Fall is often one of the best times of the year for camping. While the days are shorter and the air is cooler, the trade-off is no bugs, spectacular fall colours and star-filled skies which appear earlier in the evening as you sit around a warming campfire enjoying your choice of libation.
This is not the time to be packing your camping gear away for the winter. It is time to make sure you augment your equipment with a few essential items to make camping more comfortable so you can get out and enjoy all this time of the year affords the hardy adventurer!
Here are a few of our recommended essential additions to your camping arsenal to make your outing a success!
1. Water-Resistant Duffel Bag
The fall months can make your camping experience a little damp, especially on the West Coast! As the cooler weather and shorter days make drying wet clothes much more difficult, to keep yourself and your clothes dry, a water-resistant duffel bag is the way to go. Be sure to choose something durable that will last for many trips.
2. Sleeping Bag
That ultra-light 4 C sleeping bag you have been backpacking with all summer will not cut it this time of year. Whether you are camping in a tent or the back of a truck, a warm sleeping bag is essential to staying warm and comfortable during the fall months. Typically, a sleeping bag rated between -15 C and -5 C will do just fine. Some folks even add a sleeping bag liner or add a blanket just for extra warmth.
3. Sleeping Pad
Whether you are driving to your destination or hiking in, bring the thickest inflatable foam pad possible. It will provide cushioning, but more critically, a sleeping pad insulates you from the cold ground. This is the season when car campers will find sleeping pads a much better solution than an air mattress whose air cools throughout the night, adding to the chill.
4. Tarps or Pop-Up Tents
A tarp under your tent and on top is a good addition to waterproof your tent and help warm you up even more. Tarps or pop-up tents can also be used over a picnic table to set up a kitchen area to cook and eat, or just for a place to hang out other than your tent to stay dry during rainy or even snowy periods.
5. Headlamp or Lantern
Erecting your tent in the dark on a Friday night is a common rite of passage for fall campers. The only thing more important than a good light source is keeping both hands free to work, which is why a headlamp is such a great tool. Headlamps will also come in handy for starting a fire and nighttime bathroom breaks! For area lighting, many prefer the convenience and safety of LED lanterns as opposed to conventional liquid fuel models. Tip: propane doesn’t work as well in colder weather.
6. Insulated Outerwear
A puffy down jacket or vest may sound like overkill in November, but across Canada, temperatures in the teens / low 50s are a very real possibility at this time of year. Be prepared, and you will be much more comfortable. Always be sure to bring waterproof jackets for your camping excursions, preferably with a zip-out fleece lining to use as layers. It is not uncommon to need a heavy jacket in the morning and change to shorts in the afternoon in Canadian shoulder seasons!
7. Thermal Underwear
In the fall, a -6 C (21 F) morning can become a 20 C (68 F) afternoon. Dressing in layers is the key to broad temperature ranges, and a good base layer is a great idea. We recommend Merino wool, which is unique in that it not only warms you up when it is cold out but also cools you down when the temperature rises.
8. Gloves and Hats
Your noggin is the body part which loses the most heat. Beanie caps for your head and fleece gloves for your hands are just right for the variable temperatures of fall. Those Everest-grade expedition mitts can remain in the closet for a couple of months.
9. Wool Socks
Kicking back becomes a little more complicated on chilly mornings or evenings. A heavy pair of wool socks will keep your feet toasty and comfortable. Slipping them on after you wake up makes your exit from that warm sleeping bag much easier.
10. Hot Beverage and Accessories
A steaming cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate is a quick way to warm your core and a pleasant way to start a chilly day. We highly recommend plenty of tea bags and cocoa packets, but if Java is your thing, forget the instant stuff. Presses and other accessories allow you to brew your favourite bean, and many companies even make instant coffee packages for light packing. As things cool much quicker in the fall, a YETI or similar traveller cup will keep your beverage of choice warmer for a longer time.
11. Heat Source
Damp fall mornings often lead to even damper fall evenings, so there is a good chance the wood source for fires will be wet and difficult to start a fire with. Covering your wood with a tarp and splitting large pieces of wood to get to the dryer inner part of the wood offers a good solution. But always be prepared with alternative heat sources, like a propane-powered Mr. Buddy or a diesel heater, to keep you warm.
12. Maps
Whether you want to map out your adventures from the comfort of your tent with our Mapbooks or prefer the ease of planning on the go with our BRMB Web Maps or BRMB Smartphone App, we have you covered! Packing along a version of our Mapbooks and/or Backroad GPS Maps can be the difference between a warm night in your tent and a cold night on the mountain. Utilize a map, guide your journey and even track your waypoints. With both hardcopy and digital options, it has never been easier to plan out your next adventure on the go!
Do you have a fall camping tip to share with us?
Let us know or share your fall camping adventures with us on Instagram using #brmblife or @brmbmaps for a chance to be featured in our feed!You can easily find the best fall camping spots in Canada with the help of our Waterproof Maps, Backroad Mapbooks or our new IOS and Android App and Web Map. No other recreation map provides you with the same level of detail. We give you the scoop on campsites, hiking trails, wildlife viewing locations, natural attractions, route descriptions and more to make your trip truly memorable!
