Myths Of Staying Cool While Camping Exposed! Here’s the Juicy Details

Mark Wilcox
2 min readJun 3, 2022

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A tent in a forest

I live in Dallas, Texas.

For many parts of the US, the prime camping season is during the summer.

But here in Texas, unless you are lucky enough to have an RV, you generally don’t camp during the summer because it gets too hot.

On the other hand, we can camp the rest of the year because our winters are never that cold. Though they are colder than most people think. But we’ll talk about camping in colder temperatures at a different time.

However, I have determined there are three myths about staying cool while camping.

The first myth is that you have to suffer through the heat. If you take proper precautions and apply ingenuity there are ways to keep cool while camping in the summer. A simple trick is to use survival blanket tarps. These are not the thin blankets you find in your First Aid kit. They are traditional tarps but have a shiny side with Mylar blended in it. If you flip these tarps so their shiny side faces the sun, they will reduce the amount of infrared energy reaching you. This can reduce temperatures by as much as 15 degrees F because Mylar reflects 95% of the infrared energy it receives.

The second myth is that you need special equipment to stay cool. While it is more of a challenge to stay cool than warm while camping, you don’t need anything fancy. If you are camping on a site with electricity, you can use traditional fans to add a breeze. But even if you don’t have electricity, there are many battery-powered fans available. I even use my Jackerey to power a fan at night.

The third myth is that you have to stay dry in your camping clothes. If your campsite has access to a lake or showers, empty your pockets of anything electronic and just get yourself soaked. My buddy Randal likes to do this before bed. As the water evaporates, you will cool yourself off.

If you are going to go camping in the summer, you will have to pay attention to wildlife like bears.

That’s why I created my course, “Camping With Bears”.

I’m Mark Wilcox and I once backpacked 100 miles in 90 days. After 25 years in IT, I wanted more adventure in my life. I want to inspire you to add more adventure too.

Thank you for subscribing to my content. I share content about camping, backpacking, and outdoor survival.

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Mark Wilcox
Mark Wilcox

Written by Mark Wilcox

I once backpacked 100 miles in 90 days. After 25 years in IT, I wanted more adventure in my life. I want to inspire you to add more adventure too.

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