Updated: February 27, 2021
When camping during the summer or in hot weather it’s important to pick a tent appropriate for the temperature and season.
But the most important thing to look for when looking for the best tent for summer camping is its ability to move air through the tent and ventilation features.
As these ventilation features will be the main thing that helps you stay cool when trying to sleep on a warm summer night.
Best Tent for Hot Weather
There are three tents that really stand out from the crowd when searching for the best tent for hot weather due to their ample ventilation and cooling technologies.
Coleman Sundome 4 Person Tent with Dark Room Technology
No best of tent list is complete in our opinion without including at least one Coleman tent.
As Coleman has been producing top-rated, durable, and long-lasting camping gear for over 100 years.
And any outdoor company that’s been around for that long has to be doing something right.
The Sundome 4 Person Tent is one of the most popular and best-selling tents produced by Coleman and it’s easy to see why.
As the tent offers rugged reliability, ease of use, and quick and easy setup.
The Sundome 4 Person Tent comes in three different color options including green, navy, and green/black/teal which is their darkroom technology version.
All three color options are great choices for hot weather or summer camping but the darkroom technology version provides additional comfort in hot weather camping.
If you’re wondering what darkroom technology is.
In essence, darkroom technology uses tent materials and colors that block out the sunlight by 90%.
And by blocking out the sun’s ray’s Coleman claims a reduction in interior tent temperature of 10%.
These sun-blocking materials also have the added benefit of letting you sleep in as well on those bright summer mornings.
The darkroom technology is not the only feature that makes the Sundome 4 Person Tent one of the best options for summer camping though.
As the Coleman Sundome tent also has large windows as well as a ground vent for superior ventalation and air circulation, which is designed to push warm air up and out of the tent.
To keep you comfortable even on the hottest of days.
Mountainsmith Morrison 2 Person 3 Season Tent
Mountainsmith has been producing quality well-built outdoor gear for over 30 years, that’s able to withstand the rigors of hiking, mountaineering, and camping.
And the Mountainsmith Morrison 2 Person 3 Season Tent is yet another addition to their outdoor gear line that exemplifies their commitment to quality well-built products.
It’s easy to see the quality throughout this Mountainsmith tent with features such as bathtub floor construction with taped seams, high-end aluminum Yunan poles, and two doors with vestibules above each.
Staying cool in this 3 season tent by Mountainsmith is also no problem even when the thermometer starts to rise.
As the Mountainsmith Morrison 3 Season tent, was made for warm weather and summer camping offering several cooling technologies to keep you cool and comfortable no matter how hot it gets.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Mountainsmith Morrison is its ample ventalation.
As this tent has two screen mesh doors as well as two additional large screen mesh sections offering optimal ventalation.
The Morrison tent also offers clipped pole technology allowing more breathability.
And finally, the tent is constructed with breathable 185T Polyester material ensuring excellent breathability even when the tent is closed up.
Alps Mountaineering Zephyr 3 Person Tent
Alps Mountaineering was established in 1993 and has been turning out quality and affordable camping gear ever since.
The Alps Brands have made a commitment to quality products that stand up to the rigors of camping and outdoors but still maintain an affordable price, so everyone can experience the joys of camping.
The Alps Mountaineering Zephyr 3 Person Tent makes a great 3 season tent that can handle just about anything mother nature can throw at it.
Whether camping in hot summer weather or rainy and wet weather the Alps Mountaineering Zephyr can handle it all with ease.
There are several features of the Alps Mountaineering Zephyr tent that makes it one of the best tents for hot weather.
The first and most obvious of these features are the tent walls that are comprised almost entirely of screen mesh allowing for unparalleled airflow and ventalation.
These screen tent walls also make this tent extremely lightweight.
In addition, this tent offers two entrances that not only provide great airflow but also ease of use and better functionality.
And finally, the tent uses a clipped tent pole design further enhancing the airflow of the tent.
Seasonal Rating for Tents
In order to find the best tent for hot weather one of the most important things to consider is the seasonal rating of the tent.
There are three main seasonal ratings for tents including 3 season, 3+ season, and 4 season.
When looking for a tent that is best suited for summer or hot weather you want to stick with a tent that has a 3 season rating as they will have more ventalation and airflow compared to 3+ and 4 season tents.
3 season tents are meant for use in the spring, summer, and fall when temperatures are warmer and the weather is milder.
3+ season tents can be used in late fall and early winter and typically have more insulating qualities and protection from harsh weather.
Finally, as the name implies 4 season tents can be used in any season and have the most insulation and protection from the elements.
However, the features and insulating qualities of the 4 season tent that allow for winter camping can be the very things that make a hot summer night miserable due to the lack of airflow and ventalation of a 4 season tent.
So it’s best to stick with a 3 season tent when looking for the best tent for hot weather.
Tent Ventilation and Airflow are Critical for Hot Weather Camping
The amount of tent ventalation and airflow can make all the difference in the world when camping in hot weather.
So when looking for the best tent for hot weather, summer camping, or beach tent camping, make sure the tent allows for as much ventalation and airflow as possible, to keep you cool and dry.
To determine the potential amount of airflow a tent might offer all you need to do is look for the amount of screened openings, doors, or vents the tent has.
As the more screened openings the tent has, the better, the airflow will be and the cooler the interior of the tent will stay in hot weather.
Best Tent Material for Hot Weather
The next most important item when it comes to keeping a tent cool is the materials the tent is made of.
As you want to look for a tent that uses breathable materials that allow the tent to breathe even when the tent is closed up to prevent condensation and mildew on the inside of the tent.
Different tent materials offer varying levels of breathability.
So below is a list of the most common tent materials and their level of breathability.
| Material | Breathability | Weight | Cost |
| Canvas | Best | Heavy | High |
| Cotton | Best | Heavy | High |
| Poly-Cotton | Better | Moderate | Moderate |
| Polyester | Fair | Light | Low |
| Nylon | Fair | Light | Low |
You might have noticed that polyester and nylon offer less breathability compared to natural materials such as canvas and cotton tents.
And because of this you also might then wonder why the majority of tents being made today use synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon that offer inferior breathability compared to natural materials.
There are two main reasons for this which are weight and cost.
As canvas and cotton are both heavy materials that add considerable weight to your camping gear and because of this are not ideal materials when hiking or camping.
The second reason most modern tents are made from synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon is that they are far cheaper to produce which makes the tent less expensive to buy.
Final Thoughts on the Best Tent for Hot Weather and Summer Camping
Remember when picking out the best tent for hot weather there are three main considerations to keep in mind to ensure you pick the best tent for those hot summer days.
The first being the seasonal rating of the tent, for the best ventalation and airflow make sure it’s a 3 season tent.
The next important consideration is the number of screened openings, doors, and vents the tent has, as the more openings, the tent has the better it will stay cool when the temperature starts to rise.
And finally, you want to look at the material the tent is made of even if it is a synthetic blend such as polyester or nylon.
Looking for keywords like breathable material or blend to improve the level of breathability the tent offers.