Amy B
Need advise. We are looking for a large tent to camp in for 2+ weeks. We also want to have air conditioning in the tent.
It will be in July so the weather will be VERY hot.
What is the largest tent availble that will feel more like a vacation home and can have a portable airconditioning system connected??
thanks
thanks to all that have responded...YES I know what real camping is, i have backpacked many sections of the AT and many other weekend trips.
we go camping every year for over a week and white water kayak everyday and return to camp every night to hang out with the other kayakers. THIS year I will be 6 months pregnant when we are camping, I won't be able to paddle most days (unless I am taking newbies down a very easy river), so I will be at camp during the day and prefer NOT to boil the baby in my belly when it is over 90 degrees in North Carolina. i just figured that if they can put an air conditioner on a pop up camper then I should be able to find a very small unit to very a tent cool. The camp site has power and trees for shade.
Answer
On hand I enjoy survival camping from time to time where I take the bare minumum and see what I'm made of. At other times it's nice to pamper myself a bit. I doubt that most of the posters here been pregnant. I haven't, but I have supported my wife through two.
My love for camping with modern conveniences started in boyscouts, when my friends and I took a cooler full of pop and candy bars and a boom box to scout camp. We were the envy of all the other boys. In college it was the mattresses off our beds, sheets and all, that we threw in the back of the pickup truck and took up into the mountains. There is nothing like sleeping under the stars in your own bed!
This summer I am taking my pregnant wife (5 mos) camping for a few days. She will have shared access to a trailer with A/C, but I am interested in putting A/C in the tent too, so she will have her own private space.
The best solution I have found is from this website:
http://www.deltablues.net/camping2.html
This guy seems to have the right mentality, cheap, low maintenence, simple, safe, and able to run for an extended period. It might be too expensive for my three day trip, but might be perfect for yours.
The key ingredients:
1. low amp ac unit - no more that 6 or 7 amps (author lists it at about $155)
2. a high amp (15 plus amps) extension cord (I bought 50 feet for about $20, they are more expensive because they can handle more load, important for your safety as the author notes)
3. Duct tape
In case the weblink doesn't work, he has placed the ac unit on bricks at his rear tent door, zipped it up and kept it all together with duct tape. The low amp unit and high amp cord keeps the cord cool and reduces fire risk. The ac unit on its lowest setting is plenty to cool the tent.
I echo the other posters concern about theft. Tents are tough to secure. One idea off the top of my head, if you are worried about someone swiping your ac unit, is to drive a large metal stake (like an electrical grounding stake) a couple of feet into the ground. (You will probably need a small sledge hammer, like an 8 pounder.) Then you could bolt a chain or cable (heavy duty grounding cable might work) to the ac unit and to the stake. You may have to drill holes in the ac unit housing, but I imagine it would have mounting holes in it already. You could use security bolts or locking bolts that tighten easily but are difficult to remove. The materials should cost less than $10 at a hardware store. The stake will be difficult for anyone to remove (including you at the end of your stay, you might want to bring a shovel to dig it out).
If your tent or powersource happens to be hit by lightning your ac unit will be grounded too! Bonus!
Happy camping and best of luck/blessings with your pregancy.
On hand I enjoy survival camping from time to time where I take the bare minumum and see what I'm made of. At other times it's nice to pamper myself a bit. I doubt that most of the posters here been pregnant. I haven't, but I have supported my wife through two.
My love for camping with modern conveniences started in boyscouts, when my friends and I took a cooler full of pop and candy bars and a boom box to scout camp. We were the envy of all the other boys. In college it was the mattresses off our beds, sheets and all, that we threw in the back of the pickup truck and took up into the mountains. There is nothing like sleeping under the stars in your own bed!
This summer I am taking my pregnant wife (5 mos) camping for a few days. She will have shared access to a trailer with A/C, but I am interested in putting A/C in the tent too, so she will have her own private space.
The best solution I have found is from this website:
http://www.deltablues.net/camping2.html
This guy seems to have the right mentality, cheap, low maintenence, simple, safe, and able to run for an extended period. It might be too expensive for my three day trip, but might be perfect for yours.
The key ingredients:
1. low amp ac unit - no more that 6 or 7 amps (author lists it at about $155)
2. a high amp (15 plus amps) extension cord (I bought 50 feet for about $20, they are more expensive because they can handle more load, important for your safety as the author notes)
3. Duct tape
In case the weblink doesn't work, he has placed the ac unit on bricks at his rear tent door, zipped it up and kept it all together with duct tape. The low amp unit and high amp cord keeps the cord cool and reduces fire risk. The ac unit on its lowest setting is plenty to cool the tent.
