What is the best protection against heat when camping?

The pitch matters more than any equipment: afternoon shade counts for more than morning sun. Add a sun sail or gazebo, a fan to keep the air moving, thermal mats fitted outside the windows, and a through-draught at night through roof vents with fly screens.

How much sun cream do you actually need?

For an adult’s whole body, roughly 30 millilitres per application — considerably more than most people use. Applied too thinly, the real protection drops to a fraction of the stated factor. Always reapply after swimming and after towelling off.

What works against mosquitoes on a campsite?

The most reliable answer is the combination: a mosquito net over the bed, fly screens on doors and roof vents, and long, pale clothing at dusk. Products on the skin help as well, but only for as long as they have just been applied.

How do you keep food fresh in summer?

Two cool boxes beat one large one: one for drinks, which is opened constantly, and one for food, which stays shut. Refreeze the ice packs on site during the day wherever that is possible, and simply do not pack chocolate, butter or soft cheese.

What complaints are most common on a summer holiday?

Sunburn, insect bites, chafing from heat and movement, an upset stomach from different food, and swimmer’s ear after a lot of swimming. All five are covered by a handful of items in the medicine kit.

When should you drive in summer?

Early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Midday is the hardest part of the day in a car, particularly with children or a dog, and in southern Europe it coincides with the hours when everything is shut anyway.

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Summer Holiday Packing List

Sun, swimming lakes and warm evenings: the summer holiday packing list for camping and motorhomes thinks of sun protection, keeping cool, keeping mosquitoes off, and everything for the swimming stop — so the hot days stay easy.

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102 items · 10 categories

Documents and preparation

In summer the paperwork is done quickly and forgotten just as quickly. Photograph it onto your phone as a second copy.

Passport or national ID cardFor non-EU destinations, check the remaining validity: six months beyond your return date is a common requirement.
Driving licence and vehicle documentsAbroad you will be asked for the registration document far more often than at home.
Booking confirmations printedReception does not always have a signal, and the phone does not always have battery.
GHIC, EHIC or proof of travel insuranceIt covers state healthcare only, not repatriation.
Cash and small changeBeach showers, sunloungers and parking machines in the south often take coins and nothing else.
Toll vignettes and a toll appAustria, Switzerland and Slovenia enforce strictly, and you cannot buy a vignette at every border crossing.
Medicine kit checked before setting offMore goes out of date over summer than you expect: creams and ointments cope badly with heat.
Weather and wildfire risk checkedIn southern Europe the fire risk level decides whether barbecues and open flames are allowed at all.
Air conditioning in the car checkedIn summer the longest leg usually falls in the hottest part of the day.

Sun protection

The one category where a mistake still hurts days later. In the south your usual routine is not enough.

High-factor sun creamFactor 30 as a minimum, nearer 50 by water. The amount matters more than the factor — most people apply far too thinly.
Water-resistant sun cream for the beachReapply after swimming and after towelling off, water-resistant or not.
A separate sun cream for the faceBody cream stings the eyes and blocks pores, which is why it stays unused above the neck.
Lip balm with a sun filterLips are the place nobody thinks of and the first to crack.
Aftersun lotion or aloe veraCools and holds moisture in. After a hot day it is the most welcome thing of the evening.
Sun hat or cap with neck coverThe back of the neck burns first, because you cannot see it.
Sunglasses with UV protectionBy water and at altitude the glare is far stronger, and cheap lenses without a filter do more harm than none at all.
Light long-sleeved shirt for middayFabric protects more reliably than any cream and never needs reapplying.
UV shirt for childrenMore effective in the water than sun cream, which washes off anyway.
Sunshades for the car windowsThe interior heats up within minutes once the car is standing still.

Clothing in the heat

Summer is about fabric and cut, not quantity. Light, loose and pale beats any specialist clothing.

