimming and splashing cold water, playing frisbees, and staying in the tent, and multiple other exciting activities.

As a result of these recreational activities, camping has become extremely enticing and accessible.

Summer camping activities are all about grabbing your bag packed with clothes and food, setting off on a trip to enjoy the atmosphere surrounding the camping ground.

However, summer camping can be very tiring, and it is crucial to ensure that you stay calm, comfortable, and relaxed while camping during the hot summer months.

This article emphasizes a few tips about to remain fresh and comfortable while camping during the hot and humid months of summer.

Table of Contents

Tips How to Stay Cool While Camping

It is crucial to keep yourself fresh during camping. Even though the sunlight is scorching following the below-mentioned tips can work wonders when it comes to staying calm during camping.

#1. Keep Your Tent Cool

The tent is your shelter and is extremely vital to maintain a cooler temperature inside the tent. The below-mentioned tricks will help you to keep your tent cool during the summer season.

Take Your Tent Down During the Daytime

In the summer months and mainly the daytime, the sun is scorching hot. The tent becomes the greenhouse as it absorbs the heat and thus making it difficult to stay or getting back to the tent. The tent is as hot as a sauna and makes you feel uneasy as soon as you step into it.

Irrespective of the fabric it is made up of, it is always a perfect idea to put down the tent during the daytime. Hence, putting off the day as soon as the blazing sunrises can make it usable for a more extended time.

Hence, disassembling the tent during the day and assembling it in the evening can help you stay relaxed and comfortable too! It might include a bit of additional work, but it is genuinely beneficial to the tent as well as a great way to maintain a cooler temperature.

Put Up the Tent in the Shade

There’s nothing like finding a suitable spot for camping in the shade. If you are lucky enough, getting a camping spot in the shade might be possible; hence grab it as soon as you get it. The shade is usually a place covered with trees.

When you put up your tent in a shaded place, the trees will come under the direct sunlight, thus protecting the tent from the blazing heat.

This way, your tent will remain more refreshing and more comfortable too. Knowing the way, the sun rays would pass during the daytime can be very helpful.

In case, if you are still not sure how to determine the path of the sun rays, it is always a good practice to use a compass (almost all smartphones have a compass nowadays) which can help you in determining the path of the sunrays.

However, if you have put up your tent under the shady trees, in that case, your tent will be saved from the scorching sun rays.

In such situations, you might not have to take up the extra work of disassembling the tent, and you leave it as it is during the daytime as well.

Hence, disassembling the tent during the day and assembling it in the evening can help you stay relaxed and comfortable too!

It might include a bit of additional work, but it is genuinely beneficial to the tent as well as a great way to maintain a cooler temperature.

Tent Windows

The tent windows play a critical role when it comes to maintaining body temperature during the summer months. Hence, it is prudent to use the tent windows extensively to beat the heat of the scorching sun.

Materials Used to Prepare the Tent

While setting up the tent, consider placing the ground-cover between the ground and the tent. The ground-cover will act as protection, thus ensuring reduced heat and making the tent a better place to stay.

Include a Sleeping Mat

When it comes to sleeping inside the tent, another option to beat the heat is including a sleeping mat. The sleeping mat will prevent the heat because it will enhance the separation between you and the ground.

In some cases, you can also go for a raised sleeping bed that will enhance air ventilation.

#3. Block Direct Sunlight

Staying calm while camping involves different steps, one of which is using a reflective sunshade. The idea is to reflect the sun rays back and thus enjoying the more relaxed atmosphere surrounding you.

Blocking the direct rays of the sun can be very helpful, and this way, it will provide you with ample opportunities to stay fresher for a longer time.

Sunshades are lovely as you can sleep peacefully in your tent even when the sun’s above the head and thus ruling out the blazing heat of the sun ruining your sleep.

Make sure to put the sunshade much above your camping tent, probably leaving around 12 inches of gap between the sunshade and your tent; this way the breeze can flow over the top of the tent keeping things more relaxed around you.

