Don’t cancel your weekend camp because it’s too hot! Get ready and enjoy the warm weather. As we reach record temperatures in the US, it’s probably a good time to review some of the tips for camping in hot weather. Here are some tips for beating the heat that I’ve learned from my more than 25 years of camping with the Boy Scouts.

Tea 3 personal greats The issues to take care of are Heat, Humidity and Hydration:

Heat

As your body heats up, evaporation is your body’s way of handling cooling. As moisture is released (perspiration), it takes heat away. This works well in hot dry areas.

Humidity

Moisture-saturated air will have a difficult time absorbing additional moisture through evaporation. Therefore, in humid areas, you must create air movement to encourage evaporation. Breezy areas around lakes are good for this.

Hydration

Perspiration draws water from your body, which must be replaced frequently. Being thirsty is not a good indicator of your need for water. Surprisingly, your urine is the best indicator. Drink often enough so that your urine is clear or transparent in color. If it’s dark in color, drink more water!

Tips for drinking water:

• Keep water readily available and drink frequently
• Avoid drinking a lot of caffeinated drinks. They act as diuretics and remove fluid from your body.
• Drink a lot of water. Especially during a strenuous activity like a hike. Take plenty of water on a hike or walk to a known water source.

Warm weather clothing

Choosing the right clothing for camping in a warm climate can go a long way toward making you a happy camper! Keep these tips in mind:

• Choose light-colored, breathable fabrics that don’t absorb heat. Leave your black “Metalica” t-shirt at home! ☺
• Wear a hat. Not only to provide shade, but to protect yourself from sunstroke and overheating.
• Nylon or polyester shorts and shirts are always good. The fabric is cool, durable and dries quickly when you sweat
• Cotton is also a good option. But I find it doesn’t dry as fast and at night I don’t want a cold wet shirt on my back.

insects

If you are in an area infested with insects, you may need a hat with a mesh or wear light-colored long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Above all, apply and reapply insect repellent (DEET-based), especially around the ankles, neck, and ears.

Sun

I hope everyone is “programmed” to put on sunscreen and wear a hat when going to summer camp, let alone warm weather camp. In humid climates buy waterproof sunscreen so it won’t come off when you sweat. And always wear at least 15 SPF. Don’t forget some lip balm! You can also get this in 15 SPF.

There is nothing worse than trying to sleep with a bad sunburn. ☹

Find shady spots to set up camp, bring a canopy, or build one by placing a tarp between some trees.

warm weather gear

When camping in a hot climate, you can bring the same gear you would normally take camping, except your bedding should be lighter and cooler. What I mean by this is bring a light nylon sleeping bag or sheet and a couple of blankets.

In hot, dry climates, sleeping under the stars is the best the camp has to offer. Slip a sleeping pad under your sleeping bag and off you go. If you need more shelter, you can tie the ends of a tarp to the trees or hang the tarp over a tight-fitting robe, tied between two trees.

Most good 3 season tents have a rain cover that goes over the top of the tent to keep moisture out. This is good in hot humid campsites, but I would remove the rainfly in hot dry areas so you have a “sheltered” roof to keep the bugs out and stargaze as you drift off to sleep.

keep things cool

Once you’re settled in camp and have your personal hydration under control, your tent shaded, and perhaps a canopy set up to get you out of the sum, you’re pretty much set to enjoy camping.

Keeping food and drinks cool in hot weather isn’t difficult. In the desert camping that I do, I take two coolers, one for drinks and one for food. Know in advance that the beverage cooler will be open and closed all day, but the food cooler will not. I bring extra ice and keep it in the food cooler and as the beverage cooler loses ice I replace it. My coolers will keep my food and drinks cold for about two days. Any camp longer than that and I have to go on an ice trip.

If you are prepared and follow these tips, you can enjoy camping in warm climates and especially sleeping “under the stars” which is totally unique! I am constantly amazed by the number of stars in the sky on a hot clear night.