Air conditioning a tent?

grog m wrote:Swamp coolers are great....BUT they don't work in humid environments. In the dry states, such as CO, AZ, UT everyone has swamp coolers. Much cheaper and simpler than AC systems. Humid areas REQUIRE an air conditioner. Air conditioners require some sort refrigerant chemicals to operate successfully.

youtube has a dozen or more videos of how to make a unit for less than ten bucks

It seems that in this day and age of electricity and air-conditioning everybody has forgotten about the benefits of SHADE.

Kinda pathetic really. A decent shade erected over that metal box would have done a world of good without all the running costs.

patto wrote:It seems that in this day and age of electricity and air-conditioning everybody has forgotten about the benefits of SHADE. Kinda pathetic really. A decent shade erected over that metal box would have done a world of good without all the running costs.

NorCalNomad wrote: Even shade doesn't help in some areas during the hot months

Hey listen man, you're not going to get the same effect as with a real air conditioner anyway this is almost impossible for a simple reason the cold will simply dissipate since there is no enclosed space this is the principle of the refrigerator.  I have two air conditioners from www.socool.sg/ at home and if I open the front door at least for a couple of minutes all the coolness can dissipate in just a few minutes.  So I think the effect from a portable aircon will be not so big.

grog m wrote: Campin in style trying to get a lady friend in your tent? 

She: It's so hot in here. Mind if I take this top off?

Hopefully he figured it out in the last ~4 yrs...

Lee Harris wrote: Hopefully he figured it out in the last ~4 yrs...

their now married with 2 kids ..

Swamp coolers and the ice chest coolers will have the same outcome, humid "cooler" air and being a higher dewpoint on humid summer nights there will be more condensation in the tent. Only way to achieve comfort in humid climate is through evaporative cooling but that is not possible with a tent being unsealed/no insulated vapor barrier. Like most previous,  a fan circulating air is the next best option. I assume you are talking about the southeast? If so theirs plenty of areas that you can get over 2500' elevation and that puts you in the sixties and seventies at night and also state park $25 site has power.

Josh waters wrote: Swamp coolers and the ice chest coolers will have the same outcome

Josh waters wrote:Only way to achieve comfort in humid climate is through evaporative cooling ...

Josh waters wrote: Swamp coolers and the ice chest coolers will have the same outcome, humid "cooler" air and being a higher dewpoint on humid summer nights there will be more condensation in the tent. Only way to achieve comfort in humid climate is through evaporative cooling ...

Marc801 C wrote: Absolutely incorrect.
https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/evaporative-coolers-work-best-dry-areas-us-area-a

I'm referring to the southeast where dew point regularly reaches above 80 and RH above 90%

Josh W wrote:

I'm referring to the southeast where dew point regularly reaches above 80 and RH above 90%

Exactly. Water can't evaporate when the air is basically saturated. That's why you see swamp coolers in the southwest and pretty much never east of the Mississippi.

Marc801 C wrote:

Exactly. Water can't evaporate when the air is basically saturated. That's why you see swamp coolers in the southwest and pretty much never east of the Mississippi.

Yup, that's why a condensate drains creates enough water to water a garden down here hahaha

Josh W wrote:

Yup, that's why a condensate drains creates enough water to water a garden down here hahaha

You're not understanding how evaporative cooling (swam coolers) works. It cannot work in a high humidity environment - the laws of physics prevent it. The condensate you're seeing is from air conditioning, which is NOT evaporative cooling.

I drop a a/c on your damn thread so it can die! Put this zombie thread back to bed! 

Why would you camp in hot humid conditions in the first place.  Sounds absolutely miserable.   Where are you camping?

We camped in upper 90s weather with a little electric Lasko fan and it worked great for us - even used on low settings. Plus we didn't have any condensation inside the tent.
As for relative humidity in the area... well, it can be the real issue and not a whole lot you can do about that, from my experience at least.

Also I know a couple who take a portable a/c with them, but imo that's just an overkill for car camping.