Keeping Cool When RVing, OHVing, Camping, and Boating

Keeping cool during our outdoor activities can sometimes be more difficult than staying warm.  After all, there is only so much clothing you can remove to cool down and you can almost always add more layers to stay warm!  Of course, having some cool place, like an air conditioned RV, vehicle, boat or cabin or even a shady awning or canopy or tree will provide wonderful respite from the heat.  But many times we will be involved in outdoor activities on hot days and need to know hot to stay as cool as possible during those times.

If you do have an air conditioned RV or boat you will want to make sure the air conditioner is properly maintained and operating efficiently before you head out.  I like to begin cooling my rig early in the day rather than wait until it uncomfortably warm inside.  I believe it is less stress on the air conditioner and the generator and I KNOW it is more comfortable for me and my family!

Dressing for the weather is the primary key to staying cool during outdoor activities.  Loose fitting, light weight clothing that allows adequate ventilation for perspiration to evaporate is usually the best choice for staying cool.  Think about how desert nomads dress:  loose, flowing robes that essentially provide portable shade for them wherever they go.  Light colors will stay cooler in sunlight than dark colors.  Those pastels may not be the most macho looking, but they are going to be a lot cooler.  While T-shirts and tank tops are popular choices for summer wear, loose fitting long sleeved shirts may actually keep you cooler along with protecting you from sunburn.

A good broad-brimmed hat is a good option for protecting your head and face.  For hot days I like a straw hat that I can soak with water for even better cooling.

A bandanna around your neck will help protect against sunburn and when soaked with water will help cool you more than you might expect.  For one thing, there are large blood vessels in your neck that can be cooled by the wet bandanna, thereby helping cool your brain and even other parts of  your body.

When boating you can, of course, wear swimwear which allows you to plunge into the water when you need to cool off.  However, exercise caution and use plenty of sunblock when sitting around in swimwear because you will be exposing a lot more tender flesh to the sun than you normally do.

Anytime you are near the water you may be able to go into the water to cool down.   There are a few exceptions.  You aren't going to cool down going into hot springs but you might cool down once you come out, especially if there is a breeze.  Never enter contaminated water or go into water where human contact is prohibited.  Exercise caution where ever there are other people in the water.  You never know what kind of pollution they might be introducing.

Evaporation is one of the best ways to cool down.  Our bodies are even designed to use evaporation to help regulate body temperature.  That is why we sweat.  Dressing in clothing that facilitates enough ventilation to allow evaporation is one way to help our bodies take care of themselves.  When that isn't enough we can sometimes wet at least some parts of our clothing and/or skin to increase evaporation and aid cooling.  We can also spritz parts of our exposed skin with water.  The application of cool mist is refreshing and it will help cool us down as it evaporates.  My family and I keep spray bottles with clean water in our RV and boat (and near the patio at home) just for that purpose.   

Options for keeping cool when operating an OHV are somewhat limited.  Unless you have an enclosed side-by-side with A/C (very rare!) about your only option it to keep moving so the apparent breeze carries away unwanted heat.  You can start by dressing as lightly as possible.  Avoid wearing thick underwear that will trap heat.  Dress in light colors to minimize solar heating.  Avoid riding during the hotter parts of the day.  When riding in the Mojave Desert in summer we usually did two rides a day:  one in the early morning and then another one in later afternoon/early evening.  On occasion the evening rides ended up in us not getting back to camp until well after dark.  It was a real challenge leading 18 or so dirt bike through the desert with only 1 or 2 having headlights!  You will want to avoid staying out on the trails after dark unless you are properly prepared for night rides!

Keep your cool!

Keeping Warm When RVing, OHVing, Camping, and Boating

One way to keep warm when RVing, Camping, and Boating is to keep your vehicle, tent or vessel warm so you have a convenient place to escape the cold.  However, when OHVing or when you are outside of your temporary abode, you will need to dress according to the weather in order to keep YOU warm enough to be comfortable.

