Summer Camping in Hot Weather? Here’s How to Beat the Heat.

If you like to go tent camping or vehicle camping in your truck bed, SUV, car, or van and are wanting to extend your camping season into the hotter months, check out these summer camping tips.

Because knowing how to stay cool while summer camping without the reprieve of a traditional air conditioner can make or break your adventure!

Choosing a Summer Camping Site

If you’re summer camping in hot weather, choosing the right campsite is crucial. Consider the differences between an open field as compared to a wooded campsite near a lake or river!

Whenever possible, try to choose a campsite with plenty of trees to provide shade, and preferably one with a water source nearby. A lake, river, or creek to wade in will be much appreciated once you hit mid-day!

If you won’t be near a natural water source but will be at a public campground with access to water, you can empty one of your camping storage containers to fill up for your younger kids to splash and play in.

Also, consider finding a campsite at higher elevation. These locations will be much cooler than at lower elevation and will help you stay cool while camping in the summer heat.

How To Set Up Gear to Stay Cool While Camping

Once you pick a great summer camping site, you’ll want to put some thought into how you establish camp.

Use the Natural Shade to Help You Stay Cool:

Know where the sun is going to come up (rises in the east, sets in the west) and try to determine what areas of camp will remain shaded for most of the day.

You don’t want to start your morning out in a sauna, so park and/or pitch your tent in an area that will be shaded from the rising sun. And set up your camp kitchen, hammock, eating area, etc shaded from the afternoon summer heat.

Create Shade When Summer Camping:

Use tarps and/or vehicle awnings to keep even more sun off your main camping areas and sleeping areas.

When setting up a tarp, keep it about a foot away from your truck bed, camper, or tent to help it stay cool. You want air flow between the two so hot air isn’t getting trapped under the tarp and inside your sleeping space.

This resource shows multiple ways to set up a camping tarp with plenty of how-to tips.

And adding a reflective mylar blanket* on top of your tarp or using an all weather blanket/tarp* will reflect some of the heat from the sun, helping your space stay even cooler.

Take Advantage of the Breeze When Camping in Hot Weather:

Also try to determine which way the prevailing wind is blowing (if there is one!), and then position your tent or vehicle to take advantage of that breeze.

You want your tent door facing the breeze to help keep your tent cool, and your truck bed camper or van positioned so the air can blow through open windows, creating some air flow in your camping rig throughout the day and into the night.

How To Keep a Tent or Vehicle Cool While Camping

Once you get all set up in the shade, there are a few more things you can do to help keep the temperature down in your truck bed camper, van, or tent.

Change Up Your Cooking Habits:

One way to keep your camper cool during the summer is to do your cooking outdoors. Plan meals that don’t require heat at all, or set a portable camping stove up on a table outside of your camper if you do need to cook something.

Create Ventilation To Stay Cool:

Unless there’s a chance of rain, remove the rain fly from your tent. That will allow additional heat to escape overnight, keeping your tent cooler while also cutting down on condensation build up on the inside of your tent.

And if you’re truck camping or sleeping in your car, van, or SUV, you’ll also want to create some ventilation and air flow. Open whatever windows you can.

If bugs are a problem, consider adding mesh screens anywhere you’re able, spray cloth with permethrin*, and look into a good portable mosquito repellent device*.

Use Camper Curtains When In Hot Weather:

The right curtains for your camper can make a huge difference in staying cool while camping!

blackout curtains installed while car camping to stay cool while summer camping in the heat

Cutting reflectix material* to the shape of your window (almost like window plugs) is our most recommended way to keep your camper cool during the summer. Blackout curtains can also work to keep your camping vehicle more cave-like throughout the day.

This post walks through four options for great camper curtains or window covers, including using reflectix.

And of course, the easiest way to stay cool while camping is with a portable fan or air conditioner...

Air Conditioners, 12v fans, or Battery Operated Fans for Camping

Having a 12v camping fan or battery powered fan for camping, a vent fan, or camping air conditioner for your tent or vehicle is solid gold when camping in the heat of the summer.

Have hook-ups or a Generator? Go nuts!

If you typically camp somewhere with electrical hook-ups, like a developed campground, you can easily power a 110v box fan from home or portable air conditioner - just bring an extension cord and plug into the available 110v grid power.

Alternatively, you could bring a gas powered generator to operate these devices - but most car campers and tent campers don’t haul around a cumbersome gas generator!

Boondocking or Wild Camping? Not so much.

If you’re like us, you prefer wild camping or boondocking away from hookups. So having a power supply capable of running something like a 110v portable air conditioner is not really practical.

Let’s look at a few other options that will still keep you cool while camping in the summer heat.

Installing a Vent Fan for Camping:

We went this route for our first truck bed camping setup and we were really pleased with the comfort it provided while camping in the heat.

Using a maxxair vent fan to stay cool while camping in a truck shell camper.

This post explains exactly how we cut a hole in the top of our truck shell to install a MaxxAir Vent Fan.

The vent fan can run off your vehicle’s 12v power, dual battery setup, or solar generator and will create enough airflow to feel almost like air conditioning while camping, and it also cuts down on condensation too!

If this type of permanent modification isn’t right for you and your camping vehicle, let’s look at another option.

Using a Portable Battery Powered Fan or 12v Fan for Camping:

There are plenty of portable 12v or battery powered camping fans on the market, but we’ve rounded up 3 of the best options out there.

