How to Blackout a Tent?
One of the reasons people choose camping to spend their vacation or free time is to relax in the lap of nature. And what else can make you more relaxed than a sound night’s sleep?
An adult person should get at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep for complete relaxation of body and mind. Camping activities like hiking, hunting, fishing, climbing, ski-in, trekking demand a good amount of energy. These have a high chance of making you feel tired at the end of the day.
You also have to do all basic tasks like cooking, lighting a campfire, pitching a tent, and gathering firewood traditionally and on your own as you have left all modern amenities at home. It is established that camping trips are equally exhausting and exciting at the same time.
It is necessary to make your night’s sleep your utmost priority while camping.
Generally, we use dark curtains in our bedrooms to block sunlight. In an open campsite blocking light is impossible. Early morning brightness can interrupt your sleep.
If you lack proper sleep on your first camp night then you will not have sufficient liveliness for the remainder of the day. We have gathered ways to save your catnap and you can rest for long and sufficient hours without snooze.
Blacking out your camping tent is just the right manner to approach morning sun rays. Let’s find out how to blackout your tent.
Table of Contents
How To Blackout A Tent Completely In 8 Simple Steps:
1. Use Drapes
Draping your tent is a fail-proof way to protect your tent from heat and sun. You can use a tarp as a drape to cover the outside of your tent. Now, you can either cover up the roof of your tent or the whole tent area.
Covering only the roof cannot block the sunlight entirely but it endures ventilation. The other way can potentially block all the sunlight but you have to compromise with heated air trapped within. Maintain distance from the top and hang it from a height.
Usually, campers hang their tarp from a tree. Pay attention to the direction of the sunrise. Draping your tarp in the right direction will guarantee sun-blockage and ventilation at the same time. Rain Fly Tarp Oversized with Tent Pole is a good camping tarp with multiple positive reviews.
2. Black Out Liner
A dark fabric can be used to hide tent walls from sunlight. Clip the fabric alongside your tent walls or sew them. This process is somehow similar to the draping process. The only difference is you are using the drape inside.
Keep the vents open allowing enough air to flow through.
3. Cover the Bed Pod
In case you do not have sufficient fabric to use as a blackout liner. Or, you forgot to carry a tarp on your camping trip. Covering your sleeping area in the same manner by using curtains on your window can save your sleep.
This also allows you to keep your tent interiors cooler. Pick a fabric that is dark in color.
4. Use Reflective Blankets
Another smart means to stay away from getting all the brightness into your face is keeping reflective blankets handy. Regular campers never start their journey without it. The silver, shiny material of a reflective blanket can effectively reflect light and heat.
These blankets are waterproof and tear-free. So in case of emergency rain or snow, it can protect both the interiors and exteriors of your tent. Arcturus Heavy Duty Survival Blanket is one of the best recommended reflective blankets.
5. Use a Sleep Mask
If most of the above solutions seem too much of a hassle for you then there is of course a simpler and more cost-effective way out from light ruining your sleep. A black-out sleeping mask can prevent the glare of the sun from hitting your eyes without the need to fully cover the entire tent.
This won’t even affect the ventilation of the tent through the use of tarps. In other words, if you are traveling with a nature enthusiast who wishes to wake up to the bright sun then using a sleeping mask won’t disrupt their thrill or your sleep.
If wearing an eye mask makes your eyes sweat and you are a side sleeper Unimi New Sleep Mask solves both problems.
6. Choose The Right Spot
One of the top tips of camping is to travel light. This means you should try your best to keep your baggage from becoming a nightmare, not only in terms of weight but also in managing your luggage.
Rather, you can use your natural surroundings to help shade your eyes from the sunlight.
Simply find a spot that has plenty of shade like trees and branches. You can also set up your tent away from other campers who are using artificial light so that you can enjoy the bliss of a star-rich night sky.
7. Choose The Dark-Colored Tent
A very simple tip on blocking the sun glaze would be to purchase a tent of a darker shade of color. This would help keep the light out of the tent but one simple drawback would be that the tent might get a bit warmer than usual.
This is due to the fact that darker-colored tents can absorb light faster making the inside of the tent hotter.
Instead, you can either cover the tent with a darkened tarp or buy a tent that is of bright color but has internal padding facilities. Here’s the Coleman Camping Tent with Blackout Bedroom Technology that we recommend:
8. Dark Room Trick
Last but not the least is buying a tent with specialized features that block light but don’t disrupt the ventilation, however. This type of facility is known as darkroom technology. It can be different for different tent manufacturing companies.
Some variations of darkroom technology would be reflective layers over the outer rim of the tent whereas others can be seen using insert-able panels. These methods can effectively block out light with too much hassle.
There are also gazebos with darkroom technology in specific areas of the tent such as the sleeping area.
Conclusion
You do not need to invest in a blackout tent if you keep this information in mind. Available blackout tent materials can block the light but can make the tent interiors warm. So it is better to become skilled at how to blackout a tent.
Enjoy a good doze!
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