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How to keep tents cool in UK summer heat
With May's heatwaves leaving us drinking more water bottles than we thought we'd need at shows, we've put together tips in both scenarios to help campers stay cool either way.
Keeping Tents Cool Without Electric Hook Up (No EHU)
We'll start with the more classic style of camping, if you've pitched up without an electric hook-up the sections below explain methods of keeping cool without electricity
Pitch Under the Trees
Get on a pitch as early as you can to get that good spot! Just like looking for a parking space for your car in the middle of summer, it is best to look for a pitching spot that can cover your tent with natural shade so by the time you're looking to head inside your tent isn't an oven.
Keep your body cool, not the tent
Sometimes you've tried everything else, but you're still hot, if you're a person that naturally runs hot, ensuring you can cool yourself down is of the highest importance. Make sure you can have a tub of water to put your feet or wrists into, put wet cloth on your wrists, ankles and forehead, use a hand fan, wet an entire blanket or towel and put it ontop of your self inflating mattress (SIM), inflated air bed or sleeping bag, drink cool drinks from an insulated cooler box or wet your hair during the day.
Clothing plays an important part too, if you can opt in for light cotton clothing that breaths and a good sun hat, this will keep your body and head from absorbing the sun's rays.
These are all small things that add up to a massive difference in your trip.
Use mesh doors and windows
A lot of tents now have mesh doors and windows that can be switched with PVC windows to allow for air-flow during the day. Keep an eye on the weather though, as sometimes just shutting your tent up whilst having it in the shade can keep it cooler than letting hotter air through.
Gas powered cooler boxes
Cooler boxes can be powered by gas, whilst these don't work as well as their electric counterparts, it can be used to keep cool drinks and cooling bags.
Consider tent head height
This one is more of a hind-sight 20-20 if you have already brought your tent, one thing we noticed whilst doing shows all year, all over the country, is that having extra head height helps to keep the warm air away from the main area of the tent as it gathers at the top. Gothic-arched tents are especially good for this, since the top point keeps heat concentrated at the highest points a lot better than a oval shaped tent.
Camp near the seaside
This comes with the potential to cost more than inland campsites, it all depends on the time of year, whether you're camping during school holidays and location of the beach. The wind currents coming into the UK can be cooler or hotter depending on the beach location
Camp at different times of Year
This is one a lot of people don't think about especially when they have children, but camping at times that are a lot closer to spring or autumn can also be fun without cooking you on the campsite. Just make sure to bring the right kit to keep warm!
Keeping Tents Cool With Electric Hook Up (EHU)
Fans with cooler packs
Put on a fan with a cooler pack or frozen water bottle in-front of it to circulate cold air around your tent. It also works to put a wet towel or cloth in front of a fan to achieve air cooling from the evaporation caused.
Air Con Unit
This one is for the serious glampers, there are tents out there that are designed to have an air conditioning units used in them, one example is the AirTek Machu Picchu Large and Medium models that have dedicated outlets for the heat tube to go through, and an electrical inlet hole. Always keep in mind cost of electricity at your campsite, some pitches will charge you a day rate whilst others can have you on a meter, always factor this into the cost of your trip!
Freezer Bags
With electricity comes the ability to use a mini fridge! If you have one that has dedicated freezer compartments you can keep a freezer bag, or wet a cloth/towel to put on yourself when you need it.
What does it take to keep a tent cool in summer?
To wrap up, a lot of these tips are centered around keeping you comfortable in the stuffy UK heat, a tent isn't a house so the walls will never be thick enough to naturally keep cool. You can also opt in to use Canvas/Aqua Cotton fabric to help with condensation and keeping the sun's rays away. When camping in the summer heat always wear a hat, drink lots of water and keep on a good sunscreen to avoid burns that will keep you warm into the night. So do a bit of planning, ensure you've got the right kit (as you always do) and enjoy the great outdoors!
