Looking for suggestions to hammock camp in extreme heat and high humidity

[Hiker_Section]

2-5 lbs!! That's my food load for an entire trip! I just bought one of these fans for $1.75. Breaks down small and I wrap it with a velcro strap that also holds it to the ridgeline. The Xtar battery pack is for my phone, but I will sacrifice some power for this when I need it. The battery percentage is key; I hate guessing what's left. If I get in a pinch, I can always use the battery from my headlamp for another 3500mAh, depending on how much more use I'll need with the headlamp on the remainder of the trip.

Thanks OneClick I agree that 2lbs (not including battery) seems absurd. I figured the jobsite fan idea probably wouldn't pass muster with the lightweight backpacking crowd which I'm part of. Thanks for this fan suggestion that I'm seeing you obtained at Menard's. Would you mind posting a link if it's available online? I'm also seeing the GoalZero fan, a few others referenced, gets high marks.

Over the weekend I was experimenting a little with some other ideas for dealing with excessive heat. It involves changing from the typical tech (moisture wicking/quick dry) fabric worn while hiking to cotton fabric while in camp. I've always adhered to the "cotton is rotten" mantra but cotton fabric, according to my research, definitely has its place in extreme temperature situations. A soaked cotton t-shirt and soaked cotton cap will tend to stay damp for several hours (ideally in shade) and keep one's temperature down. Yesterday I spent several hours doing yard work and lounging around with heat index above 105+ and I had good results with the soaked cotton idea. Another interesting idea I came across is dubbed the "Egyptian sleep method". It involves putting something dry under you (some use a dry towel) when you go to sleep and putting a damp cotton sheet or damp cotton blanket on top of you. It's mentioned if you include a fan on top of that directing air at your wet cotton sheet that heat is effectively dissipated. I read there are people that use this method in their homes to cut down on A/C bills during summer. I will be doing some experiments soon with this when I hammock overnight in my backyard. If I get chilled I can always substitute for my dry synthetic sleeping bag liner. Again, I'm thinking of applying this in extreme situations like 80+ degrees at night. I'll report the results when I get a chance.

[tstark]

Usually, I abstain from camping in the heat and humidity months, but this year I have to get into the woods soon! This weekend, I'm taking my 3YO daughter for an overnighter at a campsite with power and central restrooms. Don't judge me. The majority of my camping trips are wilderness or primitive, but my urge to get into the woods is enough for me to bring a few hurricane fans and enjoy the stars and cicadas in the comfort of my man made wind.

Fall can't get here soon enough!!

[OneClick]

Fall can't get here soon enough!!

It's coming! I woke up the usual time today and thought "it's still kinda dark". Progress...steady progress.

[ahursey530]

Usually, I abstain from camping in the heat and humidity months, but this year I have to get into the woods soon! This weekend, I'm taking my 3YO daughter for an overnighter at a campsite with power and central restrooms. Don't judge me. The majority of my camping trips are wilderness or primitive, but my urge to get into the woods is enough for me to bring a few hurricane fans and enjoy the stars and cicadas in the comfort of my man made wind.

Fall can't get here soon enough!!

I use fans while camping one week every year. I feel no guilt, its 100 frikin degrees! ;-) Last year we had a guy put an air conditioner into the side of a tent. That I will not do LOL.

[Hiker_Section]

Usually, I abstain from camping in the heat and humidity months, but this year I have to get into the woods soon! This weekend, I'm taking my 3YO daughter for an overnighter at a campsite with power and central restrooms. Don't judge me. The majority of my camping trips are wilderness or primitive, but my urge to get into the woods is enough for me to bring a few hurricane fans and enjoy the stars and cicadas in the comfort of my man made wind.

Fall can't get here soon enough!!

I'm with you tstark, I've also always abstained from camping in these summer months as well. And each year this time rolls around I go crazy and drive my immediate family crazy from feeling stuck. In North Texas, the primary outdoor activity in the summer months is frequenting water parks (esp. if you have kids) and anything that involves indoor air conditioning. It's depressing as all get out for me.

I like your plan to get out. In Texas we have this great Texas State Parks annual pass, which I just renewed, and like you I can also visit a state park and pick a campsite that has electrical power and hook up my 100 foot extension cord to a heavy duty fan. However, I've decided to be very ambitious with this thread and seek to direct the thread toward the primitive camping you spoke of. I may hit a brick wall on this but I do believe it can be done with highly organized planning. I realize the stakes are high with the dangerously high heat.

