Show All ItemsStep 1: Gather MaterialsShow All Items - 1 Tent (Cost: free hopefully)- 5000 BTU Window Mounted Air Conditioner Arpox. (Cost Variable)- 2 Yards of Ripstop Nylon which will be more than enough (Cost: Aprox. $14.00)- 1 Bottle of Fabric Glue INSERT NAME OF GLUE HERE (Cost: $6-10)- Bungee Cords (Cost: $3-5)Note: Sundays a lot of the craft stores have 40% off coupons which can save you some money on the glue or fabric. //cgfab.html« PreviousNext »View All Steps DownloadShow All ItemsMy wife and I have an unexpected week off together next week where we are dropping off one of our kids at camp in one state and picking up the other one in another state a week later. We are going to be travelling through Florida so I decided to try to book a room or condo at the beach last minute but there wasn't anything available that wasn't prohibitively expensive. I pitched the idea of camping on the beach to my wife and bless her heart she agreed! We have a small 2-3 man tent we got for the kids last Christmas.

The campsite is at a Florida State Park and it has power, water and and an air-conditioned shower and bathroom facility but I became a little concerned we would be rolling around in our own sweat every night in that little tent in hot, humid Florida. I briefly investigated purchasing an indoor or portable AC unit but they are much more expensive than regular window units and frankly I don't think we have room in the tent for one. I read with great interest this instructable by zmatt (Thanks Matt!) so I did a little research and found this cheap, little GE window air conditoner that gets rave reviews at my local Wal-Mart for $98. The only problem is that since it is a window unit, it is not designed to be carried around so the aluminum fins of the condenser unit on the back are exposed and can be easily bent or damaged during transport. I came up with a cheap solution to protect the fins and ruggedize our new little camping air conditioner.UPDATE: We just got back from our trip and the air conditioner worked even better than I thought it would.

The first night my wife asked me to turn it down because it was a "tad chilly". lol We were nestled in our sleeping bags too! Not too many bugs showed up but the laundry bag saved the air conditioner one day when a monsoon passed through the campground and the water pooled at the condenser end. So much so that the fan blades were slapping the water and I was thinking "Oh no! It is splashing dirt and debris all over the inside of the air conditioner!" but after the rain I took the bag off and it had kept all the dirt and debris out of the air conditioner. home ac unit cycles on and offThe door of the tent didn't zip snug against the side of the air conditioner so there was a little wedge of daylight there so I stuck a little soft cooler in the crack to seal it. commercial through wall ac unitsBest money I ever spent!ac unit fan not starting

Step 1: Show All ItemsThe air conditioner I bought is a General Electric 5,050-BTU Window Air Conditioner.« 1,469 posts, read 1,153,657 times 24,227 posts, read 22,855,052 times 11,661 posts, read 9,674,565 times Air Conditoned Tent for those hot months 10,628 posts, read 13,710,000 times being it gets over 100 degrees around here that's not a bad idea When i was young we camped locally at a lake, it would get 100 during the day and in the 80's at night and I loved it, now that I'm old I wonder why I liked it. 2,117 posts, read 3,854,487 times Originally Posted by cittic10 An even better idea.There are 3 views of the tent. Look at the second picture. It shows the A/C port. This is going to make July 4th camping in 100+ heat tolerable.A tent, by nature, is very "breathable." I already tried this setup earlier this summer as I mentioned in my original post. My older tent was a WalMart tent as well. It was just a hassle because I had to "rig" up the AC unit in a doorway with mesh screen and the tent was only a 4 person tent.

I wanted something bigger with a port built in for an AC unit. I found it and now I can't wait to ty it out. 8,182 posts, read 13,868,102 timesTravel Tips The popular summer camping months often come with high temperatures that make outdoor time uncomfortable. Without the luxury of an air-conditioned RV, tent campers must find other methods of staying cool and avoiding heat-related illnesses and injuries. Finding the coolest camping spot possible creates a comfortable camping situation during high temperatures. Your activities and the way you handle camp also affects your body temperature. Plan ahead for the hot camping conditions to ensure you pack the necessary gear to stay cool. Set up the tent in a spot that stays shady, particularly in late morning and afternoon when the temperature is highest. Stretch a canvas between trees or tall stakes above the tent to block the sun if the area isn't naturally shaded by surrounding trees. Open the windows and screens at the top of the tent, which increases the air circulation to avoid a buildup of heat inside the tent.

Plug in a fan with an extension cord if you camp on an electric site. Position the fan to blow on you as you sleep, while keeping it away from the side of the tent so it has enough space to draw in air. Place a block of ice in a shallow dish in front of the fan to make the air feel cooler. Use a battery-operated camping fan or a water bottle with attached fan if you don't have access to electricity. Set up a portable air conditioner to blow into the tent on 120-V electric-equipped sites. Rig up a window air conditioning unit to blow into the tent with the unit just outside on a crate or similar sturdy object. Use a heavy-duty electric outdoor extension cord. Drape canvas tent material around the sides, top and bottom of the fan. Drink cool water throughout the day to keep your body hydrated and cool. Spritz yourself with a spray bottle as needed to cool your skin. Swim in a nearby lake to cool down during the hottest parts of the day. Choose calm activities that don't raise your body temperature.