Fall is the time for bonfires, roasting hot dogs on the fire; pumpkin carving and sipping hot apple cider on a cool fall night. Those that love these fall traditions also include camping into the mix. Die hard nature lovers usually include fall camping as one of their favorite times of year to get back to nature. People that are new to autumn camping are never sure what to pack when compared to their experienced counterparts.
One of the first things that should be packed is an air mattress or foam padding. The reason for this is because of the cooler ground temperatures. There is nothing more unpleasant then waking up freezing in a tent because there is nothing keeping one elevated off the ground. Using a mattress or padding is also a lot more comfortable then sleeping on the hard ground.
Making sure that there is proper bedding for the weather is important. Fall brings cooler tempetures at night and having enough blankets to keep you warm at bedtime can help campers to sleep comfortably. Many sporting good stores carry cold weather sleeping bags and blankets to help ward off a chill while sleeping.
Since rain can happen at anytime when camping, bringing a couple of plastic tarps is always a good idea. With the cooler tempetures, it takes a tent longer to dry out unlike the summer months. Placing a tarp underneath a tent helps to keep the ground moisture from seeping up through the floor of a tent. Taking a second tarp and putting it over the top of the tent also helps to keep rain out.
Extra firewood is a must in the autumn months. Generally during the summer months not many are gathered around a campfire for long periods of time due to the warm weather. In the cooler fall evenings nothing is more enjoyable then roasting hot dogs and telling ghost stories around a toasty campfire to knock off the chill. A good rule of thumb is to double the amount of firewood that would normally be used in the summer.
One thing that many campers do not think of in the fall months is that the daylight hours become shorter. To prepare for less daylight, extra flashlights and lanterns are a must. Packing extra lantern fuel and batteries is also a good idea when camping in the fall months.
Dressing for the weather is common sense when camping anytime of year. Wearing layers of clothing when camping in the fall is a smart and a practical wardrobe choice. By dressing in layers helps one to adjust to the change in tempetures throughout the day.
Camping in the fall does not have to be scary with the change in tempetures. With a little common sense and a few extra supplies, fall camping will soon become one of the favorite times of year to enjoy nature.
