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Surviving the Heat: The Best Tent for Hot Weather

By Author Brittany Tedford

Posted on  - Last updated:

Summer is an excellent time to go camping, although the heat can be a challenge to deal with, especially if you choose the wrong tent!

For hot weather camping, you’ll want a breathable tent to be comfortable and avoid overheating, condensation collection, and a sweaty night’s sleep.

Keep reading for our top five picks for best tent for hot weather, including a handy guide to help you figure out which tent is best for your camping needs.

best-tent-for-hot-weather

Our Top Picks

Best Overall
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL Ultralight

Budget Option
Coleman Skydome Camping Tent

Best Instant Option
CORE 9-Person Instant Cabin Tent

Best Overall

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL Ultralight

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 Ultralight Bikepacking Tent

The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL Ultralight tent for hot weather is our best overall choice because it comes equipped with tons of features that add convenience, utility, and luxury to your camping trip.

This tent comes with a simple setup with proprietary tent corner construction and the unique TipLock Tent Buckle, which combines three functions into one. It secures the pole tip capture, rainfly attachment, tensioner, and stake-out loops.

With a four-way high-volume hub design that increases the strength of the tent by 25 percent, this durable tent features lightweight nylon double rip-stop, mixed denier fabric with extra tear and puncture resistance.

The Copper Spur model tent for hot weather was recently redesigned for backpacking. This means you’ll find that the usable interior space has increased by 20% compared to previous similar models, as well as stronger, lighter, and more sustainable fabrics.

This tent is equipped with a DAC Featherlite NSL pole system and includes strongly designed Dirt Dagger UL tent stakes with an L-beam construction.

Color-coded webbing and buckles make setup for this tent a breeze, and it comes with awning-style vestibules, large doors, and breathable mesh. The lightweight summer tent also comes with a burly compression stuff sack that is designed to withstand the elements, protecting your tent when it’s not in use.

Pros

  • Made from lightweight and breathable material.
  • Weatherproof
  • Consists of a sturdy build.

Cons

  • On the pricier side.
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Best Budget Option

Coleman Skydome Camping Tent

Coleman Skydome Camping Tent with Dark Room Technology, 6 Person

The Coleman Skydome tent for hot weather camping sets up easily, within five minutes, because of the pre-attached poles. The nearly vertical walls offer more livable space, with 20 percent more headroom than traditional dome tents.

With the pre-attached poles to help guide you through setup and teardown, you can be sure your tent always fits in its expandable carry bag without a problem.

The WeatherTec system’s tub-like floor, inverted seams to keep out water, and patented welded corners make this tent an extra sturdy option on a budget. You can expect this tent to withstand up to 35 miles per hour winds.

Featuring a wide door, moving your gear in and out and moving around is easier than ever. Two queen-sized air beds can easily fit inside this tent for hot-weather camping, and you’ll find mesh storage pockets and a loft for your gear so you can keep your things organized.

Pros

  • Features Dark Room technology.
  • Durable build.
  • The WeatherTac system provides superior weather protection.

Cons

  • Sand and dirt can sneak in through some of the mesh fabric on this tent.
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Best Instant Option

CORE 9-Person Instant Cabin Tent

CORE Instant Cabin Tent | Multi Room Tent for Family with Storage Pockets for Camping Accessories | Portable Large Pop Up Tent for 2 Minute Camp Setup | Sleeps 9 People, 14' x 9'

The CORE 9-Person Instant Cabin tent comes with pre-attached poles that lock into place to create a short setup time. The large tent can sleep up to nine adults, not counting space for your gear. It has small storage pockets to keep up with some of your smaller items and a room divider that can be used to create two rooms inside the tent.

This tent is made from polyester and features H20 Block Technology that combines water-repellent fabrics with sealed seams and a fully taped rainfly, so you never have to worry about getting wet while you’re camping in this cabin tent.

With oversized mesh ceiling panels, this tent offers you a clear view of the sky, perfect for spending your nights stargazing as you fall asleep. It also has lower air intake vents that draw in cool air from the ground, while the mesh ceiling allows the heat to escape.

You can look forward to various features, plenty of space, and comfortable temperatures all at an affordable price with this pop-up tent for hot weather.

Pros

  • Large capacity sleeps up to nine people.
  • Easy to set up.
  • Made from breathable, but durable material.

Cons

  • The bulky build makes this unsuitable for backpacking.
  • Doesn’t have a lot of storage space.
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REI Co-Op Wonderland 4 Tent

Surviving the Heat: The Best Tent for Hot Weather 1

The REI Co-Op Wonderland 4 tent for hot weather is freestanding, with a triangulated center pole and an extended ridge pole for extra stability during windy weather. It comes with 18 stakes, 8 pre-attached reflective guylines, cleat-lock tighteners, and a pole repair sleeve, as well as a stuff sack with shoulder straps and a handle.

You’ll find two large doors and nearly vertical walls with a rectangular floor plan for maximum livable space in your hot weather tent. It also comes with strategic color-coding on the tent fly, footprint, and poles to simplify the setup.

