Tip on how to keep tent cooler during summer???

Hi all, Im currently camping at Swan Hill and thought Id ask if anyone had any tips to help keep the tent cooler.
I have a Black Wolf turbo lite 300 plus and arnt sure wether to put the fly on or leave it off.
Would the fly trap more heat or help block it out in the first place?
Any tips guys??

Thanks

When we were camping by tent, I used to put up a large tarp over the top of the tent. The air gap between the tarp and tent makes a huge difference!

I would think fly on would help keep it cooler?

It will stop the sun shining directly on the tent material and radiating the heat directly into the tent. With the fly on you should get an insulating layer of air that can circulate between both layers.

Does it have a vent at the top? Can you crack the top inch or so of any windows?

Thanks guys. Yes it does have large windows at each end and two small roof vents. Will throw the fly on it tomorrow before it gets too hot (only set up this arvo).
I also have a large tarp so may have to rig it up also.
Appreciate the replies

Second what tanz said.I used to do the same.

I will have to settle forcdraping the tarp over two tents and a canopy as I have no poles.
Thanks heaps for the advice (41 today and 38 tomorrow).

If you have a tree or two near by tie it to that and the canopy that should do it. 41 and 38 tomorrow that's hot.

if you have the tarp well suspended above the tent then i'd be inclined to leave the fly off to get some circulation (i.e. treat the tarp as the fly).

we have specifically bought tarp which has the silver reflection on one side to reflect the heat.

the most effective way to bring the body temp down is to bring a little spray bottle to spray yourself with. the water evaporating off your skin will cool you down considerably, especially if you've got a bit of a breeze or a small 12v fan. the alternative is to get a wet tea towel to put over your body/face. your body naturally sweats to create this exact effect.

The Black Wolf main tent has the silver inner lining on the fly. Would that hold heat in or keep it out being on the inside?

I've got one of those black wolf single man hiking tents, and it's hot as heck in summer, the ventilation in them is pretty poor, i'd definitely put the fly on, and if you can rotate it so that a breeze blows through the tent, that would help considerably. also as said above, stringing up the tarp and treating it like the fly is an even better option, but definitely have that air gap!

another thing to consider is that the tarp/fly will only work if it's radiating heat from the sun, if the heat is ambient then there's not much you can do apart from cooling yourself down with water.

we bought one of these and that second room which is pretty much all mesh means that we can take the fly off and still have cool breezes through the tent while we sleep/relax under the tarp.

Eug said:

another thing to consider is that the tarp/fly will only work if it's radiating heat from the sun, if the heat is ambient then there's not much you can do apart from cooling yourself down with water.

we bought one of these and that second room which is pretty much all mesh means that we can take the fly off and still have cool breezes through the tent while we sleep/relax under the tarp.

Click to expand...

Thats the second tent I have here lol

+1 on the tarp. We used one beneath the tent to keep the mud off the underside (and hence the top when it got folded up) and a bigger, silver one over the top. A decent-sized gap allows the air beneath to evacuate the radiated heat from the underside of the tarp rather than have it pour through into the tent.

We did the same thing with our first caravan as well.

Thick canvas under the tent as per OldTony & silver above (@ 6'6" high). But on seriously hot, windy days I question the need to be in the bush -- I do it when collecting data, but not for recreation purposes.

Thanks guys.

Just need to clarify that I am not in the bush. Im in a caravan park with water park for the kids.

^ In that case I'd park my arse on the pool with a coldie!

+1 on a tarp well above(1-3'+) the tent, whatever. I've been doing this for decades and it makes things so much better.

The CT tent is gray and sucks up the heat from the sun something fierce. We effect a heavy duty tarp(silver/grey from BCF) over the top and it makes it so much better. PITA when you have to do it by ridge pole and side poles independently as those 24 poles, ropes and pegs all add weight.

If you are going to run it off trees, put a ridge rope underneath to support it and take most of the weight. Anything other than a well made canvas/"superdux" tarp has a tendancy to have eyelets/D rings pull out.

In the past, 10x10' tourer style tent, I've also rigged up a 3mx3m square shade sail on four separate pulleys to at as a similar heat block. Really needs a 5mx5m as it s a bit of work keeping up with the moving sun.

You could go the whole hog...

krankin took myoriginal tip,

but on a size note buy a gazebo there only about $100 and there worth every penny, we sleep under em with swags open and then roll them up in morning and you have shade all day cool breeze all night. oh and you can pick them up and move them with 2 people at any time.

theres no way ide use a fly over a tent in summer as soon as the sun hits them they turn into a hot box and stay like that because of the minimul ventilation.