Staying Safe in the Heat

It’s easy to forget that extreme heat is incredibly dangerous whilst doing anything outdoors! Finding the balance of enjoying the sun without putting yourself at risk can be quite difficult, especially if you’re a sun lover!

Preparation is key

Staying safe in the sun & heat starts at home. Pre-planning is essential; ensuring you have access to the necessities (water, sunscreen & food) and have plenty of covered resting areas, will save you from major issues in the future.

Stay Hydrated & Protected

Water & Sunscreen are your best friends in this weather, so it is key that you either pack enough water or plan your adventure around places you can rehydrate. Damaged skin & sunburn are one of the biggest dangers in sunny weather. Therefore, ensuring that you apply & carry plenty of sunscreen to protect your skin from UV exposure is a must. You should always follow the manufacturer’s advice regarding reapplying but also consider reapplying after strenuous or water-based activities. Also, consider your choice of clothing. Believe it or not, longer-cut, lightweight garments might be better for you if you’re prone to burning (extra points if they’re moisture wicking). Our Daypacks are ideal for carrying around all your supplies, without weighing yourself down!

Tents & Campervans

Camping in this heat also presents a variety of issues! Many of which can be handled by selecting the right pitch. Let’s start with the most obvious - your tent overheating. The most obvious way to avoid this is to choose a tent with a good amount of ventilation & that makes use of mesh panels, such as the OLPRO Endeavour.

Tents tend to hold heat very well, often too well in Summer. Choosing a pitch that has a good amount of cover (but please remember, if you’re camping in rougher weather avoid trees & other overhead hazards). Ensuring you have a good breeze across the tent’s ingress points will also help move some of the hot hair away from your tent. One other trick to stop the accumulation of heat in your tent is to take it down during sunlight hours, though this can be labour intensive. The daily pitching/breakdown routine could be made a lot easier with one of our Inflatable Tents.

All the rules discussed above apply to awnings. However, a lot of campervans come with the bonus of onboard electricity. Meaning you can kick start the cooling process with a good fan or portable A/C unit. Though these will drain your power quickly so ensure you’re using them sparingly or have mains hooked up/solar.

Windbreaks & Shades

Being able to enjoy the weather without basking in direct sunlight is important, especially if you’re going to be outside for extended periods.

Windbreaks are the ideal form of temporary (or pitched) shelter, whether you’re at the beach, pitching a tent, or are just in the park, a windbreak is the ideal temporary cover from the sun. This means you can rest, re-apply your sun cream or even use them to keep the sun off your tent. You can check out our selection of windbreaks here! If you have a motorhome, caravan, or campervan you could also grab one of our shades for overhead protection! Grab a shade here!

Use Common Sense

Following the aforementioned advice will help you to stay safe, but without consideration, heat can still be dangerous. So, stay aware, take plenty of rests & most importantly ensure you’re well hydrated & protected from the sun.