Best Tent Air Conditioner
In this article, we will go over some portable tent air conditioners. We will talk about what to look for in one and by the end of this article hopefully, you know which one will best suit your needs.
Portable Air Conditioner For Camping Guide
Now you might be asking yourself, why do I need a tent air conditioner? Well, truthfully you can go without it, however, it will make your camping experience a whole lot better. Many people out there like to go on camping trips during summer but as you probably know it can get a bit hot inside the tent.
Now if you want a good night's sleep and want to avoid sweating inside the tent you should look for a portable air conditioner. There are a few different types of portable air conditioners for camping so let’s go over them.
- Evaporative Coolers – This is a cooler that works by using a fan to evaporate the water inside of the tent. While they can help with the level of moisture in the room, they do not help much with bringing down the temperature, especially in humid climates.
- Portable Air Conditioner – This is a very convenient method, and it can actually help bring the temperature down inside the tent. Some are cordless and can be powered using a battery.
- Window Air Conditioners – While this is a good way of keeping the inside of your tent cool you will need to have something to plug it in otherwise it won’t work. This is a good item to have if you go to those big campsites where you have extension cords and generators or power supply.
Now, one thing that is really important to have is a portable battery and a generator. You might use it to charge up your phone or some other electrical devices to keep you entertained or in this case, you can use it to power your air conditioner. Feel free to check some of them out;
- EcoFlow Smart Electric Generator
- ALP Propane-Powered Generator
- Dometic PLB40 Portable Lithium Battery
What To Look For In A Tent Air Conditioner
Everyone has different needs when looking for the best portable air conditioner. And there are a few things that you should look for when buying one. Let’s go over some of them:
Portability
You should always opt for something that can work on its own without the need for power outlets because it’s easier to carry, especially if you go hiking. Even if you do use a vehicle to transport you to the campsite it’s always better to carry fewer things so you can have more room for something else.
Cooling Power
An important thing to keep in mind is the BTU of the cooling unit. 500 BTU/hr. is enough for one person. So, if you are going to have more people in the same tent you will need to have more. If there are two people you should have 1000BTU/hr., for 3 people you should have 1500/hr. and so on.
Size
You should pay attention to the size of the portable air conditioner because when camping in your roof top tent or in your camper your space is limited. By having a smaller AC unit, you would feel a lot more comfortable and will have more space for your mattress or a sleeping bag.
How Can I Make A Portable AC For Camping Work?
There are a couple of ways to make your tent air conditioner work. Some portable air conditioners are battery powered and that is really handy because you don’t need to worry about having a power supply there with you.
However, those batteries will not run forever. The best thing you can do is have multiple batteries for that device so you can switch them when one runs out. Those kinds of AC units are usually really light and portable and are a great addition for your next camping trip
Besides battery-powered generators there are also ones that need a power supply in order to work. Now those kinds of AC units have more BTU/hr. meaning they are a lot stronger and better to cool down a 5-to-6-person tent.
If you do not have a power outlet to plug it in it’s not the end of the world. However, you would need to have a generator that is capable of producing at least 1000w so you can run It. That means that you would have to carry another thing with you which will increase your cargo.
Those portable AC units are also heavier than the aforementioned battery-powered portable air conditioners so if you’re not going to camp with a lot of people your best option would be to choose the lighter battery-powered one.
Best Portable Air Conditioners For Camping
EcoFlow Wave Portable Air Conditioner
This is a pretty lightweight portable air conditioner that is perfect for cooling down smaller rooms whether that will be your office space, bedroom, or even your tent. This is a battery-powered AC. The battery attaches to the bottom of the unit, and you can use it that way.
Besides a battery, you can also plug it into a wall or even your EcoFlow generator that you can carry with you. It can cool down a smaller space or a tent in just 8 min because of its 4000BTU cooling power. An interesting thing about it is that you can operate it on your smartphone.
The battery that comes with it may not last long so it’s best to use the DELTA Max or DELTA Pro battery which can give you up to 12 hours of runtime before needing to plug it in the outlet. It can even be charged using a solar panel connected to the input of the unit.
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ZERO BREEZE Mark 2
This is another battery-powered AC unit that weighs only 16.5 lbs. Its cooling power is 2300 BTU and it is perfect for bedrooms or smaller tents. One battery can last around 5 to 6 hours and it can be charged however you cannot use the battery while it is charging.
It is also a pretty quiet AC unit, so it won’t disturb you while you are sleeping. It is a low-power air conditioner, and it uses only 240W. It is recommended that you take more than one battery with you when going on longer trips so you can use it constantly.
This is considered one of the best portable air conditioners for camping, however, its price may be a problem for many people. This is one of the most expensive portable AC units out there but if you have the money to buy it you won’t regret it.
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BLACK+DECKER Air Conditioner
This is a pretty powerful air conditioner with a cooling power of 12000BTU which is more than enough to cool down a 5-to-6-person tent or even some larger spaces. Besides being able to cool down a room it is also able to warm it up and you can operate it using a control panel on the unit or even the controller.
You would however need to have a power supply where you can plug this AC unit in. That can be a wall power supply or even a generator. This is a heavier unit so you definitely can’t carry it with you when hiking up to your campsite.
While it can be a burden to haul around as it takes up a lot more space than the more portable AC units it is a lot stronger and more efficient and doesn’t cost as much.
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Evapolar evaCHILL Portable Evaporative Cooler
It is a pretty small device that can be powered using a USB cable that can be connected to your power bank or even your laptop/PC. It is an evaporative cooler which means it uses water in order to cool down a place. While it may not be effective as an AC unit you can feel the difference.
It doesn’t use much power, 7.5W to be exact. There are a couple of speed options for the fan, and it can also double as a night light. It weighs only 1.6lbs so it’s pretty handy to carry around. Another cool thing about it is that it is able to catch dust particles.
This Cooler is best used as a desk cooler as it is not really an AC unit. That means that you cannot cool down a place effectively but if you stand in front of it, you will feel the cool breeze.
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MightyKool K2 Portable Evaporative Cooler
This is another portable evaporative cooler that cools the air using water. It runs on 12V and it has a standard 12V plug which you can use on the cigarette lighter hole in your vehicle. It is lightweight and compact so it’s easy to carry around.
While it may not be suitable to cool down a room you can certainly feel the cool air coming out of the vents. It is best used as a desk cooler, however, if you don’t have anything else that can cool the space around you this will be better than nothing.
It is not as effective in humid environments as any evaporative coolers out there and it is best to use distilled water if you want to prolong the device’s life.
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Tent AC FAQS
Will A Portable AC Cool A Tent?
Yes, it will. Most portable air conditioners are able to cool down a 2-person tent, even the ones that have less BTU. Some stronger ones can even be used for bigger tents and even some office spaces or bedrooms.
What Is The Best Portable Air Conditioner For Camping?
There is no right answer to this. It depends on the size of the tent you are going to use. The first thing you would need to do is figure out how many people will be in that tent. Then you should go from there. For a one or two-person tent you can use pretty much any portable AC whereas for more people you should look for stronger and more effective ones that produce more BTU.
Are Evaporative Coolers Effective?
They can be effective in dry environments but not so much in humid ones because they do evaporate water so you would not feel the difference.
Let's Wrap It Up
So, we’ve talked about many different AC units. Some are battery-powered, some require a power outlet or a generator to work and some can be even powered by a USB cable. Besides having different ways of powering, they also have different cooling effectiveness.
The best way to choose the right AC for your tent is to know its square footage or at least how many people will be there. There are many different types of ACs so do your research and find out what you need it for, and you will find the right portable air conditioner for you.
