There’s a lot to consider when choosing the best tent for your outdoor adventure. You need to consider the size of the tent, its weight, how well it’ll keep you warm, cool, and dry, and any other amenities you need.
One thing you may not have considered is the color of your tent. This may come as a surprise, but the color of your tent does matter! Different colors can help keep bugs away, keep the heat in or out of your tent, and even help you sleep better.
So, how do you know which color you should choose?
It all depends on your camping trip’s circumstances.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about which tent colors are best for every camping trip.
Best Tent Colors for Camping
Finding the best colors for your camping trip is going to depend on several factors.
Do you need something that will help keep you cool, or hold in the warmth? Are you looking for something with high visibility, or something that will help you stay camouflaged?
Read on to learn about the best tent colors for camping in every situation.
Best Tent Colors For Summer Camping
A good breakdown for determining which colors are best for your camping trip is to learn which colors are best for which season.
In the summer, your tent needs to have plenty of ventilation to keep you cool but the color of your tent can help keep you cool as well.
"The color of your tent can be just as functional as it is aesthetic."
Certain colors will actually work to reflect sunlight off of your tent, which will prevent the heat from getting trapped in your tent and help you stay cool in the summer months.
The best colors for summer camping are light colors such as white, light blue, green, yellow, and light orange or peach.
These colors will reflect the sunlight off of your tent and prevent heat from getting trapped inside with you.
Choosing the wrong color in the summer can turn your tent into an oven. Stick with an all-white or lighter-colored tent so you have a nice, cool space to relax during your summer camping trips.
Best Colors for Winter Camping
Winter camping can be harsh, and the color of your tent may be the last thing on your mind.
The color of your tent is actually more important than you may realize and can make the difference between shivering at night or getting a solid night’s sleep.
Certain colors can absorb the heat from the sun’s rays and will work to trap that heat inside of your tent.
They may not look the prettiest, but dull and dark-colored tents are best for winter camping.
They’re great for absorbing and containing the heat from the day and will help keep you warm at night.
The best colors for keeping in the heat during winter camping are black, and dark blues, purples, browns, and reds. These colors retain heat from the sunlight during the day and keep it trapped in your tent throughout the night.
Keep in mind that many of the darkest colored tents can be harder to spot in the wilderness.
So, if you’re worried about your visibility in case of an emergency, then you should consider bringing along a bright orange or yellow tarp that you can display next to your tent.
This will help fellow campers or rescuers find you even in rough weather and terrain.
Which Colors Camouflage Best?
Some campers like to go off the beaten trail and remain unseen during their journey.
Part of the fun of camping is getting away from the outside world and having some time to yourself. That illusion can be shattered when other people come across your camp and interrupt your trip.
Finding a tent that camouflages well with your environment will largely depend on where you’re camping.
If you’re camping in the desert then you’ll want to try to find a shade of orange or brown that matches the sand or buttes around you.
Also Read: Best Camo Tent: 8 Camouflage Tents For Stealth Camping
For winter camping, the obvious choice for camouflage would be white- though keep in mind that this is the worst color to choose in terms of staying warm.
Camping in a traditional wooded setting means that you’re going to want to choose a tent with a gray and green color scheme to stay hidden.
There are also tents, like this GEERTOP Ultralight, that have a classic camouflage pattern you can buy.
Which Colors Are Best To Stay Visible?
Sometimes you’re going to want to choose a color that’ll help you stay visible while camping.
Maybe it’s because you and your friends are going to sleep in separate tents, but in the same general area, and you want to be able to find each other more easily.
Maybe it’s because you’re camping in an unfamiliar area and want to stay visible just in case of emergencies.
Whatever the reason, staying visible means choosing a tent with a color that stands out against the environment.
You’ll want a bright color that wouldn’t be found in nature. Bright yellow, orange, violet, and red are all great choices for this purpose.
Remember that bright orange is the go-to color for high visibility while out in the wilderness.
If you want to stay visible, but you’re not sure how well the color will contrast will your environment, choosing a bright orange is always a solid choice.
Does Your Tent Color Attract Wildlife?
This may come as a surprise, but the color of your tent can determine whether or not you’ll be sharing your camp with unwanted guests during the day.
Certain colors can lure bugs and other wildlife to your camp, while others won’t attract them to you at all.
Read on to learn more about which colors can attract wildlife to your tent.
What Tent Colors Attract Bugs?
Something else you may want to consider when buying a tent for your camping trip is how they’ll affect the insects around you.
Certain colors are more attractive to bugs, and the last thing you’d want is to have your tent act as a beacon to every flying insect in the area.
Bugs can see on the ultra-violent spectrum, which affects the colors that they can see and will be most attracted to.
Most insects are going to be naturally attracted to bright colors such as white, yellow, and orange.
If you’re going to be camping in an area with a lot of insect activity then it would be in your best interest to avoid these colors.
What Colors Keep Away Bugs
Since bugs are naturally attracted to bright colors you may be wondering what alternatives you can use for your tent that will still keep you cool in the summer.
