Blackout tent - anyone used one, good idea?

[barsie]

Heading off to a festival and need a tent. Was thinking of a blackout tent.

Seems like a good idea will be able to sleep off the hangover in the morning a lot easier if it's dark.

Anyone had one? What are the pros and cons?

[Dave The Hedgehog]

One word - eyeshades.

[rexclark]

One word - eyeshades.

Edited July 8, 2010 by rexclark

[Dave The Hedgehog]

The problem isn't so much the light getting in your tent, it's the heat. If you've went to bed at 6am if it's good weather it'll start getting incredibly warm in your tent around 8am and makes it near impossible to sleep.

[disco-dani]

apparently you can get good quality tents that keep the heat out and keep a decent temprature inside.

think theyre pretty expensive though

but if your splashing out id go for that rather than a blackout tent

[Gre]

The problem isn't so much the light getting in your tent, it's the heat. If you've went to bed at 6am if it's good weather it'll start getting incredibly warm in your tent around 8am and makes it near impossible to sleep.

[rexclark]

I'm no physicist, but thinking back to my GCSE science, won't a lot of the heat in the tent be due to the sunlight-heat getting into the tent, which the blackout will stop?

[Dave The Hedgehog]

I don't really know. Butr one thing I have heard is that putting silver space blankets on the outside of your tent reflects the heat away and keeps your tent cooler, the only problem is if there's a breeze they rustle.

[FestivalFriend]

the silver blankets work, but make noise and don't last long in winds. best way to keep it cooler is get it in the shade, fairly simple with a few poles, bunges, pegs and a tarp. i normally rig these up about a foot above the tent, and it works a treat.

[JBarbour]

Ebay got some black out tents, not bad prices

2 man

same tent on amazon

3 man tent

Large 3 man with huge porch

For the foil, it works well but as people have said annoying when wind blows. If using the foil I'd tape it to a ground sheet as tight/stretch as possible and then place that over tent. keeps away rain and sun

Edited July 14, 2010 by craigb

[tootsmcfruits]

I'm no physicist, but thinking back to my GCSE science, won't a lot of the heat in the tent be due to the sunlight-heat getting into the tent, which the blackout will stop?

[Dropkick Murphy]

I would avoid it unless you can afford an expensive one with excellent ventilation. If it's sunny, the black tent will just absorb the heat. We all know how hot normal tents get when it's sunny, black tents will be much worse and it will be impossible to sleep!

Just buy a decent eye shadow/mask and some earplugs and you should be fine.

[XrtVra]

Heading off to a festival and need a tent. Was thinking of a blackout tent.

Seems like a good idea will be able to sleep off the hangover in the morning a lot easier if it's dark.

Anyone had one? What are the pros and cons?