"Beat the Heat" While Tent Camping

Camping is a great time for family and friends to gather around the campfire and share stories and enjoy delicious campfire desserts next to a nice warm fire on those cool crisp nights... Well, we can look forward to those times in further months ahead. Just as we prepare for the cooler months ahead we also need to be ready when the temps bring unfavorable conditions, such as triple digit HEAT! Here are a few tips for Tent Camping in the heat.

1) Location, Location, Location: Look for shady areas to pitch your tent. Then make use use of your compass to strategically pitch your tent towards the east. Also, try to find spots where there is trees, a hill, or any other sun blockade that can give you shade while you are sleeping or during the hottest part of the day.

2)Consider the direction of the wind as well: Find out which way the wind blows. Pitch your tent in a way that the wind blows directly into the mesh windows. Switch the location or position of the tent if you notice that the wind direction alters. This is very important if your tent only has a little mesh on it. But if it is purely made of mesh, don't worry about the positioning. For a back up plan pack a battery operated fan, just in case...

3) Open and air out your tent: In the early morning when temps outside are still cool open your windows and doors to expose the screens. This will keep your tent from becoming stuffy and uncomfortable. Some tents have roof vents built in for ventilation which is a nice feature. Throughout the day close the tent in any area the sun is directly beating on and open the sides facing shaded areas. By keeping this process going until sundown, your tent will keep much cooler temperatures during extreme heat conditions.

4) Have a good quality, Screen Tent: In triple digit heat there can be lots of bugs, so a screen room is a wonderful item to have. A Screen Tent will allow you to sit outside with plenty of fresh air without the bugs! A Screen Tent with no-see-um mesh is a good feature to look for so the smallest bugs can't get through. The Turbo Screen Machine is quick and can be easily set up over a picnic table, or our newest Malamoo MOZ Screen Tent is perfect for 1 person, can be used on the ground or fastened to the King Goanna Stretcher

5)Did you know if you wear lighter colored clothing keeps you cooler: light-colored clothing if you're in the sun. Dark clothing absorbs heat. Light-colored clothing can help keep you cool by reflecting the sun's rays.

OzTent Screen Room for Mosquito Lab Experiment

Recently The Rockefeller University of New York purchased an OzTent RV-5 Screen Room for experimental purposes, requiring the OzTent screen room to keep mosquitoes contained during mosquito-host seeking experiments.

The Deluxe Screen Room creates an insect free area perfect for eating in or just relaxing. It can be installed under the awing, to the side of the awning or in front of the awning. It can also be used as a stand-alone unit.

The Deluxe Screen Room has a dome shaped silver roof with zippered doors and our famous No-See-Um mesh on all four walls. Now with Zip down covers for added protection. These covers can also be used as awnings. 8" Bathtub sewn in floor to provide additional ground protection from rain water & unwanted intruders.

The Deluxe Screen Room comes complete with all ropes, pegs, roof rods and four telescopic poles in its own carry bag. Now available in three sizes. For more information visit www.OzTent.us

Water Filled Baggies & Pennies Repel Flies

Getting outdoors is a past time shared by many folks, whether your camping or enjoying a picnic in the park. People have tried many remedies for warding off bugs by applying insect repellent, which provides contact protection, however the unwanted pest will continue to invade your space. To avoid this you may consider bringing along a screen tent for optimal results,another common folk remedy for repelling flying pests, however, consists of nothing more than a plastic bag filled with water and adding a few shiny pennies. Sounds too good to be true? Try it out for yourself...

How does it work?

Fill a large, durable plastic bag with clear, fresh water. This water, with its capacity for refracting and reflecting light, will be perceived by flying insects as high optic flow. Flying insects avoid regions of high optic flow in order to prevent collisions. Regarding the science behind zip log bags of water? Research found that each of the millions of molecules of water presents its own prism effect and given that flies have a lot of eyes, to them it’s like a zillion disco balls reflecting light, colors and movement in a dizzying manner.

Place a shiny penny into the bag, the shiner, the better. This penny should only increase the amount of reflection (optic flow) put off by the bag. Multiple pennies may work even better, so long as they increase the amount of reflective material in the bag. Don't add so many, however, that they're liable to strain or break the bag.

Seal the bag shut and provide a way for the bag to hang, should be strong enough to hold the full weight of the bag.

Hang the bag outside a doorway, from the limb of a tree,or anywhere that you are have a bothersome fly population.

Monitor the bug population to see if it has any effects, there is no exact science and results can vary, try hanging the bags in different locations or add multiple bags for best results.

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