12v Camping Fans:

The Endless Breeze Portable Fan easily plugs into any 12v power source like your vehicle’s 12v outlet, dual battery setup, or solar generator. And it’s manufactured by the same company that makes the reputable Fan-tastic Vent Fans for RVs.

Alternatively, you can make this suction-mounted fan setup using the Caframo Sirocco II* fan, by adding a 12v male plug* and mounting the fan’s base plate to a Sea-Sucker vacuum suction cup*. This is the 12v fan we personally use in our Go Fast Camper while summer camping in hot weather, and you can see the assembly in more detail in our post on all the Go Fast Camper Accessories we use. It can be mounted easily to any smooth surface inside or outside your car, truck, or SUV while camping, and it’s gimbal design allows it to be rotated 360 degrees to blow cool air right where you need it!

Self-Contained Battery Powered Camping Fans:

Each of the above rechargeable battery powered camping fan are excellent camping fans for tent camping, SUV or car camping, as well as van or truck bed camping in the heat of summer, and both offer high air output with a long running time between needing to be recharged.

But if you don’t think a camping fan will do the trick when you’re summer camping in the heat, we’ve got one more option for you.

Using a Camping Air Conditioner:

No, these aren’t traditional 110v air conditioners like you have at home, as those require WAY too much power for anyone wanting to wild camp off-grid, nor are these the expensive, bulky, and elaborate battery powered camping AC units* that have recently come to market.

These 12v camping air conditioners are really just fancy “swamp coolers” - they create evaporative cooling using ice and/or cool water to produce cool air.

High-end Camping Air Conditioner:

The MightyKool can operate off your vehicle's 12 volt power or a portable solar generator. It draws about 11watts on the lowest setting and 48 watts on high.

Low-cost Camping Air Conditioner:

The Arctic Air Portable Air Conditioner Fan for camping is battery powered with a USB rechargeable battery, which will run the fan for about 6 hours. If you’re able to plug it in to 12v USB power in your camping vehicle or portable solar generator, you can extend that run time.

Keep in mind, these are designed to cool a very small space for shorter periods of time. They’re not something that will miraculously keep your tent, van, or truck camper at a crisp 68 degrees all day and night, but they will definitely help keep you cool while summer camping. They’ll be most effective in arid climates.

Keep Yourself Cool While Camping in Hot Weather

Sometimes there’s only so much you can do to keep your environment cool while summer camping - but keeping yourself cool is another story! So once you get your gear, truck camper, or tent set up to stay cool when camping in the heat, it’ll be time to focus on yourself!

For starters, drink extra water. You’ll be sweating more and don’t want to end up getting dehydrated. Also, plan any exerting activities, like hiking, for first thing in the morning before the sun has time to start baking. Leave the sitting around for mid-day!

Summer Camping Clothing Recommendations:

Knowing what clothes are best for summer camping can also help you stay cool in the heat.

No matter the material, wear light colored clothing to minimize heat absorption.
Wear a wide-brim hat to keep the sun off your head and face.
And plan to sweat. Merino wool shirts and socks can help wick the moisture away from your body, and wool won’t retain body odor like cotton will.
If you have sturdy sandals that protect your feet and toes, wear those instead of boots or tennis shoes.
And of course, don’t forget about sunscreen!

Be sure to check out our Super Simple Guide for What to Wear Camping for for help selecting the best camping clothes and outfits for a variety of temperatures and weather conditions

Stay Refreshed:

Try to stay cool while camping by taking action before you feel like you’re going to die from heat exhaustion!

Jump in the water!
Lay a cool towel across your forehead or neck. Wrap it around ice from the cooler if you have some to spare.
Keep a neck and shoulder ice pack* in the cooler to grab when needed
Use a small handheld mister* for short term relief
Even a wetted 100% cotton bandana* can provide a surprising amount of comfort when camped in the heat

Tips for Sleeping in the Heat:

Trying to fall asleep in the heat can be a deal breaker when considering summer camping. Here’s what we recommend to make this a little easier:

Ditch the sleeping bag for a sheet. Better yet, purchase a sleeping bag liner* that fits in your sleeping bag, because that’s a great layer to have for the other camping seasons and helps keep your sleeping bag much cleaner. Then for summer camping, just use the liner.
If you’re trying to stay cool in a tent, sleep on a cot* rather than the ground so air can circulate around your body.
If you’re camping in a truck shell, van, car, or SUV, consider getting an air mattress for summer camping over a foam mattress, because your body heat dissipates more readily using an air mattress.
Take a cold shower or jump in the creek right before laying down to sleep to lower your body temp!
Create some consistent air flow with a 12v battery powered fan or camping air conditioner (see recommendations above)

Keeping Pets Cool While Camping in the Heat

And of course, don’t forget about keeping your dog cool while camping in the summer heat. Pretty much all the same tips apply to our four legged friends!

Tents and campers heat up just as vehicles do, so closing pup in a space like that isn’t a good option. Also, encourage your dog’s more active part of the day to be in the morning before the heat really settles in.

Camping near water is a great way to keep your dog safe (and happy) when summer camping. And if you won’t be near a water source, pack plenty of drinking water for your pup too.

You could also consider buying a cooling dog vest* if you frequently camp in the heat or have a fluffy friend with dark fur.

Summer camping in the heat is definitely not without its downsides! But if you can find a way to stay cool, it’s a great time of the year to relax in the water and play in the outdoors.

We hope some of these tips on how to stay cool while camping in the summer heat can help make your next sunny adventure more comfortable!

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