After all, you don’t want to choose a dark-colored tent that keeps away bugs but turns your tent into a sauna.
Most bugs are going to have a harder time registering colors like green and blue because of the way their vision works.
These colors are going to be less likely to attract bugs simply because they won’t be able to see them as well.
If you’re going camping in the summer and want to choose a color for your tent that will keep you cool and deter bugs, then your best bet is to pick something in a light blue or green.
Will Brightly Colored Tents Attract Animals?
While it is true that brightly colored tents will attract bugs, it’s also true that they may attract animals that campers would rather avoid. Animals such as bears can see colors just like people can, and they are highly curious animals.
It is possible for bears, deer, birds, and other wildlife to be attracted to your tent because of its bright colors. However, most animals won’t come up to your tent unless you’ve left food out for them to find.
Animals are generally very cautious around humans so the color of your tent is unlikely to entice them enough to bring them into your camp. It is a possibility, however, and something to keep in mind.
If your tent is extremely visible to other people then it’s going to stand out just as much to the wildlife that lives there.
Should You Get A Blackout Tent?
Blackout tents have become a popular choice among festival goes and partiers, but they could be a great choice for the average camper as well.
"These tents are usually made out of darker colors like blue or black."
These colors are great for keeping away bugs or other wildlife, and they won’t stand out as much as bright colors.
Blackout tents are created with fabric that will keep your tent completely dark inside even during the day, and they’ll still work for keeping the heat out of your tent.
This is a great choice for camping in the summer. It’ll help you stay cool and unnoticed, while also allowing you to get the best night’s rest you’ve ever had camping.
Can You Dye A Tent?
After researching the pros and cons of different colored tents you may be inclined to try a different color on your next camping trip.
But going out and buying a new tent can be a hassle, and may lead you to wonder if you can save yourself some money and dye the tent you already have.
Can You Dye A Pop-Up Tent?
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to dye most tents. The reason for this is that most tents have been treated with a thick coating to make them waterproof.
This water-proofing prevents any type of liquid, including dyes, from reaching the fibers.
If your dye can’t reach the fibers of your tent’s material then it won’t be able to dye them. Most tents made of nylon and polyester will fall in the water-proofing category and you won’t be able to dye them a different color.
Can You Dye A Canvas Tent?
The good news is that it is possible to dye a canvas tent, but only in certain cases. You would need an untreated canvas tent and those are far less common than those that have been treated to be waterproof.
However, if you happen to have an old, untreated canvas tent laying around, then you can try your hand at dying it. It’s pretty easy to dye canvas fabric, and the materials will be more affordable than going out and buying a whole new tent.
You can choose the perfect color for your camping experience and save a little money.
What Color Tent is Best?
The best color for you is going to depend on a few different factors. Do you want something that’s easily visible, or are you trying to keep your camp from being seen? Are you camping in warm or cold weather?
All of these questions need to be answered in order to determine the best color for your tent. Generally, if you’re going to be camping in the summer then choosing a bright white or yellow tent will help keep you cool.
For winter weather, stick to dull and dark colors such as black, blue, and red. These colors will work to absorb the heat from the sun’s rays during the day and trap that heat in during the long, cold nights.
Does The Color Inside of Your Tent Matter?
While the color on the outside of your tent will affect your camping experience more broadly, it is true that the color inside of your tent will affect you mentally.
When you’re making the choice between picking a dark blue or an all-white tent, this is something you should keep in mind.
Bright colors will still allow in light, even in stormy conditions.
If you happen to get caught in a storm while out camping and have to spend a few hours, or even days, in your tent, the experience will be much more pleasant spent in a bright tent.
"Your tent is your resting place and it should feel like home when you’re out camping."
You wouldn’t paint the walls of your home black, and if you’re spending a lot of time in your tent, especially during the daytime, then you’re probably not going to enjoy being surrounded by thick, black fabric.
Having a tent with bright colors will keep your spirits up and prevent you from feeling trapped or restless when you have to wait out storms.
If you’re going to be camping for an extended period of time then this is something you should give some serious consideration to.
Also Read: How To Decorate a Camping Tent?
The Best Colors for Canopy Tents
Canopy tents are great for short-term outdoor activities such as camping, flea markets, farmer’s markets, and parties.
These tents are typically going to be used in warm weather, so it’s best to stick to the same types of colors you’d use for summer camping.
Some of the best colors for canopy tents are green, white, orange, and yellow. Stick with the brightest versions of these colors that you can find.
This way, the tent will protect you from harmful UV rays while deflecting the heat caused by the sun’s powerful rays.
Final Thoughts
The color of your tent matters more than you might’ve thought. Certain colors will help keep you warm in the winter or cooler in the summer.
If you’re camping in a particularly buggy area then you’re going to want to avoid bright oranges or yellows- unless you’re willing to wear a mosquito net every time you leave your tent!
Choosing the right color for your tent doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Just remember the basics; dark colors are for winter and bright colors are for summer.
Now you’re ready to pick out your tent and head into the great outdoors.
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