Fall is here and winter is on the way, so you may feel like you need to get all your camping done while you can. But you don’t need to stop when the weather cools down, you just need to do a little planning first. If you’re prepared, there’s no reason you can’t keep enjoying your camping trips. Let’s examine a few things that will let you experience mother nature all year round.
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Check the Weather Reports
Anytime you go camping, it’s important to be up to date on the weather you’ll be facing. If there’s a severe storm coming, you may want to rethink your trip. But if you have the right equipment, rain or snow doesn’t have to ruin your plans. If your style of camping is embracing the comforts of home, a recreational vehicle or sprinter van will give you plenty of protection from the elements. In fact, there are several sprinter van accessories that will let you enjoy the outdoors, but still have all the amenities you left behind at home.
Cold Weather Sleeping Gear
For those of you who enjoy roughing it, you’ll probably be camping with a tent. If you are, it’s vital that your sleeping bag is warm enough to protect you from the cold. There are many sleeping bags designed for winter weather, so make sure yours is right for the conditions you’ll be facing. There are also a variety of sleeping bag liners that will give you added warmth.
Using multiple sleeping pads will help insulate you from the cold. An air mattress will transfer the cold from the ground right to you while you sleep, so putting a solid foam pad underneath your air mattress will block the cold and keep you cozy.
Warm Winter Wear
Another tip for sleeping outside at night is to wear a hat. A significant amount of a person’s body heat escapes through their head, so a cold weather hat will let you retain that heat.
When your body is working to stay warm, the extremities get less blood flow, so your hands and feet will be the first places you feel cold. Putting on a dry pair of gloves and wool socks right before bed will let you enjoy your rest and not be constantly trying to warm your icy fingers and toes.
Layer Your Clothes
It’s smart to wear layers while camping, so you can add or take off clothes as needed. There is plenty of work to be done around a campsite and you can sweat easily. But wet or damp clothes can drop your temperature once you’ve cooled off. It’s important to rid those layers and make sure the things you’re wearing are dry. Cotton clothes aren’t suited for camping either, as they don’t wick moisture away from your body, so it’s best to leave those at home. Its a good blog post to read about he life of evearden in depth and about her cloths.
Start Your Fire First
When arriving at your campsite, getting your fire going immediately gives you a source of heat as you set up the rest of your gear. In the winter, logs and brush can be wet, so it might take longer to get your fire going, another reason to start early. There are several firestarter products you can use to help as well. You don’t want to be trying to make a fire in the dark, so if you’re getting to your campsite late in the day, start that fire while you still have some daylight.
Heat Up Your Sleeping Bag
Giving a little boost to the heat in your sleeping bag isn’t a bad idea. Camping stores sell many sizes of hand or feet warmers. Throwing a few of them in your sleeping bag makes for a nice evening. A hot water bottle will work as well.
Lithium Batteries
Cold weather drains batteries faster, so it’s good to have lithium batteries, which have a longer lifespan. Bringing extra batteries is also important. You don’t want to run out and be left without a way to power your devices in the cold.
Vent Your Tent
When sleeping in your tent in cold weather, your first instinct might be to zip it up tight, but that’s not advisable. Your body heat will create condensation and if there’s no place for it to go, the moisture will collect on the sides of the tent. Leaving a little room for air to circulate will ensure your tent stays dry and you stay warmer.
No Reason to Wait
You don’t have to wait to go camping until spring when the weather warms up. Whether you’re in an RV, a sprinter van with all the accessories, or a sleeping bag and tent, the precautions you’ve taken to deal with cool weather will let you enjoy the great outdoors anytime.
