Any advice for fall/October camping?

[XAlbertaWarriorWomenX]

I don't have much of a choice on where on to stay, except the shelter house, but for personal reasons, i rather avoid staying there. I have a tent, a few sleeping bags and some warm clothing to wear for fall. I'm thinking of tenting out in the outskirts of my hometown. I'm just worried about catching hypothermia if I do decide to tent and sleep outside. Anybody got any good advice, tips, etc for fall winter camping?

 

[Anagor]

Hi!
No personal experience (yet), but ...

I have a tent, a few sleeping bags and some warm clothing to wear for fall.

Sounds kinda good to me. But need more information. "a few sleeping bags" could mean anything. I have a sleeping bag that is "comfortable" down to 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit) and "stay alive" well below. Also "some warm clothing" can mean anything from a few hoodies to warm lined jackets.

Do you have hats, gloves, scarfs?

 

[goldendose]

Yes, I am so glad that you asked this! This is an area in which I have experience. When does it start snowing in Thunder Bay?

I find winter camping to be much easier when there is snow on the ground, and preferably a decent amount. Snow is the best insulator you can pack it around the bottom outside of your tent. If there is enough snow on the ground, you can make a quinzee snow hut. The temperature inside a snow hut is always 30-32 degrees, no matter how cold it is outside of the hut. Snow is clean so it is safe to use it for drinking water. (but when you melt snow to turn it into drinking water, always start with a few cups of water in the pot instead of throwing snow in there to melt right away. Starting with a bit of water in your melting process makes for a world of difference. It's much faster when you start with water versus straight snow right away)

Other tips:
-sleep with your water inside your sleeping bag to keep it from freezing. Sleep with your extra clothes inside your bag to keep them warm so it is not unpleasant to change into them in the morning
-avoid cotton as a choice of clothing. Wool is where it's at. Cotton is not good, it makes you sweat, and sweating makes you wet, which brings down your body temperature. Wool is breathable. On your body, wear synthetic layers under, and wool over. Layers are very important.
-take good care of your feet, wear synthetic liners under, and thick wool socks over.
-line the bottom of your tent, underneath, with many many spruce branches. They are soft and serve as an excellent insulator. You need to have a barrier between you and that cold ground. This is essential. Without a barrier you will be much colder.
-if there a significant difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures, you will have to be careful in order to keep the morning dew off of your sleeping bag, your tent, and all of your possessions. Do this by venting your tent (in other words, do not seal yourself in tight) and by using a bivy sack over for your sleeping bag. In a pinch you can fashion a bivy sack cover out of heavy trash bags.

 

[Dmac]

get a good tarp for over your tent and a decent ground cloth for under it. a foam mattress for under you and you can put a mummy bag inside of a regular rectangular bag for greater warmth.

 

[TheWindAndRain]

That completely depends on where you are. What are the temperatures like?


As long as you have enough ground insulation and insulation above you you can camp anywhere. I was out in north Dakota this past winter

 

[Art101]

Ive camped out to about -8F.A lot depends on layers I had a down bag inside a 32 degree bag kept me warm to the point I had to unzip the outer bag. I put multiple layers of cardboard on the bottom and was really comfortable .Mind you it was also high desert and dry. Tarps rock though for wet weather though but leave a vent open like was said earlier. What size is the tent might have some ideas for insulation...let me know.

 

[FinnFiasco]

All great ideas so far! The only things I can add are to have a tonne of socks, switch them regularly, and pee before you sleep. Don't wanna burn that energy keeping it warm!

 

[hellbilly freedom maine]

get ya a 40-50lb dog to stuff in your sack wich ya

 

[Anagor]

The only things I can add are to have a tonne of socks, switch them regularly

Second that. And to have good shoes/boots, not only for winter. I considered me me to be a good walker and thought I had good, comfortable shoes (Vans), but two weeks being on my feet for most of the day proofed otherwise. Got a lot of blisters and in the end I bought new socks every day or two. And my shoes I had for months without showing any wear are now looking as they were years old.

 

[Xan]

Double sleeping bag for sure. Thermostats are great. Double tent too. Put a kerosene heater in the foyer. Keep a fire going at all times. Tarp your double tent contraption. Lots of jackets, sweaters, hats. Wool, good idea. Hot food. Hot coffee. Have fun.

 

[XAlbertaWarriorWomenX]

Hi!
No personal experience (yet), but ...

Sounds kinda good to me. But need more information. "a few sleeping bags" could mean anything. I have a sleeping bag that is "comfortable" down to 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit) and "stay alive" well below. Also "some warm clothing" can mean anything from a few hoodies to warm lined jackets.

Do you have hats, gloves, scarfs?

I have a few rectangular sleeping bags above 40 degrees, wool hat, gloves, socks, scarf, a few cotton hoodies and a parka.

 

[Anagor]

I have a few rectangular sleeping bags above 40 degrees, wool hat, gloves, socks, scarf, a few cotton hoodies and a parka.

Well, don't know if it's enough for October. Wikipedia tells me that it could be about 30°F at night in October min temperature in Ontario. Perhaps with more than one sleeping bag and your hoodies and parka it will be okay. But for winter? In -6°F weather in January? I doubt it very much. Please people correct me if I'm wrong, but seems not to be a good idea to me.

A few cotton hoodies and a parka seems not to be enough at your location in winter for staying okay at daytime, let alone at night. Also, it depends where you want to stay. Sleeping rough in a city might be completely different from camping in the woods or alike. Add wind and snow to the -6° in January ...

I mean you can try it out if it's okay for fall (we have October right now), but I would suggest to have a plan B if it's not working. In winter in Ontario, as said I very much doubt that what you have now is enough to stay okay.

But I have no real life experience when it comes to that, so if I'm wrong, please correct me ...

 

[Matt Derrick]

You could get some extra blankets at thrift stores or garage sales, or maybe the free section of Craigslist. I'm no expert but I'd get as many blankets as possible. Seriously, stock up on like 10+ blankets. I had 5 in my school bus on a nice mattress when it was like 30 degrees out and I was fine

 

[Deleted member 2626]

If your camping permanently and not moving shit you can make one hell of a great camp. Get a freaking mattress, I see them all the time in the trash. Survival blankets in the tent are good. Sun reflectors for windshields work as well for that. And like said lots of blankets. If you have the time, your homeless you will, work on a good shelter to hook up a wood stove or something crazy

 

[Art101]

try looking around construction sites and stuff for that foam insulation paneling. You can put it underneath your tent or even on the floor of the tent for good insulation. Also put it up the sides silver side facing in. Works pretty good.

 

[Xan]

try looking around construction sites and stuff for that foam insulation paneling. You can put it underneath your tent or even on the floor of the tent for good insulation. Also put it up the sides silver side facing in. Works pretty good.

Yes yes. Construction sites and construction dumpsters can have great material to keep you off the ground and warm. That and blankets. Then all you need are a bunch of good books, some warm beer and some tunes and your golden. I don't know why I'm not doing this.

 

[Anagor]

some warm beer