You can settle down for a straightforward variety of sunshade when it comes to selecting the ideal sunshade. However, shiny and reflective ones work quite well too. Tying the shade with poles or trees to the tent top makes it more robust and firm.

#4. Make Good Use of the Breeze

It is always a good practice to make use of the wind as much as possible while camping. Go for mesh tents which let air travel fast during the day as well as night turning the place cool and breezy.

Determining the direction of the movement of the wind will give an idea of where to place the tent to make the best use of the wind.

However, figuring out the direction of the wind is not a simple task, hence check out the following methods:

Talk to Local People: People like the campground staffers or residents are the best to help you understand the direction of the wind during the day and night time.
Know the Weather: Another method includes checking out the Apps, which will give you an overview of the wind direction.
Make Use of Your Finger: To determine the wind direction correctly, wetting your finger and holding it up in the breeze, can also be very helpful. The cold side of your finger is the direction from which the wind is blowing.
Get Rid of Rain: During the night, the body heat moves upwards and condenses the interior sections of the rainfly. Hence, it is a good practice to check the weather and if there is no prediction for rain, remove the rainfly so that the moisture can escape easily through the tent. Removing the rainfly can be one of the best ways to remain calm during the hot summer months.
Select a Mesh Tent: Mesh tents are associated with camping. The mesh tents are helpful because not only do the excellent mesh tents protect you from harmful bugs but it also lets the wind blow through the tent thus allowing you to enjoy your stay in the tent. So, if you are planning to camp during the summer, it is always worthwhile to select a mesh tent to make the best use of it.

#5. Use Battery-Powered Fans

Battery-powered fans can help you stay breezy and cool, thus allowing you to enjoy a comfortable sleep throughout the night.

These battery-powered fans are portable and can be easily carried while traveling. Moreover, these fans can be easily attached to the floor of the tent, ceiling, or even the walls.

Getting a fan with foam blades can be advantageous when it comes to using it from a close distance.

The portable fan will give you a pleasurable experience; once you figure out how useful portable fans can be in blazing weather, you will always make sure to carry it while leaving home for a camping trip.

Also, don’t forget to have a portable power pack to charge the fan.

#6. Encourage Hammock Camping

Hammock camping adds to the next level of camping, and it gives you a fantastic experience. Spending time in the cool shades of trees takes your camping experience to another level, thus allowing you appropriate air-circulation of your full body.

Speaking of hammock camping, it can get confusing sometimes if there is a sudden drop in the temperature, thus making you feel too chilly.

Some of the tips related to hammock camping are as follows:

Kinds of Hammocks: It is essential to go for the right kind of hammock; you need it for sleeping, not lounging. The right type of hammock will have ample fabric with enough durability.
Getting Rid of Bugs: While sleeping on the hammock, you might be prone to insect bites. Therefore, to stay away from an insect bite, a good idea is to put on a bug net. Alternatively, you can use some insect spray on the exterior of the hammock to keep the insects at bay.
Placing Yourself in the Hammock: Undoubtedly, hammocks give you a relaxing feeling; however, sleeping on the hammock might give rise to a hunch that is not suitable for your health. It is best to lie diagonally in the hammock, thus encouraging flat-lying in a hammock. If you are using a hammock but not satisfied with the way you lie in it, try out the above trick to remain healthy.
Downpour: In the case of rainfall, it is good to attach a tarp on the top of the hammock which can save you from getting soaked if it suddenly pours at night.

#7. Keep Yourself Hydrated

When it comes to staying fresh and healthy during camping, it is imperative to keep yourself hydrated. Drinking lots of water will allow you to keep yourself fresh while staying fit throughout the camping trip.

#8. Use a Wet Towel for Relief

When the heat is too scorching, it is crucial to keep yourself calm. Soak a towel into water and put this towel on your neck. This way, you can beat during the daytime.

However, you can stay cool during the night by placing a damp piece of cotton cloth on your forehead. The damp cloth will absorb the body heat and thus making you feel comfortable and relaxed. Do not forget to flip over the cloth and continue to enjoy it.

