Soundproof Tent: How to soundproof a tent

If you love outdoor adventures and camping at the festivals, then at some point you may have realized that your tent needs soundproofing. As most tents are made of thin fabric sheets, they don’t do a good job of reducing noise. Also, the tents need air vent to stop them from becoming hot and stinky, which becomes an entry point of the sound from outside. 

Now to deal with this noise you can either buy a sound absorbing tent like Crua Cocoon or make your tent soundproof. Both of these methods will significantly decrease the level of noise in your tent, but none of them are 100% effective and won’t completely block the sound. 

Soundproof Tents 

These soundproof tents don’t block all the noise, but they are more effective than regular tents. Crua outdoor thermal tents or thermo tents as they are commonly known as being one such product. They claim to reduce sound by 25-30 decibels. They have some positive reviews. Let’s check their top two products. 

Crua Tri Luxury Winter Tent – Insulated three-person tent

Previously known as Thermo Tent, Crua is a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign by Derek O’Sullivan. Being camper himself, Derek knew of the limitation and shortcomings of the tents available at the time. So, to make a tent that could fix the issues like poor thermal insulation and outside noise, he designed this tent. 

The Crua Tri Luxury Tent uses breathable polycotton as the outer and inner layer with microfiber insulation as a middle layer. The triple-layered design helps in regulating temperature, sunlight, noise, and also protects from rain and snow. 

Features

• Illuminous guide ropes to prevent you from tripping while navigating back to the tent.
• Insulation to help it remain cozy in extreme heats of California and harsh winter of Alaska alike. 
• Dampens the outside noise by 30 decibels.
• It is mildew resistant (a useful factor if you are camping in a damp environment) and flame retardant. 
• It has reinforced steel polls which aren’t going to bent easily due to bad weather. 

Pros and Cons

You can try Crua Cocoon if Tri Luxury is out of your budget. 

Coleman Dome Tent 

If you want a budget-friendly tent than you should go with the Coleman Dome Tent, it has 6000+ reviews with an overall 4.4-star rating on Amazon. Even though it is not comparable to Crua in quality and features but at the low price point, this tent does offer waterproofing and noise reduction features. The sound absorption is better than other conventional tents but still not good enough. However, with few adjustments and changes, it can be bought to the level of Crua. The steps to make it more soundproof are discussed below.

Features

• Needs around 10 minutes for the setup. 
• The patented welded floor keeps the tent dry.
• Provides superior ventilation as compared to competitors.

Pros and Cons

How to soundproof a traditional tent?

You can use any of the below steps to soundproof any conventional tent effectively.

1. Place thick carpets on the floor.
2. Try Acoustic barriers.
3. Soundproofing curtains is another way.
4. Use moving blankets to dampen the noise.
5. Use a permanent structure.
6. Buy soundproof earmuffs

Use Thick Carpets

Carpets can help in reducing bass frequencies traveling through the ground. It is a simple and inexpensive way to soundproof a tent. For better result, try several layers of carpets. You can use any carpet as long as they are thick and dense. You can take a look at Rubber-Cal recycled mats or ACTCUT super soft indoor rugs, both of them are very effective in noise absorption.

Hang Soundproof curtains

Using a soundproof curtain is another way to reduce noise. There are a plethora of curtains claiming to dampen the sound, but only a few of them do a decent job. While choosing a curtain for soundproofing purposes, the five crucial factors; size, material, weight, washability, and most importantly, customer reviews. 

Not all the tents have enough space to accommodate large-sized curtains. So, before ordering, make sure the size is appropriate for your tent. The best materials for sound absorption are velvet, vinyl, and polyester. These materials are also thick, so it checks out 3 out of 5 factors.

The other two factors themselves don’t add anything to the soundproofing, but they are essential in identifying a decent noise reducing curtain. Curtains become dirty over time; hence, washability is a plus factor. If a curtain is as good as the seller claims it to be, they will have positive reviews. So, do check out the reviews before making a purchase. I would recommend NICETOWN Blackout Curtains and Best Home Fashion Curtains. For more information check out my article on soundproof curtains.

Install Acoustic Barriers

Studios and construction sites use acoustic barriers for soundproofing. These barriers are a layer of dense material such as TMS Mass Loaded Vinyl and are designed to deaden the sound. They are a bit expensive compared to other solutions. So, don’t buy them if you are looking for an economical solution. MuteX soundproofing material is a cheaper alternative to Mass Loaded Vinyl.

Use Soundproof Moving Blankets

Moving blankets are an excellent way of reducing the noise level. You can hang these blankets inside the tent to dampen the noise. Usually, fiberglass is used as the material for making these blankets. If you are looking for an affordable solution for soundproofing the tent, then moving blankets such as Sure-Max moving blanket is a great choice. You can find out more about moving blankets here.

Permanent Structure To Soundproof Tent

I know this isn’t a convenient solution and I would only recommend this if you are going to camp for several days. For this, you will need a wooden structure with soundproofing insulation attached inside it. Then use this structure to enclose your tent. It basically functions the same as an acoustic barrier but with more durability.

Buy Earmuffs

Noise-reducing earmuffs, such as Mpow, you can buy on Amazon, are a quick and affordable solution. Personally, initially, it was uncomfortable to sleep wearing them. But after some time I got used to them. They can take some time to get used to it. If you think you will feel comfortable wearing one, then go for it. And if you are interested in earmuffs and want to check out some options than you can read my awesome guide on buying a perfect earmuff. Alternatively, you can buy earplugs. They are smaller in size and also a cheaper option as compared to earmuffs. If you are interested in them, check out my review on eargasm earplugs.

Conclusion

You can either buy a soundproof tent or can use some sound deadening materials in your conventional tent. Purchasing a sound dampening tent is hassle-free and more convenient than converting a conventional tent into one. However, if you want a more economical solution, you would have to go for the second option. Either way, you will be getting a much comfortable and cozy experience at the end.