Missouri Preparations: Fan

I dislike spending more money, and I dislike having to carry more gear, but I’m faced with a couple situations I may need to be prepared for. The first is the heat. The heat dome is hitting most of the middle of the country. The Missouri Paddlers reported temperatures of 103 near the headwaters of the Missouri River. Here, we’ve been seeing 104-109. I look with envy at Josh Tart paddling in Upstate New York with temperatures much of the day in the 70’s, a short high of 85, and then falling off fairly quickly to nightly lows in the mid-60’s. That’s comfortable paddling and sleeping. By contrast, here we’ve been seeing temperatures still in the 90’s by 8 p.m. That pretty much guarantees an unbearable and sleepless night if there isn’t some way to cool down. A shower or dip in the river just before climbing into the tent is an obvious necessity, but just as essential is having some moving air in the tent.

Credit: Gander Mountain

Unfortunately, the lower Missouri weather is much like here in Oklahoma. I’m hoping the temperatures will fall below the hundred degree mark, but I need to be prepared in case they don’t. We went to Bass Pro, our only area outfitter, to look at battery-powered fans. They had a Coleman fan on display, and I can only say I was tremendously under impressed. Holding my hand or face inches from the blades of the fan gave me nothing---not a breeze, not a zephyr. We left without solving our problem.

Jean looked on the web and found a fan at Gander Mountain called the 02 Cool Model 1092 tent fan for $30. The reviews are 4.5 out of 5, with only one negative review. That means ordering a fan without a chance to try it out, but if I get some sleep at night, that will be $30 well spent. So, its on its way from Gander Mountain.