There are numerous benefits to camping including fresh air, improved mood, and reduced stress.
However, one of the biggest drawbacks, especially while camping during the summer is the hot and stuffy weather, which can make it almost impossible to fall asleep at night.
Which leads many people to wonder if there is a way to air-condition a tent and if so how to go about doing it?
Well, luckily there is a way to air-condition a tent, even if your campsite doesn’t have electricity.
As you can actually air condition a tent with battery power.
Two Ways to Cool a Tent with Battery Power: Evaporative Cooling vs. Air Conditioning
But before when get into the how-to part of air conditioning a tent with battery power, we first need to go over the two different ways to cool the inside of a tent.
Which includes evaporative cooling and air-conditioning.
Cooling a Tent with Evaporative Cooling
The most common way to cool a tent with battery power is through evaporative cooling, due to its low power consumption.
As evaporative coolers use far less electricity compared to standard air-conditioners, which is ideal for battery power.
Thanks to their use of a very simple natural process.
Which cools the ambient temperature inside a tent by evaporating water into the air, illustrated in the below infographic.
It’s not all good news though, when it comes to evaporative cooling, as there is one major drawback.
Which is that evaporative coolers do not work well in humid climates.
Because the more humid the air is the less able it is to absorb water, which is how evaporative coolers lower the temperature.
And because of this evaporative coolers do not work very well in about half the country, as you can see on the below map.
For even more information on evaporative cooling, check out our article “Will an Evaporative Cooler Work Inside a Tent? Answered“.
Cooling a Tent with Air Conditioning
The other way to cool a tent with battery power is by using a portable air-conditioner.
Which uses a very similar process that your home air conditioner does to cool the air, by using a compressor and a coolant such as Freon to artificially cool the air.
And the one big advantage that a portable air conditioner has over an evaporative cooler is that it will work anywhere in the country regardless of the humidity level.
Which makes a portable air conditioner ideal for areas of the country that have high levels of humidity during the summer such as the southeast.
The one major drawback of using standard air-conditioning to cool a tent though is that it uses a lot of electricity and far more than an evaporative cooler does, as you can see in the below table.
| Type of Cooling Unit | Typical Watts Used |
| Portable Air Conditioner | 700 to 1,000 |
| Portable Evaporative Cooler | 60 to 150 |
Which for the most part means your campsite needs to have a 120V electrical outlet to power a portable air-conditioner due to its high energy consumption.
However, recently battery technology and capacities have increased enough, where it makes it possible to actually have standard air condition inside a tent using battery power, as you will see below in the how-to section.
How to Cool a Tent with a Battery Powered Evaporative Cooler
Cooling a tent with a battery-powered evaporative cooler is much easier than cooling a tent with a battery-powered air conditioner.
Due to the lower power consumption of an evaporative cooler, which often uses less than 1/10th of the electricity that a portable air conditioner uses.
Choose a Portable Evaporative Coolers Ideal for Battery Power
The first thing you need to do to cool a tent with battery power using an evaporative cooler is to purchase an evaporative cooler that can run off battery power.
Because while all evaporative coolers use less electricity compared to a portable air conditioner, some evaporative coolers use more electricity than others and are really only intended to run off of electricity.
What to Look for When Buying a Battery Powered Evaporative Cooler to Cool a Tent
- Built-In Battery – Choosing an evaporative cooler with a built-in battery will reduce complications and eliminate the need for an external battery.
- Long Run Time – Look for an evaporative cooler that offers a long run time.
- Compact and Lightweight – The more compact and lightweight the portable evaporative cooler is, the easier it will be to transport and move around.
- Large Reservoir Tank – The larger the reservoir tank the less often you will have to refill the unit with water.
- Shut Off Timer – If you want to fall asleep with the evaporative cooler running, a great way to conserve battery power is to choose one that has an automatic shut-off timer.
Charging the Evaporative Cooler
Whether you choose to go with an evaporative cooler with a built-in battery or opt to use an external battery source, one of the most important tasks when using a battery-powered evaporative cooler is charging it and keeping it charged.
Because despite the advances in battery technology and capacity most portable evaporative coolers using battery power will only be able to run from between 6 to 10 hours without needing another charge.