If you have a heated shelter take advantage of it!  Most RVs and Campers and some boat cabins include furnaces or heaters to maintain comfortable temperatures.  If you are doing any outings during cold weather, be sure your furnace or heater is working properly and that you have sufficient fuel.  If the heating unit in your rig isn't adequate to keep the interior as warm as you would like, look into upgrading the heating unit or adding another one.  Portable propane powered catalytic heaters can be used in most RVs, campers, boats, and even tents.  Although they don't produce toxic fumes they do consume oxygen so you MUST provide adequate ventilation to prevent suffocation when using one.  Electric heaters don't have that problem -- if you have 120 volt power to run them!  See my posts on Keeping Your RV or Camper Warm  and Keeping Your Tent Warm for more information.  Even getting in out of the wind and/or other unfavorable weather can help.  I've heard it said that even having a canopy overhead can raise the temperature beneath it by 20F in cold weather.

When outside the best approach is to dress in layers.  Multiple layers not only provide extra insulation to help keep you warm, they allow you to remove outer layers as necessary when things warm up, either due to high activity or warmer air temperatures.

Base layers usually consist of thermal underwear, sometimes known as "long johns".  They should fit snuggly but not restrict movement.  Traditional thermal underwear is often made of wool, which retains its insulating quality even when wet.  Modern innovations include a number of natural and synthetic blends designed to keep you warm and wick away perspiration.  You may have try some different materials before you find the one that is right for you.

Your next layer will usually be the clothing you normally wear for the activities you will be doing.   On cooler days you might want to wear a warmer flannel or velour long sleeved shirt instead of the light weight short sleeved shirts you probably prefer for most outdoor activities.

Depending on how cold it is, you may want to add a sweater or sweatshirt before donning a jacket or coat.  How heavy a jacket or coat you choose will depend on the outside temperature and the level of  physical activity you expect to be performing.  The colder the outside temperature and the less active you plan to be, the warmer your coat will need to be.

Keeping your hands, feet, and head warm is always a priority.  You will need appropriate warm gloves or mittens to protect your hands.  Mittens are warmer than gloves but you lose some dexterity.  Proper socks and insulated boots will help keep your feet warm.  You can add chemical hand and foot warmers for even more warmth.  If your coat does not have a warm hood you will need to wear a warm hat.  My favorite cold weather hat is a Russian ushanka or "ear hat".  They have flaps that cover your ears and part of your cheeks and are usually made of fur.  In really cold weather, or when riding OHVs in cold weather, you may need a face mask.

When riding an OHV you may want to substitute a Windchill jersey for your normal shirt.  Windchill jereys are designed to provide extra protection against wind and cold air without interfering with movement needed to safely and comfortably operate your off highway vehicle.  In really cold riding weather you may need to add an Enduro jacket.  These are usually made of Gore-Tex to be light weight yet sturdy and are very good at blocking the wind.  They may or may not have linings for additional warmth.  Having one with a removable liner gives you more options.

Anytime you have to deal with rain you will need rain gear.  Even those nice, warm ski parkas are likely to get wet in the rain.  A simple plastic poncho is an easy and inexpensive way to protect your upper body from rain.  They are small enough when folded to fit in a pack or pocket so you can have them ready for unexpected precipitation on the trail.  Rain suits provide even better protection for OHV riders, hikers, and just around camp.  Equestrian riders may want to invest in a slicker, a rain coat long enough to cover your legs while sitting in the saddle.

If you plan and dress appropriately you should be able to stay comfortable in even the coldest weather.  Consider mountain climbers, arctic explorers ad Eskimos who brave extreme weather conditions with high winds and temperatures far below freezing, sometimes for long periods of time.

Always try to have a backup warm up plan -- a warm tent or RV to go to or ate least  place to get in out of the wind and weather.   You can manage quite a lot of cold weather if you can take a break to warm up from time to time.  Maybe just getting in your vehicle and running the heater for a while if you have no other options.  Warm food and drinks are always welcome when you are cold and can actually help return your body temperature to normal.

Stay warm! 

Keeping Your Tent Cool

Let's face it.  The temperature inside tents is difficult to control.  Tent walls are only a fraction of an inch thick, and while they do protect us from wind and rain and snow and sun, they do not do a good job of insulating the interior against changes in the outside temperature. 