Light cotton or linen T-shirtsNatural fibres cool by evaporation. Synthetics do not.
Shorts and light skirtsCut loose: tight clothing in the heat is the most common cause of chafing.
One pair of long, light trousersAgainst mosquitoes in the evening, and for churches and museums with a dress code.
Light jacket for the eveningEven in the south it cools noticeably by the water after sunset.
Thin waterproof jacketSummer storms are short and heavy, particularly in the mountains.
Spare underwear and socksYou get through more in the heat than planned. Days away divided by two, plus two.
Swimwear, at least two setsPutting on wet swimwear is the quickest route to skin trouble.
Sandals and flip-flopsOne pair for walking, one pair for the pitch.
Sturdy shoes for days outEven on a summer holiday there is always the one day when somebody wants to walk.
Water shoes for stony beachesOn the Mediterranean this is the rule, not the exception — add sea urchins and hot pebbles.
Headscarf or buffSoaked and laid around the neck, it is the most effective simple way to cool down.
Laundry bag for wet thingsWet swimwear in a case makes everything damp within a day.

Beach and water

The part of the luggage that comes out every single day. It all belongs on top, not underneath the tent.

Beach towels, one per personKept apart from the shower towel, or everything is sandy by the third day.
Beach shelter or sun sailOn the coast, shelter from the wind matters more often than shade.
Parasol with a ground anchorA parasol without an anchor travels down the beach on the first gust.
Beach mat or picnic blanketIt insulates against hot sand and can be shaken out, which a towel cannot.
Buoyancy aids for childrenOnly tested buoyancy aids float a child. Inflatable toys are not buoyancy aids.
Snorkel and maskTurns an ordinary swimming day into an afternoon with something to do.
Waterproof phone pouchSand and salt water are more dangerous to electronics than rain.
Mesh beach bag that shakes outMesh lets the sand through instead of carrying it home with you.
Cool bag for the beach dayDrinks in the sun become undrinkably warm within the hour.
Enough drinking waterOn the beach you need considerably more, and kiosks are either expensive or far away.
Waterproof watch or timerSo that reapplying sun cream is not left to whoever happens to remember.
Sand toysUseful even without children: the spade digs the hole for the parasol.

Shade and cooling

In high summer the shade decides the whole day. A pitch without a tree needs kit of its own.

Sun sail or tarpLarger and more flexible than any awning, and quicker to take down when the wind gets up.
Gazebo or awningIt creates the covered area that a tent on its own does not have.
Fan, 12 V or battery-poweredMoving air lowers the temperature you feel more than any cooling device.
Thermal mats for the windowsFitted outside they keep the heat out; fitted inside they only keep the sun off.
Well-insulated cool boxPassive boxes hold overnight without power, provided the ice packs are swapped during the day.
Ice packs, a double setOne set cooling, one set refreezing — as long as the site has a freezer to use.
Cooling cloths or damp towelsAround the neck, the simplest and most effective cooling there is.
Spray bottle of waterEvaporative cooling for face and arms, and for dogs and children too.
Mosquito net instead of a closed doorIt lets the air through at night without letting the insects in.
Pitch with afternoon shade chosenMorning sun is harmless. It is the afternoon sun that decides the day.

Eating and drinking in the heat

Above thirty degrees, what works changes. Cooking becomes secondary and cooling becomes the main event.

Insulated water bottles for everyoneInsulated bottles keep water cold for hours and save every trip to the kiosk.
More drinks than you plannedConsumption doubles in the heat, and on-site resupply costs twice the price.
Electrolyte powder or tabletsWhen you are sweating heavily, more effective than plain water.
Fruit and vegetables instead of heavy foodLight food sits better in the heat, and it covers part of the fluid you need.
Salad, bread and cold cuts for no-cooking daysOn hot days the stove stays off, and that is exactly as it should be.
A cool box for drinks aloneKept apart from food, because it is opened far more often.
Stores that cope with heatChocolate, butter and soft cheese do not survive a summer boot.
Storage boxes with lidsOpen leftovers attract wasps within minutes in summer.
Wasp covers for glassesLids and straws prevent the sting in the mouth, which is the genuinely dangerous one.
Barbecue with gas cartridgesWhere there is a wildfire risk, open fires are banned and a gas barbecue is usually still allowed.
Ice cube tray or freezer bagFreeze it on site, wherever reception offers that.

Sleeping on warm nights

In the south the problem is not the heat by day, but the night in which it never cools down.