Meaning you will need a way to charge your evaporative cooler while camping.
So when using an evaporative cooler while camping, you want to make sure you charge the unit fully before you leave on the trip and have a plan to charge the unit while camping.
And two of the best ways to charge an evaporative cooler while camping without electricity is either through the 12V power source in your car (just make sure you don’t run down your car battery) or through a secondary portable battery.
Water and Evaporative Coolers
If you plan on using an evaporative cooler while camping the other thing you will need is a ready supply of distilled water.
As portable evaporative coolers reduce the surrounding air temperature by evaporating water into.
Which it accomplishes through its built-in water tank.
And while evaporative coolers don’t use a lot of water, they will not work without it.
So if you plan on camping with an evaporative cooler, make sure you bring at least a gallon jug of distilled water to refill the unit as needed.
Also to help the evaporative cooler produce even colder air, you can place ice cubes into the water tank as well.
Best Battery Powered Evaporative Coolers for Camping
Below are the top 5 most popular battery-powered evaporative coolers on the market today.
1. Diowner Evaporative Cordless Air Cooler
Quick Specs
- Built-In Battery: Yes
- Battery Size: 4000 mAh
- Water Tank Size: 800 ml
- Why It’s Great: Highest Rated On Amazon, Large Battery Capacity, 90-Degree Oscillation
This evaporative cooler from Diowner is one of the best battery-powered evaporative coolers you can buy, thanks to its feature-rich design, large battery capacity, and automatic shut-off to help conserve battery power.
And thanks to its 5-star rating on Amazon, you can buy with confidence.
2. Batlofty Battery Operated Evaporative Air Cooler
Quick Specs
- Built-In Battery: Yes
- Battery Size: 5000 mAh
- Water Tank Size: 700 ml
- Why It’s Great: Large Battery Capacity, 3-in-1 Functionality, 120-Degree Oscillation
The Batloft Battery Operated Evaporative Air Cooler makes a great choice for camping and cooling a tent, thanks to its large built-in battery that allows this unit to run for up to 9 hours.
But it’s not just its long run time that makes this evaporative cooler so great, as it’s also loaded with convenience features including 120-degree automatic oscillation, 3-in-1 functionality, and a three-speed fan.
3. PBOX 3-IN-1 Portable Evaporative Cooler Air Conditioner
Quick Specs
- Built-In Battery: Yes
- Battery Size: 2500 mAh
- Water Tank Size: 300 ml
- Why It’s Great: Rapid Cooling Technology, Small Compact Size, 3-In-1 Functionality
This 3-in-1 portable air conditioner by PBOX is great because it can function as an evaporative cooler, a standard fan, as well as a humidifier, making it the perfect solution for all your needs.
In addition, this compact little unit features what the manufacturer refers to as Rapid Cooling Technology.
Allowing you to fill a removable separate compartment with water and then freeze it before placing it back inside the unit to provide more cooling power than would be possible with just water alone.
4. Zakora Portable Personal Evaporative Cooler Air Conditioner
Quick Specs
- Built-In Battery: Yes
- Battery Size: 2000 mAh
- Water Tank Size: 300 ml
- Why It’s Great: Most Affordable, Compact Size, 3-In-1 Functionality
The most affordable evaporative cooler on this list that’s great for camping and cooling down a tent is this evaporative cooler from Zakora.
But despite its more affordable price, it’s still jam-packed with features including 3-in-1 functionality, a 2-speed fan, built-in nightlight, and up to 6 hours of run time on a single charge.
5. Zeef Battery Operated Personal Air Cooler
Quick Specs
- Built-In Battery: Yes
- Battery Size: 5000 mAh
- Water Tank Size: 800 ml
- Why It’s Great: Large Battery and Water Tank Capacity, Shut Off Timer, 3-Speed Fan
Another popular evaporative cooler for camping is the Zeef Battery Operated Personal Air Cooler, thanks to its larger battery capacity and water tank, which allows this unit to run up to 8 hours on a single charge.
In addition, this feature-rich evaporative cooler offers an automatic shut-off timer to help conserve battery life, a 3-speed fan, a large carrying handle for easy transport, and a clear water tank so you can easily tell when it needs to be refilled.
