Staying Cool for Your Next Summer Camping Trip

There’s nothing quite like summer spent outdoors. Imagine the blazing sun on dappled leaves, light reflecting off of the river like diamonds, and a cold beer to finish off an exhausting day spent fishing. Or imagine it swinging from a hammock perched right above a mountain valley, after a long day of trekking. Whatever your trip is this season, wherever you want to go, you need to know how to keep cool camping in the summer.

Summer camping doesn’t have to mean suffering through the sweltering heat. There are a lot of ways to reduce heat while camping: through especially-designed summer camping outfits, choosing your campsite, your shelter, and even what you drink! We’ll give you loads of great tips on how you can keep cool while summer camping.

What to Wear Camping in Summer

• A wide-brimmed hat
• Polarized sunglasses
• Moisture-wicking undergarments
• Quick-drying outer garments
• Shoes or sandals suited to the hiking environment
• Quick-drying socks
• Camp shoes or flip flops
• Lightweight waterproof shell jacket (you don’t know when it’s going to rain)
• Blanket/poncho to guard against chilly nights

The Aussies have their sun protection and summer camping outfits down pat: slip, slop, slap. Sun protection is of utmost importance during the summer when the sun is at the peak of its power. Slip into sun-protective garments, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a wide-brimmed hat that will shade your face, neck, and ears. For your hat (and outerwear), choose a fabric that has a close weave, or better yet, one with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating.

Polarized sunglasses reduce glare, and is especially useful when you’re camping near bodies of water or when you go fishing. Not only does it reduce discomfort, it also protects you from unnecessarily squinting and tiring your eyes. What’s more, polarized sunglasses give you better contrast outdoors and you’ll get to see more vibrant colors.

What to wear camping in summer? Fabrics closest to your skin should wick moisture and be breathable. There are a lot of choices when it comes to performance fabrics that let your skin breathe, wick moisture, and are lightweight. Uniqlo has its Airism brand, Nike has its Dri-FIT clothing, and if you want natural fibers, you can choose Merino wool. Outer garments should be quick drying though, and Merino wool dries slower than polyester or nylon. Stay away from cotton and denim when hiking too, as they take ages to dry. You also don’t want to experience chafed thighs when you go hiking in denim shorts or pants.

Your shoes and socks should also match your camping environment. Hot feet mean a lot of sweat, and sweaty feet is a recipe for blisters. Choose lightweight shoes that offer support for summer, and if there’s a possibility of getting your feet wet, think about choosing water sandals instead. It all depends on where you’ll be going. For example, I chose a mid-high trekking shoes on a hike with shallow river crossings because of the presence of leeches. So yeah, I’ll cover my feet, alright.

Don’t forget to bring separate camp shoes, sandals, or flip flops. There’s nothing more exhausting than to not have the option of taking off your shoes after a tiring day. Having flip flops on hand gives your feet a chance to breathe, and if you’re camping near a body of water, it’s okay for it to get wet as it’s quick to dry. If you chose to bring camp shoes or sandals, it can also double as your replacement trekking shoes should your trekking shoes get damaged.

Bringing a lightweight waterproof shell jacket when summer camping can sound idiotic, but you never know when it’s going to rain. Yes, there are weather forecasts, but if you’re camping in a location that has its own microclimate, you might run into light drizzles for which you haven’t prepared for. Coastal regions, mountains, high elevated areas, and large forests have their own microclimates which presents issues for modern weather forecasting. So yes, bring a waterproof jacket, and bring a light blanket or poncho as well in case the nights get chilly.

The key takeaway on what to wear camping in summer is:

• Layering your outfits
• Choosing the right fabrics
• And choosing the best footwear to suit the environment

Staying Cool During Summer Camping

• Choose a campsite near a moving water source as much as possible
• Pitch your tent in the shade. Alternatively, set up a tarp a foot or so above your tent
• Disassemble your tent in the early morning
• Weather permitting, leave off your flysheet
• Sleep in a hammock
• Use a portable fan
• Use a sleeping bag liner or a lightweight sheet instead of a sleeping bag

There are a lot of ways that you can stay cool during your summer camping trip. We’ve discussed the ways you can keep cool with your summer camping outfits, let’s now tackle how you can control your environment so you’ll stay cool.