Thin sleeping bag or a sheetA warm sleeping bag is useless in summer. A sheet is often enough.
Mosquito net over the bedNear the coast and by lakes, the difference between sleeping and lying awake.
A fan that runs quietlyMoving air makes warm nights bearable. A loud motor does not.
Blackout against the morning sunIn summer it is light by half past four, and the tent heats up immediately.
Cooling pillow or damp towelLaid on the neck or wrists, it lowers the temperature you feel noticeably.
EarplugsIn summer the sites are fuller and the evenings longer.
Eye maskThe only answer to sites that light their paths all night.
Light cotton nightwearSynthetics cling in the heat and are more trouble than they are worth.
Roof vent or window with a fly screenA through-draught is the only effective cooling inside a closed body.

Washing and the summer medicine kit

Heat, water and sun bring complaints of their own. Most are harmless and all are unpleasant.

Wash bag that hangs upThe shower block rarely has a shelf, but almost always has a hook.
Biodegradable shower gel and shampooOn many sites it goes straight into the ground.
Microfibre travel towelIt dries overnight. The large bath towel does not.
Deodorant and body powderPowder against chafing on inner thighs and under straps.
Barrier cream for chafingIn heat and with movement, the most common complaint on long days.
Cooling gel for sunburnEven with good precautions, somebody usually catches it.
Insect bite treatmentIt saves the night nobody would otherwise sleep through.
Electrolyte powderIn heat and after a stomach upset, more useful than any medicine.
Something for diarrhoeaDifferent water and different food are the rule in the south.
Painkillers and something for feverAbroad these are pharmacy-only, and only during opening hours.
Ear drops for swimmer’s earAfter a lot of swimming the ear canal becomes inflamed, particularly in children.
Plasters and blister plastersSandals worn all day rub differently from closed shoes.

Insects

In summer it is not the heat that ends the evening, it is the mosquito. The effort here pays back twice over.

Insect repellent for the skinProducts with a high concentration of active ingredient last considerably longer, and the evening is long.
Mosquito net for the sleeping areaThe one measure that works all night without being reapplied.
Fly screens for doors and roof ventsThey allow a through-draught without the insects arriving with it.
Mosquito coil or candle for outsideIt works at the table in sheltered air, and barely at all in wind.
Wasp trap or wasp jarSet up away from the table it draws them off, rather than in.
Electric bite healerIt works best immediately after the bite and needs no chemicals.
Antihistamine gelFor the bites that happen anyway, and for allergic reactions.
Long, pale clothing for duskMore effective than any product, and it never needs reapplying.

Downtime and long evenings

In summer the evening is the best part of the day. A few small things are what make it.

String lights or solar lampsWarm light attracts fewer insects than white.
Camping chairs and tableSitting outside until midnight is the actual reason for a summer holiday.
A pack of cards or dice gameSmall, needs no power, and works for any number of people.
Book or e-readerAn e-reader stays readable in bright sun. A tablet does not.
Bluetooth speaker, kept quietQuiet hours are enforced strictly on summer sites.
Bikes and locksThe pitch is rarely where you want to eat in the evening.
BinocularsFor the night sky, for wildlife, and for the question of how busy the beach will be tomorrow.
Badminton or boulesIt occupies every age group in the cooler part of the evening.
Power bank and charging cablesCamera, maps and music drain the battery faster in summer than usual.

Common questions

What is the best protection against heat when camping?: The pitch matters more than any equipment: afternoon shade counts for more than morning sun. Add a sun sail or gazebo, a fan to keep the air moving, thermal mats fitted outside the windows, and a through-draught at night through roof vents with fly screens.
How much sun cream do you actually need?: For an adult’s whole body, roughly 30 millilitres per application — considerably more than most people use. Applied too thinly, the real protection drops to a fraction of the stated factor. Always reapply after swimming and after towelling off.
What works against mosquitoes on a campsite?: The most reliable answer is the combination: a mosquito net over the bed, fly screens on doors and roof vents, and long, pale clothing at dusk. Products on the skin help as well, but only for as long as they have just been applied.
How do you keep food fresh in summer?: Two cool boxes beat one large one: one for drinks, which is opened constantly, and one for food, which stays shut. Refreeze the ice packs on site during the day wherever that is possible, and simply do not pack chocolate, butter or soft cheese.
What complaints are most common on a summer holiday?: Sunburn, insect bites, chafing from heat and movement, an upset stomach from different food, and swimmer’s ear after a lot of swimming. All five are covered by a handful of items in the medicine kit.
When should you drive in summer?: Early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Midday is the hardest part of the day in a car, particularly with children or a dog, and in southern Europe it coincides with the hours when everything is shut anyway.

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