Camping in the wilderness sure seems fascinating. Who doesn’t fancy sleeping to the sounds of the crackling bonfire and waking up to the lovely chirping of birds and running water streams in the background? But your most awaited experience will most likely get ruined by your noisy campsite neighbors.
Although typical camping tents shelter you from the rain and cold, their walls aren’t thick enough to block the outside noise. Soundproofing a tent is your only way out if you want to keep the calmness and peace of your mind intact. Let’s discover how to soundproof a tent for a more private camping experience outdoors.
Start by bulking up your thin tent walls with acoustic panels and sound-deadening curtains. Lining the tent’s insides with standard MLV sheets may be ineffective in combating the outside noise. Reinforce the ground with thick rugs and carpets. Although you can play music inside your tent to cancel the outside sound, wearing noise-canceling earplugs can be the last resort.
Why Do You Need to Soundproof a Tent?
Selecting a campsite is no big deal. But no matter how serene and peaceful they look in tourism blogs and magazines, campgrounds are never calm. You might be craving a good night’s sleep after an exhausting hiking trip, but not everyone considers natural campsites quiet outdoor retreats.
Who knows, the folks in your neighboring tents may have something else planned that involves some jazz or country music. Before you get in a conflict with them, remember they are here for fun and recreation – just as you. Perhaps you should divert your attention to soundproofing your tent so that their night-long festivities don’t take a toll on your sleep.
While investing in a soundproof tent could end all that misery, there aren’t many affordable and practical options you can find. Instead, upgrade your camping gear with sound-dampening tools to soundproof the tent when it gets unbearably loud outside. Soundproofing your tent helps:
– Minimize noise pollution by reducing the sound that flows into the tent.
-With no external disturbance in the form of noise, you can achieve a night of better and sound sleep.
-Padding your tent to block out noise also helps in thermal insulation. This allows your tent to stay warmer in winter.
Effective Ways to Soundproof a Tent
The benefits of a soundproof tent are many, but the question that needs to be addressed is, how to effectively soundproof your tent. Some of the most effective methods are discussed below, read on and implement the ones that suit you the best.
1. Place Acoustic Barriers Inside and Out
While many believe acoustic barriers, or Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) sheets, are meant for household drywalls, they work exceptionally well in camping tents. In fact, out of all soundproofing materials, MLV sheets offer one of the highest sound absorption ratios for high-frequency sounds.
MLV comes as a long rolling sheet measuring a quarter-inch in thickness, making it simpler to install without reducing the inner space of your tent. Since it is originally designed for under-construction houses, companies usually ship it out as large-sized rollers that are only practical for large tents.
People with small backpack tents might need to cut them into a size that smoothly fits. And if that’s your case, this is something you should consider:
Soundsulate MLV – Despite its high STC rating, the mass-loaded vinyl sheet measures 1/8th of an inch. It is made from premium quality material that imparts high strength and flexibility, allowing hassle-free installation.
2. Cover the Floor with Rugs and Carpets
The fundamental problem with MLV is that it only blocks/absorbs sounds with a higher frequency. As for low-frequency bass sounds that travel through the ground, stuffing your tent with layers of rugs and carpets will absorb these sounds.
While there’s no guideline about how thick the carpeting should be, the thicker, the better. Extra cushioning will make your camp feel more comfortable and homelier. The following carpet and rugs offer the perfect soundproofing:
Lochas soundproofing – this soft and fluffy velvet rug comes in various sizes to match the area of your camping tent. Lochas rug carries a spongy inner layer that absorbs vibrations and base sounds.
Merelex Rug – With its fluffy plush and fuzzy fur surface, the Merelex rug will offer you the comfort of your bedroom while camping in the wild. The embedded plush pile filters unwanted noise from the ground.
3. Use Soundproof Curtains
You’d need more than a carpeted floor to block outside noise if you stay in a sizeable cabin-styled camp alongside your family. Offering the same functionality as acoustic barriers, soundproof curtains absorb the sound waves that pass through the thin walls of your tent. Since acoustic barriers are expensive and difficult to procure at times, these curtains come out as a convenient alternative.
