What do you do when it's HOT?

[aghartha]

I live in Central Texas, and it's already in the upper 90's creeping ever closer to triple digits.     As far as cold weather camping goes, I've got that covered.  But what do you do when it's hot?!  Assuming it's a calm night, it may not get below 80.  There's no point in taking a 20 degree bag out on a night like that, and there's barely any point in even trying to cover up!  So what do you sleep in/on?  I've got a $5 tube tent to keep bird crap off my face, and a light sleeping pad, but what else?  Do you even bother?

Oh yeah, first post.  Hi.

[paxton coyote]

 when doing RAGBRAI (bike ride across Iowa in July, think humidity!) a few years ago I bought a cheap Slumberjack 50 degree sleeping bag & just laid on top of it & sweat untill the wee morning hours then I might throw it over me if needed, this was in a tent, on a sleeping pad & next to my wife who was usually burrowed into her 30 degree bag!

[riverfever]

I might be inclined to try a hammock. I didn't like it up here at altitude because of all the air flow beneath you but that might serve to cool you off quite nicely in the heat. You probably wouldn't even need anything inside the hammock. Maybe Sherpa will chime in. He's down in TX and he's into hammocks so I'm sure he could be of help.

[aghartha]

A hammock isn't a bad idea, not sure why I didn't consider that.  Thanks!

[mattinaustin]

I suggest getting a hammock or tarp and driving to Colorado :-)

But seriously I don't think there are too many ways to beat the heat besides gradually acclimating to it.  When I knew I was going to be camping in warmer temps I started using less and less A/C in order to get used to it.  It helps quite a bit.  Think about all the poor suckers who lived here before there was A/C (although I am guessing they were still miserable a lot of the time).  The down side is that every store or building you go into will be freezing!

Set up your tent/tarp/hammock so you get the best breeze possible.  A breeze is a god send if the humidity isn't too high. 

To make it worse we have a lot of mosquitoes to deal with which means bug netting.  I think the no-see-um mesh is too tight to let much air flow.  Either forgo the netting and use bug spray and/or clothing treatment or get the bigger mesh which just keeps the mosquitoes out.

Setting up camp next to water usually helps, but the bug problem will probably be worse. 

If you can, try to plan for a time when high pressure is keeping the humidity lower.  As I am sure you know, that really is the worst part of it.

Me?  I don't camp in the Texas summer anymore.  It's just no fun.

[fat bob]

I've got a spare hammock you're welcome to borrow, I'm in New Braunfels

[DaveC]

For summer backpacking in the Grand Canyon I would take a tarp, pad, and synthetic sleeping bag liner.

[aghartha]

I suggest getting a hammock or tarp and driving to Colorado :-)

Doing this in 5 weeks!

Thanks for the tips folks.  I may just not be cut out for summer, even though I'm a native.

[Chad B]

A few weeks ago during the Coconino 250 ITT, I only had a bivvy. Granted I only slept about 3 hours, but my little emergency bivvy was fine during the few hours of sleep I did get. I did not bring a sleeping bag or pad on the trip.

[stevage]

I used one of those Thermolite 2.0 bivy sack things a few months ago on a super hot night. Call me paranoid, but if the weather did something unexpected, I'd much rather have something at least moderately warm. I slept without it most of the night, but at maybe 3 or 4 am it got cool enough to want something on me.