French heatwave whilst camping - cancel?

[Worryingmama]

Hi all,

Advice needed. We’re supposed to be camping in northern Ardeche next week. It’s now due to be about 39 degrees. The campsite is in forest so will have some shade, but is still going to be totally scorching.

We’ll have our 4 year old and our 8 year old with us. Would you still go? Worried this level of heat is actually going to be dangerous.

Has anyone camped with little ones in similar temps - and if so do you have any advice?

Thank you!

There are local people who live in hot countries who camp they manage it

We camped with kids in the Auvergne during a 40 degrees heatwave some years ago. In the shade of trees with frequent dips on the river, rides on the car with the air conditioning on, and leisurely visits to the air conditioned supermarket, and we were fine.

I definitely wouldn't cancel the holiday!

France has good heatwave protocols. There will be health information and a map of air conditioned buildings people can go and sit in.

We were in Narbonne last month and we had temperatures of 38 degrees the first two days and it was doable. TBF we weren't camping and had an air conditioned hotel room but we were out and about except for the middle of the day.

Décathlon do a range of heat reflective tents (the exact name escapes me right now, it'd something like 'cool and fresh'), when they have them on display in their car parks they're much cooler than the classic tents. Not sure just how portable the are though.

Fresh and Black!