Like carpets, the thicker your curtains are, the more noise they will absorb. Some widely used sound-deadening curtains are:
Nicetown Curtains – The triple-weave blackout fabric is a perfect combination of style and functionality. Their draped fabric holds 2x more soundproofing capacity than ordinary curtains.
Lazy velvet curtains – With its luxury-induced velvet panels, the velvet curtains block out UV rays, excessive sunlight, and most of all, noise.
4. Create a Personal Indoor Space
You are mistaken if you think your large-sized camping tent leaves you at the mercy of excessive outside noise. You can use the size of your tent to your advantage. Designing small individual sleeping spaces or pods inside the large cabin tent allows you to muffle down the noise before it reaches your ears.
While it serves as an additional indoor soundproof tent, a personal indoor space offers you more privacy. If installing acoustic buffers and MLV sheets is a little too stuffy for you, an individual sleeping pod would suit your style. Snuggling yourself in a soundproof blanket will make the room quieter and more peaceful.
5. Wear Noise-Canceling Earplugs
With regard to other methods, wearing noise-canceling earplugs might seem like a quick hack. But who cares if it’s a cheeky way of soundproofing as long as it helps you get a good night’s sleep? However, considering where technology stands today, wearing earplugs alone won’t block out the noise unless you pair it with other methods mentioned in the list.
Supceat earplugs – Featuring an ergonomic design made from non-toxic silicone material, the Supceat earplugs smoothly set into your ears. They block outside noise to a large extent while softening the soundwaves that pass through.
Loop experience earplugs – As one of the most popular noise-canceling earplugs, Loop experience earplugs come with a noise reduction rating of 18 dB, putting an end to outside noise. With a range of four different sizes, you can find one that fully suits your ears.
6. Mask the External Noise with Destructive Interference
Combating external noise with self-controlled sound from inside the tent is destructive interference. For instance, if the outside ruckus around the campsite is disturbing your sleep, an ideal way to buffer it down is by producing a more appealing sound to your ears.
While this may not cancel the external noise, it effectively disrupts their path in and out of the tent. A recommended way is to project the sound waves in the direction the noise is coming from. Since it’s pretty useful against bass sounds, point it down towards the ground.
Even though this method isn’t as effective in canceling the outdoor noise, it certainly controls the noise that enters or escapes the tent. You should prefer combining it with other soundproofing methods like acoustic panels to acquire perfect results.
Is It Possible to Soundproof a Tent Completely?
With so many possible methods to soundproof a tent, you may wonder if any of them even works. Honestly, there’s no one-word answer that would satisfy your quest for a soundproof camping tent.
As surprising as it may seem, you can only control the intensity of noise that flows in the tent but never shut it off completely. The biggest and probably only reason the quest is unattainable as of yet is because of the very structure of a tent.
For a house or a room to be truly soundproof, it must be insulated from all sides – the floor, walls, and ceiling. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with tents. You can block most of the noise by setting up panels, placing carpets, wearing earplugs, and using destructive interference, but some sound waves will still manage to pass through.
People Also Asked
Before the close of the article, here are the answers to some of the common questions.
Does soundproofing a tent make it sturdier?
While it’s not the primary objective, soundproofing a tent through insulation pads, carpets, and rugs does strengthen a tent structurally. Since they are lightweight, the added bulk will surely enhance the weight.
Are soundproof tents thermally insulated?
Most soundproofing materials like; rugs, carpets, and curtains, are thermally induced. They insulate the tent protecting it from the outside temperature. It keeps the tent warmer in winter and less warm in summer.
Can I play music to soundproof my tent?
Playing music can be an effective destructive interference strategy to dampen the outside noise. It disperses the external noise penetrating the tent but cannot buffer it completely.
Are soundproof tents worth it?
Soundproof tents are better buffed up and insulated than typical camping tents. They have thicker walls and layered padding that blocks most outside noise. However, they cannot eliminate the noise completely.