The first trick to keeping your tent cool is where you set it up.  Try to set it up in a shady location near a grassy area, stream or body of water.  Doing so will help keep the air around your tent cooler and therefore the air inside your tent cooler.  Take advantage of any shade you can:  trees, awnings and canopies, even the shadow of an RV if you are camped near one.  Try to align windows and doors to take advantage of prevailing breezes.

Provide adequate ventilation.  Trapped, stale area is more likely to capture heat and warm up than moving air.  Moving air will also help you fell cooler and more comfortable.  Open windows on opposite sides of the tent to encourage air flow and make sure one of them is exposed to the prevailing breeze whenever that is possible.  

If you have a rain fly, use it!  Rain flys shade the tent itself and usually provide at least an inch or so air gap between the tent wall and the fly, which helps reduce the transfer of heat into the interior.  You might try shading your tent with a tarp, but without proper spacing it will likely touch the tent fabric in many places it can heat the interior via conduction of heat through the tarp to the tent fabric in into the tent.  Actually, putting a canopy, such as a dining fly over it will  probably work better than draping a tarp over it.  A tarp lying on the tent fabric will allow heat to be conducted between the two fabrics while having the tent in the shade of a canopy will protect the tent from both radiant heat from the sun and conduction from the tarp to the tent fabric.

I have seen people attempt to cool tents by spraying the window screens with water to act like an evaporative cooler.   Or even spraying the tent itself.  That might help a little in dry climates but even the best evaporative coolers don't work well in when the humidity is above 50% and work best below 25%.  Many popular campgrounds are near lakes or streams where the average humidity is often higher.  The small amount of water the thin screen can hold and the limited surface area doesn't allow for very much cooling.   The pads on evaporative coolers are typically an inch or so thick.  You will probably feel cooler spraying the water on your body.  Cooling the tent fabric might help a little, but if it is exposed to direct sunlight it is still going to get hot inside.

One way to feel cooler in your tent is to dress cooler.  Thin, light weight clothing will allow your own body heat to escape more easily, helping you feel cooler.  You can even safely wear T-shirts and shorts or swimwear since you won't be out in the sunlight risking sunburn and UV exposure.

Sometimes you will feel cooler outside your tent than inside.  As the sun warms the tent fabric, the air inside warms up too.  There will almost always be more breeze outside your tent than inside.  Even with the windows open the tent will restrict air flow to some extent, so going outside will usually let you feel cooler and more comfortable.   Find a nice shady spot to cool off in!

Keep cool if you can!

Keeping Your Boat Cool

Some of the tips for keeping an RV cool can be used for keeping your boat cool.  However, boats are different than RVs and have some special considerations.

Finding shade out on the water is usually not an option if you want to ''park'' your boat to cool off.  You might sometimes luck out and find a moorage or anchorage under some trees, but finding an appropriate spot for sailboats with their tall masts will be almost impossible. You will have to bring your own shade with you in the form of tarps or canopies to shield you and parts of your boat from direct sunlight.  You also have to deal with sunlight reflected off the water.

Take advantage of natural breezes when you can.   When we are out boating, most of the time the boat is moving, which creates some artificial breeze even on the calmest of days.  Open hatches and portholes where ever possible to allow as much air flow as you can.  You can also get windscoops that fit over hatches to catch the breeze and funnel it down into the cabin.  Remember that air needs someplace to go so always open a hatch or porthole opposite the one used to catch the breeze.  Otherwise the air flow will be blocked and you won't get any cooling!

Since boats sit in the water and the water is usually a lot cooler than the air, the hull will absorb some of the heat from the cabin.  Having removable insulation, such as foam pads, can allow you to disperse unwanted heat by removing the pads when you need to when things cool down.  You might also splash water up over parts of the deck to help cool down the decking both for greater comfort walking on it barefoot and to remove a little heat from the cabin.

I have successfully used mist systems to cool the patio area under the awning of my RV.   Mist systems might also be used on boats and, since boats sit in the water, you wouldn't need a water tank to supply water for the mist.  What you will need is power for the pump.  If you have sufficient solar panels and/or batteries it could work very well.  You may have already enjoyed mist systems in the long lines at amusement parks.  Mist cools by evaporation and high humidity around large bodies of water might reduce its efficiency, but it still might be worth a try.