How to Cool a Tent with a Battery Powered Air Conditioner
As mentioned above cooling a tent with a battery-powered air conditioner is definitely more challenging than cooling a tent with a battery-powered evaporative cooler due to the greater power consumption of a portable AC unit.
As even the smallest 5000 BTU portable air conditioners will use between 600 and 750 watts of power while running.
However, it can be done just be forewarned that it is far more expensive to cool a tent with a battery-powered air-conditioner than it is to cool it with a battery-powered evaporative cooler.
Due to the amount of battery capacity you will need to run the portable air conditioner and the addition of a compressor and coolant required for standard air conditioning.
Finding a Portable Air Conditioner Capable of Running Off Battery Power
While there is an abundance of choices to choose from when buying a battery-powered evaporative cooler.
When looking for a battery-powered air conditioner the options are very limited.
In fact, I am aware of only two options and they are both made by the same company, which is Zero Breeze.
Best Battery Powered Portable Air Conditioners for Camping
Despite the fact that the term air conditioner gets thrown around pretty loosely in the portable cooling space.
There are actually only two battery-powered air conditioners that offer true air-conditioning.
1. Zero Breeze Mark 1
Quick Specs
- Price: $798.00
- BTU’s: 1100
- Built-In Battery: Yes
- Battery Output: 12 Volt
- Why It’s Great: Offers True Air Conditioning, Lightweight Compact Design, Interchangeable Battery
The Mark 1 was the first portable air conditioner that Zero Breeze released and was groundbreaking, as it was the first air conditioner that offered true portability, thanks to its small compact size and battery operation.
However, it did have its limitations, mainly due to its 12 Volt built battery, which did not offer a lot of power or run time.
Which is why Zero Breeze released their 2nd generation version called the Mark 2, with a 24 Volt battery.
The Zero Breeze Mark 1 can be hard to get your hands on, as it is the older model and is currently sold out on Zero Breeze’s website.
To see the Mark 1 on Zero Breeze’s website click here.
2. Zero Breeze Mark 2
Quick Specs
- Price: $1,399.00
- BTU’s: 2300
- Built-In Battery: Yes
- Battery Output: 24 Volt
- Why It’s Great: Offers True Air Conditioning, Lightweight Compact Design, Powerful 24V Battery, Interchangeable Battery
While it’s hard to get over the eye-popping price of $1,399 for this unit, if you want true portable air conditioning, this portable air conditioner from Zero Breeze is the way to go.
As this compact but powerful unit can cool the ambient temperature down by as much as 30 degrees, all while running on its built-in battery, which is interchangeable.
Also, the unit will run for about 5 hours on a single charge, thanks to its powerful 24 Volt battery and low power draw, as the unit only uses around 240 watts while running.
To see and buy the Mark 2 on Zero Breeze’s website click here.
What is a Battery Powered Air Conditioning Cooler and Can It Cool a Tent?
While evaporative coolers and portable air conditioners are two of the most popular ways to cool a tent down while camping, there actually is a third option, which is an air conditioning cooler.
Which works by drawing in warm air and then pulling that air across a heat exchanger cooled down by icy cold water from the cooler before the air is blown out at up to 35 degrees cooler than when it went in.
While there are several different models available from different manufacturers, the most popular air conditioning cooler by far is the IcyBreeze V2 Pro, which is featured in the above YouTube video.
IcyBreeze V2 Pro Portable Air Conditioner & Cooler
Do All Portable Air Conditioners Have to be Vented Out a Window?
In order for a portable air conditioner to work properly, it must be vented out a window or outside, to avoid negatively impacting the cooling power of the unit.
Because if you don’t vent the portable air conditioner out a window or outside, you will be blowing the warm air the portable air conditioner produces, right back into the room or area you are trying to cool.
Can You Put a Window Unit on a Tent?
While portable air conditioners are one of the best ways to cool a tent due to their compact size, portability, and small venting hose, you can actually use a window AC unit to cool a tent.
However, if you choose to use a window AC unit to cool a tent, you will more than likely have to make several modifications to the tent to accommodate the window unit.
For a detailed guide on how to air condition a tent with a window AC unit, check out our article “Tents with AC Ports and How to Air Condition a Tent“.