You Can Only Keep It So Warm”: Temperatures Inside Tents and Coping Strategies Among People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness

People experiencing unsheltered homelessness (PEUH) are disproportionately vulnerable to extreme temperatures. This study measured overnight exposure to hot and cold temperatures inside tents occupied by PEUH in Knoxville, Tennessee, and examined participants’ coping strategies through semi-structured interviews ( n =20). In winter, many participants successfully warmed their tents by 10 °C or more, by burning materials and using layers of blankets and tarps. Winter warmth required an abundance of resources, making moving to shelters infeasible, as it meant abandoning these hard-won supplies. Tents quickly dropped in temperature after burning materials, forcing inhabitants to decide between sleep or warmth. In summer, tent location was crucial for access to shade and water, but options were limited by policing and displacement. Shady spots helped keep tents from warming beyond the ambient temperature during the day, but participants avoided going inside them due to being uncomfortably hot, likely due to lack of air flow. When they returned to their tent to sleep, trapped heat caused tents to be up to 5 °C warmer than ambient temperatures. Some tent strategies allowed for better ventilation on hot nights. Although not the focus of this study, participants repeatedly described the damaging effects of rain and flooding, which destroyed belongings and deepened feelings of helplessness. These challenges compounded existing precarity, including chronic health conditions and frequent sweeps. Findings underscore the partial effectiveness of behavioral and material coping strategies and show how the criminalization of homelessness and restrictions on movement increase PEUH’s exposure to extreme weather and related health risks.