I have heard of cooling mattress pads to make sleeping more comfortable but I have not had the opportunity to try them out yet.  Might be worth looking into if you often find it too hot to sleep.  Some circulate liquids to do the cooling.  Be sure you have adequate battery power to run the pump.

Larger yachts and cabin cruisers sometimes might have air conditioning you can use, but they are not practical on smaller boats.  Fans can be used on most boats to move air through the cabins.  Note:  fans do not cool the air.  They only move it so it can it can cool YOU better as it removes heat from your skin by convection and by evaporation of perspiration or water vapor on your skin.

Cruise cool!

Keeping Your RV or Camper Cool

Since a lot of our outdoor activities happen in warmer weather, keeping our temporary abodes cool is usually more of an issue than keeping them warm.  Some, but certainly not all RVs and camper are equipped with air conditioners but even they are not always enough to keep the units as cool as we might like the to be.  Boats have different heating and cooling problems than RVs.  Please see my post on Keeping Your Boat Cabin a Comfortable Temperature for more information on boats.

Many but certainly not all recreational vehicles have roof air conditioning to cool the interior in camp.   If you are lucky enough to have it and either have campground power or a generator to supply the necessary electricity, by all means, take advantage of it.  Nothing else is going to do nearly as good a job at keeping you cool when it gets hot outside.  If you don't have A/C be sure to check out the suggestions below.  Even if you have A/C you might find some of the  following tips useful to reduce the load on your A/C and generator and keep your more comfortable. 

First of all, try to take advantage of any natural shade and cooling where possible.  Park your unit under safe trees and near grassy areas or water where surface temperatures will be less.  Be sure any trees you park under don't contain loose or broken branches that might fall onto the roof of your rig.  When parking near water, avoid parking in depressions that might collect water if it rains or a flash flood raises the water level of the stream or body of water you are near.  Another trick is to park with the rear of the unit facing the sun most of the day.  Motorhomes have a huge windsheild and even travel trailers often have a large window in the front, both of which can allow a lot of sunlight in to heat the interior.   If you can't orient your unit that way in the available space, try to park with the side that has the smallest amount of glass facing the sun.  The goal is to keep as much of the windows out of the sun as possible to reduce the amount of heat they will admit.

Take advantage of cooler night air to cool down the interior of your rig.  Furnishings, appliances, even upholstery, flooring, and walls, will store heat and make it harder to cool your unit.  Open some window and vents when things cool down outside and use any fans you may have to bring in cool air and/or expel hot air.  Most RVs and campers have at least one 14" roof vent.  You might be surprised how much opening that vent along with  a window or two will allow hot air to escape.  Be sure to remember to open a window or two to allow cool air to enter as hot air escapes out of the vent.  Otherwise, without a place for fresh air to enter, the hot air exiting the vent will be restricted.

Fans don't cool the air but they do cool you.  And they can help move hot air out and cooler air in.  Powered roof vents will help cool your unit faster than unpowered vents.  Air moving over your skin will  draw away heat and evaporate perspiration, making you feel cooler, so fans, either powered or manual, are a good way to feel cooler.  Unpowered vents help expel heat.  Heat rises, so an open vent in the ceiling allows the hottest air to exit.  You will need to open a window a little bit so there is somewhere for cooler air to enter.

When doing a lot of summer camping in the Mojave Desert I added some misters to my awning.   They made the patio space under the awning quite comfortable on hot days and having a cooler space next to at least part of my RV even helped make it easier to keep it cooler inside.  I chose to add a separate water tank and water pump so I didn't deplete my culinary water or burn out my regular water pump running the misters.  Most mist systems you can buy are designed to connect to a garden hose.  You will probably need a way to connect a garden hose to whatever water supply you use or else you will have to plumb the mist systems directly into your RV plumbing.

Awnings will help reduce the amount of sunlight coming through the windows and heating up the interior of your rig.  Take advantage of patios awnings and any window awnings you might have.  Use reflective foam panels on the inside of windows to keep heat and light outside.  These panels can be used with or without awnings.  Also keep all your curtains, drapes, and blinds closed to minimize heat coming in through the windows.

