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 Topic: Keeping the tent cooler in the sun?
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19/5/2024 at 2:43pm
Location: Norfolk
Outfit: Coleman Meadowood 4
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Joined: 31/5/2022 Standard Member
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Is there some way to keep a tent cooler inside when in direct sun?
Here is my issue; I love camping, and have been doing so since before I can even remember. I have always just sort of accepted that the inside of the tent would be miserable during the day if hit by the sun. That's why you set up a shaded outdoor area to relax in.
My partner, on the other hand, is only "tolerant" of camping. To try and make things more enjoyable, I have slowly improved our tent equipment and setup, and now we have a large tent with a proper "living room". My issue is that it is almost unusable as soon as there is any sun. Even with a decent breeze, it still becomes uncomfortably warm in no time.
I personally would prefer to just camp on more wild sites with trees and a natural canopy, but again, my partner isn't willing to deal with anything less than a proper toilet block so that isn't really an option. (Still working on introducing the idea of a portable toilet... If anyone can provide some advice on how to make that less "horrifying", I would definitely appreciate it!)
Which brings us back to my question; are there any good options for keeping it cooler inside the tent during the day when the sun is beating down? I could only come up with putting a tarp up over the tent, but a tent for the tent seems silly.
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19/5/2024 at 5:53pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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Joined: 17/9/2015 Diamond Member 
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I can vouch for the Decathlon tarp too (the QUECHUA MULTIFUNCTION TARP CAMPING SHELTER - FRESH XL in our case)! We bought it/used it as a rain shelter over our outdoor camp kitchen, but discovered it's fantastic as a sun shade too, I know they claim it as such, but I was sceptical, I was very WRONG, it's brilliant! ... and it was in France with temps in the mid 30C's. It doesn't just provide shade, it really does stop the heat radiation penetrating through the fabric! The poles can be fitted in a number of ways and can be varied in height, as sectional, it's a remarkably versatile tarp.
Our tents (couple of 2 man 'canvas coffins') were intolerable in the sun, almost everything inside was too hot to touch, and to truly enter was tantamount to throwing oneself into an oven! We were grateful beyond words for the shelter of the tarp to escape the sun! We didn't really have the option of putting the tents under the tarp, we needed it's coverage for the kitchen and sitting out area.
In you're situation I'd certainly consider putting your tent 'under a tent'! Only caveat, tarps are susceptible to wind, so you may have to take it down if the wind gets up or too gusty. Ours stood up to some surprisingly strong winds, and the webbing guy ropes mostly stayed fixed, we did do a couple of crossed rock peg anchors to improve things, but TBF the ground was sandy and a poor anchor for pegs anyway.
There is very little 'horrifying' about a proper chemical camping loo (Pota-Potti), in use it's not so different to a normal loo, you have a proper seat, you have a flush, and the waste is 'out of sight'! Use the right chemicals and there is no smell, and the chemicals are bactericidal, so little health risk either, the chemicals have a perfume not too different from a ordinary toilet cleaner. Emptying the waste tank is not the best fun had camping for sure, but depending on use only needs doing every few days, again with the right chemicals there are no horrible smells! 'Solids' break down in a day or so, so all you really get to 'see' as you empty it is a rather unsightly (if used for No 2's), browny/blue, or browny/green, 'liquid' depending on chemicals used, if No 1's only, then it's just vividly blue or green liquid. If you've been around babies/small children or animals, you'll have dealt with far worse!!!!!
Biggest issue with a Porta-Potti for most people is it's size - it takes up a fair bit of boot space in the car! On site, mine's been in a toilet tent if we're fully using the family sized tent, or if on my own, in the 'spare' bedroom. Carrying a full waste tank if you let it get that full can be a struggle for some, mine's 21L, so 21Kg! - just don't let it get full if that's too heavy.
If it's a regular long walk in the dark and/or rain to the site facilities, or my own Porta-Potti, that's no competition, I'll cheerfully empty the tank every few days! I've got a very similar chemical loo in my caravan, really don't give it any great thought these days, it's just another ritual of camping to empty the loo tank.
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19/5/2024 at 9:42pm
Location: Devizes Wiltshire
Outfit: MWB VW Crafter PVC
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I used the fan function on my fan heater to try and get some air moving inside the tent when it was hot and sunny, so hot that I had to take the thermoelectric coolbox out of the tent and kept it under the canopy by the kitchen area; otherwise the meats and diary produce would go above 8degC which would be unsafe to eat.
The thermoelectric coolboxes that I had and still have one at the moment for keeping drinks cool, all worked to 16 to 18 degC below ambient.
I struggled to have a snooze inside the tent when it was hot even with the fan on.
For my last tent which was a cotton canvas pyramid, an ESVO Bedouin 340, I had a couple of extra vents put into the living area. However, when it was hot and sunny, it was still too hot to stay inside.
I can do cold, however, I can't stand the heat. I would stay in the shade as much as I could during the day when it was very hot and sunny instead of spending time inside the tent.
As for camping toilet, I had a Kampa Khazi with cat litter (lined with a plastic bag first), only for night time No. 1 only instead of walking to the facilities block especially if it was quite a distance away and the weather was foul.
I did not have a toilet tent, did not see the point being a solo camper - just kept it ready to use under the bed. However, if I were to camp with another person in a tent, I would have considered using a dedicated toilet tent to provide a bit of privacy.
DK 
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