#9. Take a Shower

Determine if there is a facility for taking a shower, it is always better to cool your body off by splashing some water on your body, especially before going to bed.

It can be very advantageous when it comes to bringing down your body temperature. Therefore, you will continue to feel refreshing and relaxed once you hit the bed. It will also ensure better goodnight sleep.

#10. Go for Light-Colored Clothes

According to the laws of nature, dark-colored clothes absorb heat while light-colored ones reflect them. Hence, you must pack light-colored clothes during the summer camping days. The light-colored clothes will maintain your body temperature.

The good idea is to go for fabric that releases heat, such as linen and cotton, to keep yourself fresh. White clothes are the best choices when it comes to camping during the day.

White clothes are best known for being good conductors of heat. Tight-fitting clothes can be extremely uncomfortable and hence keep them aside while on a camping trip.

Go for more loose-fitting and breathable clothes to stay healthy, fit, and refreshing during these trips. Full-sleeve clothes can protect your skin from the scorching sunlight; however, if you are planning to put on short sleeves, ensure to use ample sunscreen to protect your skin from the damaging rays of sunlight.

#11. Go for a Sheet, Not a Sleeping Bag

When the temperature soars outside, a sleeping bag might not be an ideal choice. The sleeping bags trap the warmth and prevent the cool breeze from getting inside.

Determine the forecast of weather, and if it is hot and humid, it is always prudent to go for cotton sheets in place of a sleeping bag. Put the sheet above the mattress pad which will offer comfort and warmth and maintain the body temperature.

#12. Packing Wisely

When it comes to camping during the summer months, it is equally important to consider these packing hacks, which could mean a lot to you.

These hacks will help you to soak into the sunlight, thus preventing your misery of roasting in the bright sun.

Carry Ice Cubes: Firstly, while you are camping, it is necessary to keep your water and food cold. There is nothing like carrying ice cubes when it comes to traveling on a hot day. Hence, before hitting on to the roads, pour water into an empty container and refrigerate it to get the best results. Allow them to remain frozen for a longer time in the esky, thus preventing your food from becoming waterlogged.
Food Cooler: If you can carry a food cooler that will be very helpful to store your food for a longer period of time than ice cubes. There are different types of food coolers available in the market. Choose a strong and well-structured cooler.
Summer Clothes: Another essential trick is to carry clothes depending on the weather conditions. The choice of clothes is as significant as your tent or sleeping gear.
Wear Shorts: A prevalent notion is to wear shorts while going on a camping trip on a summer day. Even though shorts will keep you fresh; however, you must consider the case of hiking during the daytime. You are most like to get cuts or scrapes on your legs which may result in itchiness of the skin. Hence, there is no substitute for lightweight pants that will keep your legs protected throughout the journey. Also, lightweight cotton leggings are cool and breathable, thus making it more convenient for you.
T-Shirts: Opting for breathable t-shirts can also help you to stay fit and healthy, thus beating the sweltering heat. Apart from other benefits, these breathable pants are great at maintaining body temperature.
Maintain Time: It is essential to follow a routine while you are hiking. If you are looking forward to climbing a mountain, make sure to wake up at dawn so that you can get a glimpse of the sunrise. Go for water-based activities to maintain your body temperature.
Control Body Temperature: Spending too much time in the sun or not drinking adequate water can make it challenging to bring the body temperature back to normal. If a person starts feeling uneasy, use ice packs or damp towels on his forehead, groin, armpits, or neck. Try to fan the person and allow him to get rid of any warm garment. However, if the body temperature remains the same, call for emergency service immediately without wasting any time.
Use Hats and Sunscreens: While you are exposed to the sun, wear wide-brimmed hats, and use a sunscreen with at least SPF of 50 plus as much as possible. To prevent dehydration, packing electrolytes is a good option.

Last Words

Hit the roads today, keeping in mind the tricks mentioned above on how to stay cool while camping during the summer months.

How to Stay Cool While Camping?