When choosing summer camping sites, choose those that are near a water source. It’s important because chances are that you’ve exhausted all the drinking water you’ve brought with you, especially if the trek has been hot and arduous. Having a water source nearby reduces your packing load, and is an added luxury, as you can take a shower right before bedding down. Choose a camping site that gets a lot of breeze, but not so much that your tent becomes a kite that will take off if you don’t peg it down (it happened to me, plus my poles broke because it flapped too much in the wind). The water source should be moving, however, to reduce the chances of encountering mosquitoes. If the water is stagnant, we recommend setting up camp about 1 mile away from it.

Chase the midday shade when setting up your tent. Plot where the shade will be during midday and set up your tent there. Just make sure that the trees above you don’t have rotten-looking branches that can break off and fall on you. If you’re lucky and camping on a tropical island, don’t camp under coconut trees. It’s not just the falling coconuts you have to watch out for, falling palm fronds can also do serious damage. If you can’t find a shady place, put a tarp up or a reflective sunshade about a foot or so above your tent. This allows for the air to flow above your tent and cool it down significantly. Also consider bringing a portable fan particularly if you’re camping in a place where there’s not a lot of breeze coming through.

Make sure to bring a tent designed with a lot of mesh fabric. It allows for better airflow, and if the weather forecast is good, leave off the rain fly to allow the breeze to pass through. You may also want to consider sleeping in your sleeping bag liner or a sheet instead of in your sleeping bag. Some summer nights can be too hot to sleep in your bag, so bringing your liner instead can be more practical. It can also save up a lot of space on your pack.

Alternatively, you can also choose to sleep in a hammock for the ultimate lightweight summer shelter. There are a lot of hammock options in the market today, and you can choose hammocks with spreader bars, bug nets, and even its own rain fly! Break up camp early, as your tent can function like a greenhouse trapping warm air during the day. It’s also easier to move when you’re not hampered by the heat of the day. Imagine handling the hot nylon or polyester of your tent while the sun is blazing and… you get the gist.

Combat Heat Exhaustion

• Freeze a half-filled water bladder/hydration pack and fill it up with cold water before setting off
• Freeze a wet washcloth and use it to cool down while trekking
• Freeze Jell-O cups for a hydrating trail food
• Prepare electrolyte drinks
• Bring a foldable fan (and a parasol)

Heat exhaustion can be a real problem when summer camping. It’s when your body overheats, and can cause muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea, and faintness, among others. It can also lead to heatstroke if not treated promptly. There are a lot of ways to prevent heat exhaustion, and if you experience any of the mentioned symptoms, take a rest in a cool place and cool your body down. One great tip that I have to stay cool is to fill your water bladder or hydration pack (Camelbak is a good brand) halfway and freeze it a day or two before your summer camping trip. Fill it up with cold water on the day and the ice will stay cold longer than if you filled it up with ice cubes. The reason why I don’t freeze more than half of the water is because you can’t drink ice, which is what you’ll get if you freeze more than that. If you’re RV camping, consider getting those no-spill ice cube bags. Your ice will stay pristine and unadulterated while cooling down your other drinks.

Another way to cool yourself down while camping is with a frozen washcloth. Nothing can beat the feeling of a cold towel on your neck while you’re hiking on a hot summer day. Yes, it will warm up, but it stays cold longer than if it were not frozen. While you’re at it, freeze some Jell-O cups for that refreshing and hydrating trail food. Not only will the sugar prep you up, it will also replace some electrolytes you lost while sweating.

If you feel an incoming cramp or any symptoms of heat exhaustion, drink some electrolyte salts or electrolyte-rich beverages like Gatorade or Powerade. If worse comes to worst and you don’t have any, just lick some salt and drink tons of water.

Another useful item that you can bring is a foldable hand fan, which you can just hang from your shoulder straps or stow in your backpack pocket. It may sound extra, but a fan is priceless when there’s not a breeze in sight. If you’re extra like me, why not bring a parasol? I’ve got a three-fold umbrella that keeps me dry in sudden drizzles, and keeps me cool in the warmth of the sun. My friends may laugh at my full hiking outfit with my foldable fan and parasol, but my wrinkle-free hydrated skin is laughing all the way home.