Most RVs and campers come with fairly good wall, ceiling, and floor insulation, but in some cases you might be able to increase the insulation to make it easier to maintain the desired temperature inside.  I had a van camper that relied solely on the air gap between the metal exterior and the interior wall and ceiling paneling for insulation.  Unfortunately the air was still able to move enough to allow convection to transfer heat in and out of the living area.  Filling the gap with Stryofoam panels, fiberglass mats, and/or expanding foam significantly improved the insulation of the living space.

I have found it is usually better to begin cooling my RV early in the day rather than waiting for it to get too warm inside.  It seems to put less load on the A/C and generator and does a better job of keeping the interior comfortable when it gets really hot outside.

Avoid using the stove and oven.  Cook outside or use the microwave so you don't add a lot of unwanted heat to the interior or your rig.  If possible, limit the number of people inside your rig.  Each person adds about as much heat as a 100 watt bulb!

Keep cool!

Keeping Your Tent Warm

Tents are a lot harder to warm than RVs and campers.  That thin tent fabric just doesn't provide a lot of insulation.  That being said, it is surprising just how much protection a simple tent can provide against cold weather.  Temperatures once dropped below freezing during an overnight scout outing with one of my sons.  We were sharing a 3-man dome tent.  It was definitely cool inside when I got out my sleeping bag in the morning, but it was down right cold outside the tent!  It was cool enough inside that I needed to get dressed quickly and was glad I had tucked my clothes into the bottom of my sleeping bag so they were already a little warmer than they would have been lying in the open.  But it wasn't until I stepped outside that I needed a jacket!  Don't know what the temperature was in the tent but it was around 24F outside!  Just having a tent to keep the breeze off helps a lot.  It also helps retain the heat released by your body instead of letting it simply blow away.

In the first place, tents have only a very thin fabric to provide insulation against heat loss.  Even the walls of the heaviest canvas tents are only a fraction of an inch thick, compared to 4-6" walls in our residences and at least 2" thick walls in most RVs and campers.  And it isn't really very feasible to add insulation to tent walls.  However, tents with a rain fly do gain a little in the way of insulation from the air gap between the tent walls and the rain fly.  This air gap helps keep tents cooler in summer and warmer in winter.  For one thing, the rain fly protects the tent itself from direct wind.  Some people add a skirt to the rain fly to ensure it reaches all the way to the ground to reduce heat loss.  Putting a tarp over your tent might add little protection but unless there is some way to keep it from touching the tent fabric you will still lose heat through conduction between the tent fabric and the tarp.  Rain flys are usually held a few inches away from the tent wall by the external framework of the tent.  Using flexible fiberglass tent poles to hold a tarp a couple of inches above your tent fabric might be an option.  Or just set up a dining fly over your tent.

One place you can add insulation to keep your tent warmer is the floor.  Tents should always be placed on a sturdy ground cloth to protect the floor from being punctured or damaged by debris and to keep moisture out.  A good ground cloth will also block a little bit of heat loss through the floor. Unless you are back packing, you can add foam anti-fatigue mats on the floor or your tent to protect the floor from damage, make it more comfortable to sleep on , and to insulate the interior from the cold ground.  Of course you won't be carrying anti-fatigue mats anyplace you have to hike in very far, but having a good foam sleeping pad will help you sleep warmer and more comfortable.

Tent heaters are one way of warming up the inside of tents.  The most commonly used tent heaters are catalytic heaters that use propane or white gasoline to generate heat.  They must be used with adequate ventilation to prevent suffocation and need to always be kept a safe distance from all fabrics and other combustible materials.  If you have access to 120 volt shore power or have a portable generator you could use an electric heater.  While electric heaters will not consume oxygen you still need to ensure they are kept a safe distance from combustible materials and you have to keep the generator a safe distance from your tents to avoid breathing exhaust fumes.

The human body generates about as much heat as a 100 watt electric light bulb.  That means that YOU and any companions will contribute to the heat inside your tent.  I once had to open the windows in my house in Utah when outside temps were in the teens because it was getting too warm inside with 20 people in the living room -- and without any heat turned on inside the house!    To keep warm use the smallest tent that is suitable for your needs.  A big tent just means more air you need to warm to keep it comfortable.  I typically recommend using a tent that is rated for one more person than will be sleeping in it to provide space for gear and room to get dressed etc.  Using one rated for just the number of people sleeping in it might be a bit warmer, but you would sacrifice a lot of convenience and might end of having to leave some or your gear out in the weather.  Using a lot bigger one gives you more room for gear or visitors, but will be harder to keep warm while you are resting.

