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

[HandyRandy]

That fan was the first I tried. It is pretty quiet. I’ll give it that. But that’s because it is essentially a CPU fan. The problem is that it is much heavier and harder to pack and didn’t put out quite as much CFM’s as the alternatives. The other big problem is that the blades are very hard plastic. If you are hanging it from your ridgeline inside a bugnet, I worry about it damaging the net when it inevitably touches it. The other options also allow you to remove the blades from the motor, which is nice for backpacking. That one does not.

[Hiker_Section]

Thanks HandyRandy for this input. You’ve provided excellent advice in several earlier threads regarding ridge line fans. I’ll probably stick with the GoalZero fan you recommended. Any advice on modifying the GoalZero fan to have the goose neck feature or do you adjust/aim it differently?


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[Hiker_Section]

Thanks HandyRandy for this input. You’ve provided excellent advice in several earlier threads regarding ridge line fans. I’ll probably stick with the GoalZero fan you recommended. Any advice on modifying the GoalZero fan to have the goose neck feature or do you adjust/aim it differently?


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Also HandyRandy I noticed the price for the GoalZero plus shipping is quite high on places like Amazon and OEM site.
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[HandyRandy]

Thanks HandyRandy for this input. You’ve provided excellent advice in several earlier threads regarding ridge line fans. I’ll probably stick with the GoalZero fan you recommended. Any advice on modifying the GoalZero fan to have the goose neck feature or do you adjust/aim it differently?


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I think the “Hangtime Hook” comes in pretty handy here. It’s pretty multipurpose and modifiable. I will try to take some pics for you tonight to show you some ideas instead of writing a 1000 words

[Hiker_Section]

I think the “Hangtime Hook” comes in pretty handy here. It’s pretty multipurpose and modifiable. I will try to take some pics for you tonight to show you some ideas instead of writing a 1000 words

Just ordered the GoalZero fan from the Scheels' website. I'll look into the hangtime hook or I might buy one of the metal gooseneck USB cables to support the fan when it's plugged into the USB battery.

[Floridahanger]

So, here's what I do in the Summer. We do a "No UQ Hang" in July and "Summer's Last Gasp Hang" in September.

- First, try to work outside for a week before you go camping to get used to the weather. Gardening, mowing at noon or building structures in the back is great.
- Try to hike out to camp(set up if car camping) late afternoon/evening or at first light before sunrise to beat the heat. Afternoon showers help to cool things down. Evening is great because the heat is over and cooling as you set up camp and ready for bed. Morning set up, it will just get hotter thru out the day.
- Location, location, location. Set up away from brush or as much in the open as possible to get the biggest chance of a breeze. I set up at the edge of one pond at the end of a clear corridor with little brush. Almost always a breeze flowing past.
- Swim if possible as much as possible at highest heat of the day. We have a nice pond and it's very cool down deep.
- Chase the shade and hide from the Sun. Oh, that spinning blob of burning heat stroke can be @#$%* at times.
- Hydrate and keep your drinks cool in the pond if needed.
- Just before changing clothes, sponge(cloth) bathe to clean and cool your body. Less grime and sweat makes for a cooler sleep.
- Change into dedicated, dry and clean sleepwear. No socks or hats. I use a loose-fitting long sleeve poly-spandex blend shirt. It doesn't hold heat but does cool me.
- If there's a breeze that keeps mossies away, don't use a bugnet. But you may need a UQ in the wee hours of the night/morning. I hang my UQ next to me ready to deploy if needed and keep my very light TQ in my gear hammock just in case(have used both in July and Sept many times due to breeze)
- Set up tarp in porch mode or as close to double porch mode as possible to catch the most breeze.

This is pretty much what I do to keep cool in Summer, in Florida, in the heat and humidity of the Ocala National Forest.

[Hiker_Section]

So, here's what I do in the Summer. We do a "No UQ Hang" in July and "Summer's Last Gasp Hang" in September.

- First, try to work outside for a week before you go camping to get used to the weather. Gardening, mowing at noon or building structures in the back is great.
- Try to hike out to camp(set up if car camping) late afternoon/evening or at first light before sunrise to beat the heat. Afternoon showers help to cool things down. Evening is great because the heat is over and cooling as you set up camp and ready for bed. Morning set up, it will just get hotter thru out the day.
- Location, location, location. Set up away from brush or as much in the open as possible to get the biggest chance of a breeze. I set up at the edge of one pond at the end of a clear corridor with little brush. Almost always a breeze flowing past.
- Swim if possible as much as possible at highest heat of the day. We have a nice pond and it's very cool down deep.
- Chase the shade and hide from the Sun. Oh, that spinning blob of burning heat stroke can be @#$%* at times.
- Hydrate and keep your drinks cool in the pond if needed.
- Just before changing clothes, sponge(cloth) bathe to clean and cool your body. Less grime and sweat makes for a cooler sleep.
- Change into dedicated, dry and clean sleepwear. No socks or hats. I use a loose-fitting long sleeve poly-spandex blend shirt. It doesn't hold heat but does cool me.
- If there's a breeze that keeps mossies away, don't use a bugnet. But you may need a UQ in the wee hours of the night/morning. I hang my UQ next to me ready to deploy if needed and keep my very light TQ in my gear hammock just in case(have used both in July and Sept many times due to breeze)
- Set up tarp in porch mode or as close to double porch mode as possible to catch the most breeze.

This is pretty much what I do to keep cool in Summer, in Florida, in the heat and humidity of the Ocala National Forest.

Thanks a bunch FloridaHanger for your thorough post! Being a Floridian hammock camper makes you especially qualified to weigh in. I just had a flashback of my living in South Florida for 8 years and remember how it was murder to do yardwork due to the high heat and humidity.

Your post helped remind me to add some items to the checklist I'm keeping updated and will repost eventually. I almost forgot the part about showering or wet-wipes (if backpacking) before bedtime to get ride of the sweat, oils, and layer of mosquito repellent.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make it out in the extreme conditions this month but I should have a few opportunities soon. I should receive the ridgeline fan I ordered online soon and when I finally do make it out I plan to post several field reports so I can share my experiences with others.

[Hiker_Section]

Ready for action. Setup includes GoalZero fan, USB gooseneck cable and previously owned USB power bank. The plan is to insert setup into ridgeline organizer. Thanks HandyRandy for the fan recommendation.

fan.jpg

[LowTech]

Seems like the goal zero fan is no longer available.

[cmoulder]

Seems like the goal zero fan is no longer available.

With temperatures you've mentioned recently—115°F in the shade—I'd need my 2000-watt Honda inverter generator and a couple of floor fans!

Alternatively, I'd bet there are a few gazillion USB fans on Amazon.