Camping is a craze for a lot of people, and for good reasons. Visiting a magnificent site and spending time with the brilliance of nature is one of the most effective ways to cure the stress caused by sweaty work sessions.
But as fun as it is, we do stumble on some issues every once in a while. One of the common issues is overheating. How do you cool down a tent without electricity? Frankly speaking, there is no easy way to “cool down” a tent that is already heated up, without electricity.
For the most part, as long as you choose a proper tent and pitch it at a decent spot, your tent should not heat up out of control in the first place. Also, there are a bunch of tricks you can do that will help keep things under control. But-
Why Do Tents Heat Up In The First Place?
There are several factors that may cause a tent to heat up out of control. Starting from the tent being exposed to direct sunlight, Poor ventilation, to the tent being set up poorly, or even poor tent materials. All of these can be mitigated if one has proper knowledge of the stuff.
To begin with, When a tent is exposed to direct sunlight, it will heat up in no time. Most of the tents are designed to create a solid barrier between the inside and the outside.
This is also true for heat. When you do let the heat in, it will stay there. So, pitching the tent in a spot where it will sit under the sun will inevitably cause it to heat up.
The second most responsible reason is poor ventilation. Although the tent is not designed to isolate the air inside from the outside, it is typically not designed to be breathable either.
That means, if you, the user, do not take care of the ventilation, the air will be stuck inside, and the tent will behave as a miniature greenhouse.
There are other things that do influence the process, but I will not be able to go through them all in detail. Some of the smaller influences include the weather. Tents will heat up in certain environments more than others.
Using devices that produce heat inside the tent is another reason. You, being present inside the tent, also help heating up, thanks to your respiration and sweat. In short, heating is an issue; you really cannot help. But overheating is what is concerning. So –
What To Do To Cool Down A Tent?
When your tent is all set up and overheating is, sort of, unavoidable, then you have to deal with it. Or you have to come up with something to deal with the situation. Luckily, there are some neat tricks that will definitely help, if not completely solve the issue. Things like –
Boost The Airflow
If your tent has doors on either side, you can leave them wide open for some time to allow some extra air to flow in and out. The extra airflow will help cooling down the inside up to a degree. Some tents have small windows on the other sides as well. They also add extra openings to catch any breeze.
This will carry the collected water vapor and carbon dioxide outside the tent and refresh the air inside. The two gases that I mentioned are the main reason for the greenhouse effect. With the two removed, things should cool down soon.
This is not the most practical solution, sacrificing all the privacy. But it is better than being roasted inside.
Use Ice Or Cold Water
If you have the luxury to obtain some ice or cold water, then it is probably one of your best bets. Collect some cold substances and leave them open inside the tent. Over time, the ice will melt, and the water will heat up to the air temperature. Also, some water will evaporate.
All of these processes will absorb heat from the air. If you have a considerable amount of ice, then your tent will calm down and reach a comfortable temperature in no time.
But beware of the aftereffect. This is like a double-edged sword. If your tent does not have sufficient airflow, then water vapor will accumulate inside, trapping heat, and soon the temperature will rise higher than the initial.
Make The Tent Breathable
When you are stuck with a tent that is ready to barbecue you, you do need to take things seriously. And it is not even uncommon, especially in summer. If you find yourself in a situation like this, cooling down the tent should be your main priority. Make the tent breathable, like-
- Get Rid Of The Rainfly
It is there to protect the tent from rain and other sorts of physical damage. But it is also great at isolating the tent and trapping the heat. Temporarily remove it. This should already make the tent more breathable.
- Make Artificial Airflow If There Is Absolutely No Breeze
You can use a small battery-powered fan for this purpose. I know the point of this article is to use no electricity, but then again, we are really not depending on electricity. Just a small battery-powered portable fan.
Alternatively, you can use a big flat object and flap it near the entrance with the back door/windows open. You’ll probably look stupid, but it will let you sit inside your tent comfortably within a few minutes. Then you’ll be the one looking smart when others will still be gasping for air.
What You Can Do To Prevent Overheating
To be honest, none of the methods I mentioned above is very simple, reliable, or even effective. They are all desperate measures. They will get the job done and make the tent livable again. But trust me, the smart solution is to prevent overheating in the first place.
In order to prevent overheating, you can –
- Choose A Better Spot To Set Up Camp
As I mentioned above, a tent place completely exposed to direct sunlight is bound to heat up fast. Therefore, setting it up at a spot where it will be in the shade during the day, at least most of the day, is the smart solution. Choose a spot surrounded by tree canopies or some other objects to set up.
- Face The Tent Toward The Wind
Even at a decent spot, without proper airflow, the tent will eventually feel uncomfortable. So before pitching it, pay attention to the direction of the airflow. Be sure to face the tent toward it. This way, your tent will remain breathable throughout the day.
- Choose The Right Tent
Preparation begins even before you set out for the journey. If you are camping in a hot season, bring a tent with thin walls and light color. This tent will reflect most of the heat and be more breathable.
Conclusion
Overheating is a problem that you really cannot shake off. Whenever you are camping in a warm season, you will have to deal with it. It is understandable why handling overheating can seem detrimental to some, those without proper knowledge and experience.
However, if you followed the tricks I mentioned above, you should be able to tackle overheating. Again, you should try to avoid overheating as long as you can. That is the best way to approach. If you cannot, prepare and take control of the situation as fast as possible. Happy camping.
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