I recently setup a camera in my garden to capture a daily timelapse of plant growth.

I was originally using a commercially-available case built specifically for the Pi Zero and camera combination. However, on the hot days of an Arizona summer -- where summer temperatures can easily exceed 115F (46C) -- that the core temp on the Pi Zero would climb all the way to 104C! When it would reach this temperature the Pi would stop functioning. The issue was caused be zero airflow in the case.

I purchased a junction box and:

• mounted the Pi inside the box using stand offs to allow for airflow on all sides of the device
• mounted the camera through a hole I drilled in the front cover
• also mounted a 5V fan salvaged from a Dell laptop that was rated at 10 CFM
• soldered female jumper leads to the fan lead and connected that to a 5V and Ground pin on the GPIO
• cut a notch in the bottom of the junction box for the fan outlet and also put a small fitting to pass my power USB cable through

Was it successful? The temperature outside was 97F (36C) and the core temp never exceeded 43C.