7 Tips To Cool Tented Events In Texas

Renting a tent for outdoor events is always a sound plan, but how you keep that tent cool in the Texas summer heat is less obvious. Here are some tips for keeping your tented event cool even in summer.

1. Stay In The Shade

A tent may be a portable shelter to create shade, but if the tent itself is not in a shady spot it can get hot quickly. Some venues and rental companies won’t allow you to set your tent up underneath a tree due to damage liability in a storm, but as a rule, it’s the best source of shade possible. Should the rules forbid setting up under a tall tree, find a berm, embankment or hillside that will keep you shaded for at least part of the day. You want to keep the landscape between you and the sun as much as possible, so grab your compass and set up your tent on whichever side will be in shadow during the heat of the day.

2. Asphalt Is Not Your Friend.

Level paved surfaces are great in a basement, but building a tent over asphalt makes it hot to walk to your tent. Worse still, asphalt radiates heat even if it’s not directly exposed to sunlight, so you are basically setting up your tent on the heated floor. To stay cool, set up on a grassy surface if you can.

3. Good Air Circulation Is Key

Don’t “batten down the hatches” on your tent. You want to keep ventilation panels open and allow for cross ventilation. Otherwise, you are trapping all the hot air inside, and when people start filling up the tent it only gets worse. Be smart, and keep that air flowing through.

4. Use Ceiling Fans

Nothing keeps air moving briskly like a fan, and you can actually install ceiling fans in some larger event tents. If ceiling fans are an option (you’ll need electricity), don’t hesitate. Texas summers are no joke and any additional circulation matters.

5. Rent a Spot Cooler

If you have electricity available (and even if you don’t) you may want to consider renting a spot cooler, also called a mobile air conditioning unit. Spot coolers are both air and water cooled systems that are great for cooling off the interior of tents or outbuildings with no air conditioning like barns and stock halls.

As hot as Texas gets in the summer outdoors, it’s wise to invest some of your event budgets in spot coolers to keep everything in your tent or outbuilding at a livable temperature. Preferred Climate Solutions specializes in spot coolers, and we have the knowledge and experience to get you the best unit for your event needs.

6. Evaporative Coolers

These inexpensive tent coolers to keep interior temperatures low in the summer by using a fan to circulate air over ice or ice water. The cold air blows through the tent and lowers the temperature and keeps the tent noticeably cooler. In the dry Texas heat, this is an excellent solution for cooling off your tent or tents at a summer event.

7. Misters Work Well Inside or Outside a Tent

These devices cool the air by spraying a fine mist of cold water, lowering the air temperature without creating excessive humidity. This is the ideal solution for Texas summers as the air is extremely dry and hot. Misters are so effective because they help restore humidity and keep people cool inside and outside of your tent.

Regardless of what solution you choose, it’s important to be smart and prepared to keep tents cool at outdoor events. It’s safer for you, your staff, vendors, and visitors.