Best Camping/Hiking Fans For Tents – Reviews and Guide 2021

Benefits

• These camping fans are highly effective when it comes to lowering your tent’s temperature especially when the sun is out on hot summer days.
• They are highly effective in improving overall breathability inside your tent due to a frequent airflow.
• They can be highly effective in improving your overall sleep as you lay down in a comfortable environment inside your tent.
• With most of the tents, you have to deal with poor ventilation. As you can’t do too much because you can’t tweak your tent as needed, it is better to invest in such a unit to sort things out.
• Foods tend to spoil pretty quickly in tents especially when the temperature is high. And to lower the temperature you can use a fan and it will allow you food to last longer.

Types

Three different types of units are suitable for a variety of purposes. These are as follows:

• Hanging. Hanging tent fans are best because they don’t take any space on the floor inside your tent. They generally hang with the ceiling. And if the model you are considering comes with light it would be the icing on the cake. It will be very useful when everyone settles down for the night.
• Freestanding. A freestanding tent fan comes with a base at the bottom and you can place them inside your tent where you have some space. You can also place it outside your tent for better ventilation. It would be a good choice to place it right next to the campfire where you are cooking your food to keep things cool a bit.
• Handheld. Handheld units are cool gadgets because you can easily charge them and carry along easily. You won’t be short of cool air on your entire trip. But the only issue with them is they are very small in size. You will have to hold them where you want to focus or direct the flow of air (either at your feet or your face).
• Multiple-Use. There are some designs you can use for a variety of purposes. They are extremely lightweight and you can carry, hang, place them wherever you want. But these fans are not readily available.

What to Look for When Buying Fans for Camping/Hiking?

There are some limited but very important features you need to consider when buying a camping fan. We have highlighted each one of them in the following guide.

• Airflow. It is the most important feature to look for when buying a camping fan. With more airflow, of course, there will be more cooling. A fan that can move more air is better. But with more airflow, the diameter of the fan also increases. And it will add to the overall size and weight of the unit. So you need to make your choice wisely here.
• The longevity of the Power Source. There are different types available on the market when it comes to their power source. There are rechargeable and battery-powered models that are traditional and you need to carry extra batteries to power them. They are large and are usually not very expensive but the cost of batteries can outstrip the cost of them. On the other hand, rechargeable models might take some time to replenish and don’t last for long per charge. To balance it all out you can go for a model that is powered by an AC adapter. And when you have access to an outlet, you can plug in the fan and have your batteries.
• Hanging option. Always look for a model that comes with some kind of hanging option. Because they are the ones that come with an inbuilt light as well. But if you are looking for a hanging fan then it needs to be light. Of course, it will result in less airflow but if you have a breathable tent with proper ventilation then the fan will work pretty fine.
• Construction. The overall construction of a camping fan needs to be robust. And this is a no brainer because anything designed for the outdoors needs to be sturdy. You don’t have to go with a metal fan because it will be heavier. Choose hard plastic but that is good quality. And the overall design should be safely covered. This is a must-have feature if you have kids or pets along with you on your trip.
• Portability. Of course, you are going to carry your fan with you so it needs to be lightweight and compact. Some models come with a foldable design that allows you to pack it and tuck it inside your backpack comfortably.
• Safety. Like we have mentioned above, if you have kids or pets on your trip along with you then you need to consider some safety features when buying such a model. No wires should be exposed. The blades of the fan must be inside the grill and tough to touch. It must come with an automatic shutoff feature as well
• White Noise. Make sure you go for a camping fan that doesn’t come with much white noise either. You are in your tent to relax and if you have some noise going you won’t be able to relax or even sleep sound.
• Size & weight. Again, for better airflow, you need to go for a bigger-sized and heavier camping models are not a good decision for portability and compact features. Therefore, you have to balance it out between these two factors and decide how much you can afford to give up on both sides.
• Material and Durability. Metals are great but they also add to the overalls eight of the unit so you should go for hard plastic material. It doesn’t conduct electricity and keeps the overall unit lightweight to carry as well.

Freestanding vs. Ceiling Mounted

Ceiling mounted camping model is a good choice on a hot day because it keeps the air properly flowing throughout the tent. But you will need something to hang it with your tent and with something else if you need it outside.

And this is where a freestanding model comes handy because you can place it wherever you want. But it is going to take up some space in your tent. So, decisions are yours to take which option do you prefer.

Conclusion

When going for the best camping fan, make sure you don’t choose a model that is too heavy to carry on your back. If you are not going to carry it on your back for long then you can go for larger-sized fans as well. But for hiking, you need to be careful.

Also, make sure that you don’t go for a motor that makes too much noise. A fan that is designed to be versatile enough that you can use it by hanging or freestanding it and also use its inbuilt LED lights, is the best of them all.

Q&A