Camping in October

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
Our old church small group went camping this weekend. Originally we were supposed to be there from Friday and coming home Sunday. HOWEVER, its October in MN - and it was freezing at night on Friday nite. We had an air mattress, 4 blankets/quilts and even wore some clothing, and was STILL freezing. On Saturday we had a wonderful day (60 degrees) for hiking, etc.

Since we did survive Friday night, we decided no way were we gonna stay on Saturday night for another cold night (and not much sleep). So we left about 8:30 to head home. Muchhhhhh warmer in the car and in our own bed.

I think we will only go camping from June to Sept. I'd rather admit to being chicken and warm at night then to be "tough" and cold


Keno (our lab) was even shivering Saturday morning - she's a spoiled house dog; not used to sleeping outside either. Charlie and Ling were in the living room to greet us when we got home last night. Charlie was glad he could sleep on our bed again with us.
 

mrblanche

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 28, 2008
Messages
12,578
Purraise
119
Location
Texas
It's a minor hint, I know, but sleeping on an air mattress is very cold. You need as many blankets under you as over you!

October is GOOD camping weather here!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
Thanks for the tip
But DH has a question - would you put a quilt UNDER the air mattress? Is it because the air inside the mattress gets too cold?
 

nekochan

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
2,760
Purraise
22
Location
Chicago, IL
When I was in the Girl Scouts (I think 5th grade?) we went camping in a forest preserve in the middle of winter! I believe it was February. We didn't have any air mattresses or anything, just whatever sleeping bag we brought. There was snow on the ground.

I'm a wimp now, when I went to a weekend camp in upper lower MI a few years ago (I think it was early May) it got very cold at night, 40s or 50s and I hated it. I was shivering all night... This was indoors but it was a concrete building with a heat stove on one end of the building which was supposed to heat the whole building. I also got horrible leg cramps every night, I think partly due to the cold.
When I went back to that camp in June I brought my heated mattress pad.
It was much better!
 

Ms. Freya

Advisor
Veteran
Joined
Sep 19, 2008
Messages
3,348
Purraise
123
Location
Ontario, Canada
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Thanks for the tip
But DH has a question - would you put a quilt UNDER the air mattress? Is it because the air inside the mattress gets too cold?
My DH and I camp in the fall and we've found that one blanket underthematress and one on top, but under your sleeping bag usually works. I've found that those thermal wool emergency blankets you can get for your car work well under air matresses - especially because they're thin, but warm.
And yes, the cold from the ground seeps into the air in your matress until it's the same temp as the ground. This can happen even if you use an air matress in the house, but on a cold floor. For any fall camping I've found it worthwhile to get a thermal matress from an outdoor equipment store - they're thinner then your average air matress, but don't allow cold to seep through.
 

mrblanche

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 28, 2008
Messages
12,578
Purraise
119
Location
Texas
I've always heard it was because the air would not insulate you from the cold ground.

I attended a church camp when I was about 13, up in the mountains in Colorado. Summer there is colder than winter here. I saw it snow there on July 4, one year. Each little cabin had its own little woodstove, and believe me, they were used and they felt good!
 

Ms. Freya

Advisor
Veteran
Joined
Sep 19, 2008
Messages
3,348
Purraise
123
Location
Ontario, Canada
We headed into Northern Ontario in late august and a woodstove would have been wonderful.

We were sitting in our tent in the middle of a provinical park with all our fall/winter camping gear and watching our breath fog by flashlight.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
Wow - thanks for all the tips
Next time we will know. Never thought about some of the points you bring up. This was the first time we went camping when it was cold at night.

I can't do wool anything - am allergic to it
 

sweets

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Messages
1,671
Purraise
1
Location
Living in the land of not enough time
I was camping in June on the side of a mountain (anywhere but the tri-state it would be called a large hill). It was FREEZING on the ground at night and 97* during the day. I didn't realize I needed something between me and the air mattress. I could feel the shiver start at my head and work its way down to my feet. But if I stood up and walked around at 2AM, my body warmed up.
 

spudsmom

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Messages
1,477
Purraise
12
Location
Pacific NW
I will go camping in October!!! But it will be in our travel trailer at a campsite with full hook-ups or use the generator to run the furnace, lights, microwave and DVD player! LOL! That's about as far as I will go for roughing it. I'm too old to sleep on the ground!
 
Top