The Best Hot Weather Tents:
A hot weather tent should be your first step when you plan a trip in the summer. If you have the wrong type of tent for these climates, your camping experience can turn out to be very average.
Not being able to sleep or waking up in a pool of sweat is not really a memorable camping experience and does not charge you for a day of fun camping games. There are ways to combat this like a tent air conditioner or a good tent fan, but step one would be to have the right tent.
A 3-season tent is the maximum you want (2-season preferred). Cotton tents are the best material for a tent in hot weather, the down sided are that they are bulky and heavier than more modern materials. If weight and volume is not an option this should be your first choice.
Lots of campers make the mistake of getting just a mesh tent, although it sounds like a good idea it does not really work. The first problem is that when the sun comes up there is no shade, you might have more ventilation, but the direct heat of the sun is going to destroy that bonus. The second issue, although not so much heat orientated, is privacy, at some point during your trip you want some privacy so that the mesh tent is not going to deliver the goods.
Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation is the key to a cool tent. The more open doors and windows you have to guide airflow the better. Family tents are great for this and will be the number one choice for a cool tent.
These tents would be our top picks for the best hot weather tents:
OZARK TRAIL CABIN TENT
The Ozark cabin tent is a large 3-room cabin tent with lots of ventilation. Its got large awnings to relax under in the shade and can pitch in 2 minutes. There are not many tents on the market with build in AC ports and this tents has got to port for either ground ventilation or for a air conditioner.
CANVAS SCREEN HOUSE CABIN BY TENT By Trek
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This tent is well and truly made for hot climates. Made from cotton canvas and big mesh windows with 8 awnings a breeze can be directed any which way or keep all the sides open if you want. Its big and have great space for a family. This is the tent I have and me and my family loves it.
Eureka Copper Canyon 8
This is a good quality family tent with lots of space. With 2 d-style doors on different ends, 6 windows and a mesh roof this tent ensures a lot of ventilation. The flysheet ensures the tent will be waterproof during a summer storm and al windows can be zipped closed.
REI Kingdom 8
This is another good option for hot weather camping. With 2 doors on opposite ends and big mesh windows circulation is ensured. The 2-room layout is nice for privacy and you can by add-on sections for the tent.
Tentsile Stingray Air
Not only are these tents great in a number of ways but also have a WOW factor. Being elevated, these tents have the maximum amount of ventilation and can be used without the coversheet. Some planning is involved though if you camp in the shifting sands of the Sahara desert the nearest tree for an anchor point might be far away.
All of these hot weather tents are a bit too bulky for backpacking, but are great for warm climates. With some passive tent cooling techniques you will have a cool tent for hot weather camping.