The end awnings provide a covered ‘porch’ space, which adds stability. These awnings can be rolled back for more light on sunny days, and the bugproof mesh paneling walls, windows, and doors offer superior ventilation while protecting you from flying insects.

The scalloped fly, along with low side vents, upper end, and door vents create a low-high chimney venting type climate control with condensation mitigation to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep in this tent for hot weather camping.

Pros

  • Includes color-coded poles and a large awning.
  • The roomy interior provides good ventilation.
  • Easy to set up.

Cons

  • The bulky build makes this tent for hot weather unsuitable for backpacking.
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TETON Sports Mesa Canvas Tent

TETON Sports Mesa 10 Canvas Tent; 6 Person Family Camping Tent, Room with a View

The TETON Sports Mesa Canvas tent for hot weather has a quick and convenient setup and comes with sturdy zippers and large pulls that make opening and closing your tent doors a breeze.

All you’ll need to do to set this tent up for your family is push down the top bar, put the pins in, and attach the upright poles. It comes with carbon steel stakes that can penetrate through even the hardest of soils.

This hot-weather tent was made using waterproof but breathable canvas material for excellent airflow and includes mesh screens for extra ventilation. These mesh screens are also great for visibility purposes. It comes with oversized front and back doors, as well as extra high ceilings that allow you to move around inside with plenty of space.

For rainy days, roll out the included large awning to protect the entry of your tent. You can also run power to this tent with easy access ports, making this tent for hot weather pretty unique compared to other options included in our list.

Pros

  • Comes with two extra large doors.
  • Offers plenty of living space and great ventilation.
  • Easy to set up.

Cons

  • This tent can be on the pricey side.
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Buyer’s Guide

There are a few different factors you’ll want to consider when choosing the best tent for hot weather, including ventilation, durability, capacity, and more.

Ventilation

Ventilation is one of the most important factors when looking for a tent for hot weather. Look for superior ventilation when you’re searching for the perfect summer tent.

Vents are a feature of these tents that distinguishes them from regular tents. Most tents will have no vents or only one vent at the base of the tent or around the top, while a legitimate summer camping tent will have various vents at the bottom of the walls and roof.

Typically, it’s best to have one or more vents at the highest point of the tent to release hot air, with two or more vents down toward the bottom to allow fresh air in. The more mesh panels on the inside of your tent, the better for keeping you cool in hot weather.

Tents that don’t have vents generally have other features, like adjustable doors, screens, and mesh canopies, to help maintain proper ventilation during the hot weather. A tent for summer weather should have two doors to provide cross-ventilation, which allows heat to escape one door as cool air comes in through the other door.

Portability/Weight

Portability and weight come into play more if you’re backpacking or hiking, considering you’ll want your tent to weigh the least possible when it comes to carrying it on your back for extended periods.

Lugging around a heavy tent during the summer is probably not anyone’s idea of fun, so weight is an important factor to consider for a hot-weather tent.

Size/Capacity

The size and capacity of your tent will impact its breathability as well. A large tent actually provides better ventilation than a smaller tent because there is more surface area. A small tent in the summer equates to poor thermal efficiency, which is very important when you’re trying to stay cool in the hot weather.

While a large tent will increase the airflow inside, it will be a bit bulky to carry, so keep that in mind. The larger the tent, the more living space you have and the cooler your tent will be, even at the peak heat of the day.

Weather Resistance

Weather resistance is an important factor to consider when choosing the best hot-weather tent. Rain protection is generally the most important issue to prepare for, second only to keeping cool. Most tents treat the material on the exposed parts of the tent to provide water resistance.

You should also look for a tent that has a rainfly, even if it’s just a partial-coverage rainfly, to help you keep cool while staying dry.

Bug Mesh

Mesh netting isn’t just great for ventilation! It’s great for protecting you from flying insects looking to take a bite out of you. Summer tents generally come with bug netting. With this netting, you’ll be able to leave your doors and windows unzipped, which allows for plenty of airflow while protecting you from mosquitos, gnats, and other flying insects.

Durability/Material

The durability of a tent for hot weather comes down to the material it’s made from, as well as the quality of the poles used in the construction of the tent.

These poles are generally made from aluminum, fiberglass, or steel, with steel being the most durable and fiberglass being the weakest material. Aluminum, on the other hand, is a lightweight, durable option that is resilient enough to outlast a variety of climates for years to come.

When it comes to the material of the tent, the most important measurement you’ll want to pay attention to is the denier, which measures the thickness of the threads. The higher the denier, the thicker and more durable the material will be.

Two main types of tent materials used for tents for hot weather include synthetic polyester and cotton canvas, with cotton canvas being the best option for summer camping. The only downside to cotton canvas is the bulk and weight of them.

best-tent-for-hot-weather

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re spending a night camping alone, getting in touch with nature, or you’re looking for accommodations for your family-friendly camping trip, we’ve got you covered with our top five best tents for hot weather.For more information about staying cool while summer camping, check out the best summer outdoor camping gear for everything you need to know before you head out on your camping trip.