National Parks Service
Although I love to go camping just about any time of year, my favorite time to go is during the fall and winter. It’s much nicer to be out in the woods when it’s cool or cold than when it’s broiling hot. (Then again I live in the South, so it gets much hotter when it’s hot here than cold when it’s cold. People in the North might disagree with me.) But as much as I enjoy being out in the cool weather, there are some factors to take into consideration that will help you enjoy your time in the woods even more.
The most important thing to check is your sleeping bag. It needs to be a good quality bag that is rated to at least the expected temperatures for your trip. Sleeping bags are rated by degrees, so if the temperatures during your trip are expected to get down to freezing, then you need a bag that is rated for that weather. Your sleeping bag doesn’t have to be the mummy-style, but nearly all good quality cold weather sleeping bags are.
If you have a good sleeping bag already but the weather for your trip is going to be a bit colder than your bag is rated for, you can get a sleeping bag liner for around $20 that will increase your bag’s effectiveness by 10 to 15 degrees. Getting a liner is much easier and less expensive than getting a new sleeping bag.
Another bonus of using a bag liner is that you will save wear and tear on your sleeping bag, and you can even use just the liner as a light sleeping bag in the summer. I’ve got a fleece liner that I picked up several years ago and it’s been great. Fits right in my bag and keep me nice and toasty even on the really cold nights.
This was a guest post by Jack from Buy Camping Chairs, where he’s got a great guide to lightweight camping chairs. Visit his site for more on camping gear.
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