When I do make my test run soon I will plan some bail out points and I will be extra cautious. Worst case scenario I hightail it back to the car with resignation and confine myself again to the summer water park existence and doing loops around the local indoor shopping mall with my better half and kids.

Have a great trip with your daughter!

[mab0852]

Along the lines of acclimation... and maybe this is way far off the wall, but you could try hot yoga. If you can live through/get used to that sweat fest, 100* and high humidity will feel down right chilly. I went to a few classes with my wife one summer when we were still dating and outdoor temps never really bothered me. Now I froze when winter came around, but I was good during the summer. Of course I'm the nut riding my motorcycle around in full gear in this heat so I'm pretty much forced to acclimate as the seasons change. When it's so hot you actually have to close your helmet visor to cool off (~103+) you know Texas summer has hit. It was only 91* at the Ranger's game yesterday and that was pretty easily bearable.

[tstark]

I'm with you tstark, I've also always abstained from camping in these summer months as well. And each year this time rolls around I go crazy and drive my immediate family crazy from feeling stuck. In North Texas, the primary outdoor activity in the summer months is frequenting water parks (esp. if you have kids) and anything that involves indoor air conditioning. It's depressing as all get out for me.

I like your plan to get out. In Texas we have this great Texas State Parks annual pass, which I just renewed, and like you I can also visit a state park and pick a campsite that has electrical power and hook up my 100 foot extension cord to a heavy duty fan. However, I've decided to be very ambitious with this thread and seek to direct the thread toward the primitive camping you spoke of. I may hit a brick wall on this but I do believe it can be done with highly organized planning. I realize the stakes are high with the dangerously high heat.

When I do make my test run soon I will plan some bail out points and I will be extra cautious. Worst case scenario I hightail it back to the car with resignation and confine myself again to the summer water park existence and doing loops around the local indoor shopping mall with my better half and kids.

Have a great trip with your daughter!

We do have to remember, however, that a hundred years ago there was not airconditioning at all and people survived, so it can be done! I came across this link: https://www.abchomeandcommercial.com...tory-timeline/. I'm intrigued by the part about the ancient Egyptians hanging wet cloth or reeds in their windows and doors to cool their houses. Certainly, that supports your wet cotton idea.

Could this, perhaps, be the beginning of a search for a new, ultralight material that can retain moisture and allow airflow through to be hung from the ends of a hammock in order to make summer hanging in the south more bearable?

[Ohoopee]

My suggestion would be don't do it if your humidity is anything like ours. I've spent some of the most miserable nights in a hammock soaking wet and hot from trying to hang in the summer in Alabama. My suggestion if you just have to hang in the summer is to go as high as you can and for us that's the Smoky Mnts. which is about a 4 hour drive.

I agree 100%. I drive 5 hours north and head up into the Smokey's for summer months. South GA isn't the place to be swinging in a hammock in July.

[Hiker_Section]

We do have to remember, however, that a hundred years ago there was not airconditioning at all and people survived, so it can be done! I came across this link: https://www.abchomeandcommercial.com...tory-timeline/. I'm intrigued by the part about the ancient Egyptians hanging wet cloth or reeds in their windows and doors to cool their houses. Certainly, that supports your wet cotton idea. !!

I think you just gave the encouragement I needed to try this "Egyptian sleep method" for myself and fellow hammockers. The current temperature where I'm located is 99F with heat index 112F. Tonight will be low 80F which means around 90F heat index.

I'll test out this evening in the backyard and report back. Since I haven't yet sourced a ridgeline fan, I'll aim a small oscillating fan, set to low, toward a damp cotton sheet that'll be covering me. I'll tweak as needed to find optimum comfort or I'll report if the test was a failure.

[HandyRandy]

Those water tricks won’t work so well when humidity is extra high and/or you are dry camping. Here’s another good idea that folks in the desert use often. A solar reflective umbrella!

Those small flexible fans pack a lot of CFM for their size. They would be my second choice. Problem is that they are not too durable. I would pack a spare just in case. When you flex the neck a lot, as you would expect to be able to, it ends up breaking an electrical connection somewhere internally. They are cheap and light enough to make up for that, but ultimately, that’s why I prefer the GZ fan.

Here’s a link to a 3-pack. There are many different people selling them on Amazon. I don know if they are exactly the same, but they sure seem to be. Except for different colors of course.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072142MMC