Hot weather camping solutions?

[Gettincloser]

I am looking for a simple solution for Hot and Humid camping.

Background: I live in TX. It tends to get a little hot and humid down here. In the summer you hope that it drops to the low 90s temperature wise. We have mosquitoes that mimic pterodactyls and enough snakes to make you not want to cowboy camp.

Options: bathtub floor and mesh to keep out snakes and biting bugs or a hammock with a bugnet for the same reason.

Problem: the mesh/ bug net limits the wind/breeze and makes it fell hotter in both situations

Solution: possible micro fan to hang in mesh tent or on hammock Ridgeline to help with air flow, perspiration and evaporation.

Problems with solutions: unless you get a 1 to 2 lb fan, you run through batteries in 6 hours, rechargeable fans are heavier and only last for maybe 1 night at best and are heavier.

Any solutions, thoughts or other options?

 

[Middleofnowhere]

Acclimatize...

I’ve spent weeks in Brazil at the equator sleeping in a hammock, after a few nights it became “normal”.
It helps if you are in shape too, fat guys (I’m fat) sleep hotter.

A net is better than a tent for air circulation. If it’s raining, consider a type of shelter or tarp system that doesn’t seal you In. In SoCal desert I use a floorless tarp that I can stake 6”-12” off the ground and get air flow under and through. I don’t have issue with bugs or humidity though.

Being “off” the ground in better than being “on“ the ground. Sleep on a cot or a hammock. Again a net is better than a tent wall as far as air circulation. I don’t have much experience with the modern hammock and net systems as I camp where there aren’t a lot of suitable trees. We use cots for car camping and there “bed net systems” that are great on the cot or on the ground. Do a search for Enhanced or Improved Bed Net System, there are a lot of surplus available at good price on ebay, etc.

 

[JNDEER]

Any lightweight tent with smaller tub and full mesh will work fine. Leave off the vestibule, non insulated pad and just bring a sheet or small blanket. I use a cheap china made eBay sleeping bag that weighs 13oz- but a blanket or sheet would do just the same. Use a USMC pop up bivy. Folds to nothing, weighs little and has worked well for all my super hot CA July archery hunting.

 

[Gettincloser]

Acclimatize...

I’ve spent weeks in Brazil at the equator sleeping in a hammock, after a few nights it became “normal”.
It helps if you are in shape too, fat guys (I’m fat) sleep hotter.

A net is better than a tent for air circulation. If it’s raining, consider a type of shelter or tarp system that doesn’t seal you In. In SoCal desert I use a floorless tarp that I can stake 6”-12” off the ground and get air flow under and through. I don’t have issue with bugs or humidity though.

Being “off” the ground in better than being “on“ the ground. Sleep on a cot or a hammock. Again a net is better than a tent wall as far as air circulation. I don’t have much experience with the modern hammock and net systems as I camp where there aren’t a lot of suitable trees. We use cots for car camping and there “bed net systems” that are great on the cot or on the ground. Do a search for Enhanced or Improved Bed Net System, there are a lot of surplus available at good price on ebay, etc.

I agree with you. Off the ground is better! I have not used a floor less or dropped over bug net as the snakes in our area are numerous. This week I have encountered a cottonmouth, coral snake and copperhead along with some less concerning rat snakes, grass snakes and coachwhips.

As far as acclimating, I am a lille "fluffy" myself as a weekend warriors and sit in an office during the week. During week trips, night 2 is better than night 1 and night 3 better than night 2. Just looking for a fix on the 1 night outings if there is one...

 

[Gettincloser]

Any lightweight tent with smaller tub and full mesh will work fine. Leave off the vestibule, non insulated pad and just bring a sheet or small blanket. I use a cheap china made eBay sleeping bag that weighs 13oz- but a blanket or sheet would do just the same. Use a USMC pop up bivy. Folds to nothing, weighs little and has worked well for all my super hot CA July archery hunting.

I had not visited the USMC pop up bivy idea. It looks like a genuin option. Have you used it yourself? Is it "big enough" that you don't touch the walls?

I did try a Paria outdoors Breeze Mesh Bivy that I thought would work. Once I inflated my Cabelas XPG sleeping pad (about 2.5" to 3" thick and a small R value of 1.2) the pad lifted me up enough that my arms would touch the mesh and mosquitoes would bite through the mesh... how does the USMC pop up bivy do with a 2.5" to 3" sleeping pad?

 

[20DYNAMITE07]

You might want to check out Borah Gear. John will customize your order for just a little more, and he does great work. His bug bivy starts at like $75, and I doubt it would be too much more to customize it.

I've got an ultralight bivy from him that he added some width to for me because I'm a bigger guy, and because I wanted to be able to use my inflatable pad and a closed cell foam pad in it for the winter. I think he charged me less than $20 extra for the work. It's awesome, and only weighs about 7oz.

 

[JNDEER]

GC- yes I have and do use it. Few weekend trips over the last few years when I have gone solo. There is enough room for my 25”x4”x75” pad and my cheap eBay bag. I don’t use steaks but if I did I could probably stretch the bivy our a bit more- it folds up and pops open so the ends tend to curl upward. It is not huge inside but it’s not a tight fit or feel either. I am 6’ 215 with broad shoulders.

there is one on eBay now for $100. It’s the pop up bivy. I think I found a used when when I got mine online for like $50.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I am from south louisiana and have not camped from the Carolinas to desert west. Tried plenty of options. Jungle hammocks, cots, pads, etc.

Best solution for me is a “three season” tent. The kind with a mesh interior and a solid rain fly. Sometimes I will use that or a net tent (six moon designs serenity) under a tarp. Makes airflow about as good as you can get without a fan. I haven’t tried the backpacking cots but agree that you don’t want or need a thick insulated pad.

Not sure about the fan options. Seems like an interesting idea if you could find something light enough.

 

[*zap*]

You might try a lightweight tarp (fairly large) and a screen inner similar to what they have for floorless shelters. I plan on trying that with my MLD tarp/inner.....

 

[Bubblehide]

My wife has a solution, can you say Hilton

 

[TJ]

Tarp for shade and a bug nest.

 

[Gettincloser]

Thanks guys. I will try some other "bug net systems" that are larger. I did not know that borah would do custom stuff. I may have to call!

 

[Brendan]

Hammock with a Bug Net, Tarp high enough to keep any rain off, but allows lots of airflow around and underneath.

 

[notradame]

The old school tree brand shade still works, You just got to know how to do it right.