I echo the other posters concern about theft. Tents are tough to secure. One idea off the top of my head, if you are worried about someone swiping your ac unit, is to drive a large metal stake (like an electrical grounding stake) a couple of feet into the ground. (You will probably need a small sledge hammer, like an 8 pounder.) Then you could bolt a chain or cable (heavy duty grounding cable might work) to the ac unit and to the stake. You may have to drill holes in the ac unit housing, but I imagine it would have mounting holes in it already. You could use security bolts or locking bolts that tighten easily but are difficult to remove. The materials should cost less than $10 at a hardware store. The stake will be difficult for anyone to remove (including you at the end of your stay, you might want to bring a shovel to dig it out).
If your tent or powersource happens to be hit by lightning your ac unit will be grounded too! Bonus!
Happy camping and best of luck/blessings with your pregancy.
Safely air conditioning a tent?
Death
Family from all parts of the country will be camping for about two weeks. It will be around 90 degrees most of that time.
I would like to have an air-conditioned tent available. Some family members are getting older, there will be young children, etc. I considered an RV, but that cost would add up quickly.
I have an 18x10 tent and a small 5,000 BTU air conditioner. Is it possible to safely use the air conditioner with the tent?
I realize that air will escape quickly and it will not have the same impact as it would in a house, but that's okay - I'm just looking for something to take some of the sting off the hotter days.
Also, please avoid the "that's not real camping!" answers. I know what real camping is, I know this isn't traditional, etc. RVs and hotels are not options.
There will be electricity available at the campsite.
Answer
I've hear of people using an AC in a tent but have some safety concerns. Since the AC does not generate any hazardous gasses or consume oxygen, there's no oxygen depletion or CO poisoning risks. But other concerns need to be considered and addressed.
Primarily, there is a risk of electric shock. AC units designed for household use rely on the front panel containing the control electronics to be inside the house, where they are not exposed to the weather. If you have or will cut an access hatch you can stick the front of the AC unit through and then weather seal it, then you've mitigated some of this risk. There are also portable AC units that can be placed entirely inside the structure (in this case, tent) with one or two exhaust hoses that can be routed out an opening. I would feel safer with the latter arrangement, even though it would be somewhat noisier and more expensive.
To further mitigate the risk of electrocution, use an extension cord with built-in GFCI breaker that will shut-off power to the AC in the event that a ground fault (e.g., person getting shocked) is detected. These are usually available at larger home improvement stores. Make sure to get one suitably rated for the AC's power requirements.
The second concern would be mounting an AC unit in such a way to avoid injury if it is accidentally knocked-over. Again, a free-standing, portable AC unit is designed to stand on the floor (usually on casters for mobility) and, while heavy, doesn't have the sharp corners and will be low to the ground to avoid traumatic injuries if it falls on someone.
My final concern is whether 5,000 BTU is sufficient to warrant the trouble. Considering the fact that a pop-up camper requires a 13,500 BTU air conditioner, you are trying to cool a less-insulated but equivalent-sized tent with less than half the cooling power. I would suggest you need at least 10,000 BTU to make any impact on comfort other than when standing directly in front of the cool air exhaust.
Since you will have on-site electric, you should have no problems powering the AC. If you were running on a generator then you would need to consider the maximum starting load drawn by the AC to size your generator. Typically, at least a 3,500 Watt generator is required for an
I've hear of people using an AC in a tent but have some safety concerns. Since the AC does not generate any hazardous gasses or consume oxygen, there's no oxygen depletion or CO poisoning risks. But other concerns need to be considered and addressed.
Primarily, there is a risk of electric shock. AC units designed for household use rely on the front panel containing the control electronics to be inside the house, where they are not exposed to the weather. If you have or will cut an access hatch you can stick the front of the AC unit through and then weather seal it, then you've mitigated some of this risk. There are also portable AC units that can be placed entirely inside the structure (in this case, tent) with one or two exhaust hoses that can be routed out an opening. I would feel safer with the latter arrangement, even though it would be somewhat noisier and more expensive.
To further mitigate the risk of electrocution, use an extension cord with built-in GFCI breaker that will shut-off power to the AC in the event that a ground fault (e.g., person getting shocked) is detected. These are usually available at larger home improvement stores. Make sure to get one suitably rated for the AC's power requirements.
The second concern would be mounting an AC unit in such a way to avoid injury if it is accidentally knocked-over. Again, a free-standing, portable AC unit is designed to stand on the floor (usually on casters for mobility) and, while heavy, doesn't have the sharp corners and will be low to the ground to avoid traumatic injuries if it falls on someone.
My final concern is whether 5,000 BTU is sufficient to warrant the trouble. Considering the fact that a pop-up camper requires a 13,500 BTU air conditioner, you are trying to cool a less-insulated but equivalent-sized tent with less than half the cooling power. I would suggest you need at least 10,000 BTU to make any impact on comfort other than when standing directly in front of the cool air exhaust.
Since you will have on-site electric, you should have no problems powering the AC. If you were running on a generator then you would need to consider the maximum starting load drawn by the AC to size your generator. Typically, at least a 3,500 Watt generator is required for an
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