Unfortunately, once daylight has broken through your tent fabric, it can be hard to catch those extra z’s – especially in the bright light of summer.
Luckily for late risers, there is a solution in blackout tents. A growing trend in tent technology, blackout tents have been designed to help solve one of the oldest camping problems – getting a good (and essential) night’s sleep!
Read our guide to camping blackout tents below to find out what they are, how they work, and which ones are available to buy…
What is a blackout tent?
Sometimes also known as ‘dark rest’ or ‘dark room’ tents, a blackout tent is a tent that uses a specific fabric that has light-diffusing or light-absorbing qualities.
The purpose of this is to keep the inside of the tent as dark as possible, so you don’t have to wake up when the sun does. Blackout tents are ideal for those camping with babies and children, but also for anyone sensitive to light when trying to get to sleep.
Blackout fabric is either fully blacked out – like Coleman Tents – while some simply feature a dark coloured fabric. The most heavy-duty blackout tents claim to block out up to 99% of daylight, while others only go as far as promising reduced morning light or glare.
Typically, tents have always been a lighter colour to help keep them cooler inside. However, thanks to innovations in ventilation and climate control fabric, the temperature inside blackout tents can still be kept comfortable.
Some outdoor brands also have their own specific term for a blackout tent, such as Vango’s ‘Lights Out’ tents.