Propane lanterns generate quite a bit of heat.  But they can put out toxic fumes and definitely consume oxygen so you must provide adequate ventilation when using inside a tent.  I know, it seems counterintuitive to open windows when you are trying to warm up your tent, but it is critical to provide adequate ventilation.  Failing to do so could be fatal!

Sometimes you can make yourself comfortable inside your tent by simply dressing warmer:  thermal underwear, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, etc.  I don't recommend dressing a lot warmer at night than you are used to.  Wearing warm, flannel "bunny" jammies instead of your regular PJs might be OK, but dressing in lots of layers will most likely be uncomfortable, confining, and you could get too warm and sweat which would then cause you to get even colder!  Dressing differently than you normally do at night may interfere with sleeping.  At night extra bedding may be enough to keep you warm enough to sleep comfortably, regardless of the temperature inside the tent.  One trick I used when tent camping was to lay out an old sleeping bag opened up on the floor of the tent before rolling out the sleeping bags two or us would be using.  Then putting another old sleeping bag opened up covering both sleeping bags.  Outside temperatures were in the low 20s that night and we slept very comfortably.

Thermal mass is another way of adding heat to a tent.  A thermal mass can be anything that can be safely warmed up and brought into the tent.  I've seen people use hot water bottles, baked potatoes, and hot rocks.  Just be sure nothing is hot enough to damage your tent fabric.  Using leather gloves you may be able to carry hot rocks that are hot enough damage rather fragile tent fabrics so check them carefully or put them in or on fire resistant surfaces.

You can sometimes make it easier to keep a tent warm inside by setting it up where it is already protected from the wind.  Solid wind breaks, like large rocks, walls, or buildings provide the best protection but you may get some benefit setting up next to vehicles or even trees and bushes.  Vehicles may block a lot of the wind but usually allow quite a breeze underneath that can still blow on your tent and draw the heat away.  You might also avoid shade to take advantage of any solar heating during the day. Tent fabric doesn't capture or retain a lot of heat but getting the tent and the air and gear inside as warm as possible during the day can help make it more comfortable after dark.

Keep warm!

Keeping Your Boat Warm

Most recreational boats are not equipped with heaters or furnaces.  After all, boating is mostly a warm weather activity,  Heaters of any kind would not be useful or effective on an open boat.  However, sometimes things can get chilly in the cabin overnight or even when out on the water.

First way to keep the cabin warm is to reduce heat loss.  Keep all the hatches and portholes closed as much as possible.  On many small boats, the inside "wall"of the cabin is the inside of the hull so there is little protection against the cold temperature of the water outside.  Placing foam insulation pads against the hull can help reduce heat loss.

Cooking stoves can add a little cabin heat, while your are cooking.  However, NEVER use a cooking stove directly for space heating!  They are not designed for that purpose and they required adequate ventilation to prevent suffocation.  Catalytic heaters similar to tent heaters can sometimes be used, but although they don't emit toxic fumes like a cooking stove, they do consume oxygen so you still need adequate ventilation.  If you have 120 volt power available from shore power or from an onboard generator or battery bank you can use an electric heater.

Body heat will provide a surprising amount of added warmth in the small space of many boat cabins.  The human body puts out about as much heat as a 100 watt incandescent bulb.  If the hull and cabin are adequately insulated this heat will be preserved and will accumulate, often enough to keep it quite comfortable.  The amount of heat people can produce can be surprising.  I once had to open the doors and windows of my house in Utah during a family visit when it was about 17F outside because heat from 20 or so people inside made it too warm, without any other heat on in the house!

Of course, if you happen to have a yacht or cabin cruiser that is equipped with a heater or furnace, be sure to take advantage of it!  You will still want to minimize heat loss and always be sure the heater or furnace is in good operating condition and is properly vented the outside.

Stay warm on the water!