Another first for me!
The mid-November camping trip with a group of fellow content creators was, as are most things for me, a huge learning curve.
Of course , this past summer i did do some camping, and i did learn a lot. One thing i learned was that there are at least 25 different types of camping!! Here is a link for a description of those –https://theoutdoorauthority.com/types-of-camping/ . What i did was called “car camping” which can be misleading. It doesn’t (necessarily) mean you sleep in you car ( although you could!) . It just means that you are able to drive in to your location and your car is at your site or nearby, usually sleeping in a tent. My first time”car camping” was this summer and was also my first time camping in an actual campground. I was a fish out of water as i had only ever primitive camped before. There are pros and cons to this.
Some of the pros are : being able to bring more stuff, having a secure place to keep your stuff ( including food/trash- so, no bear bag or canister required), generally there are public restrooms and sometimes even shower and/or laundry facilities, having a pre-existing fire pit, having other people around can feel more safe, and not having to carry everything on your back. Some of the cons are: other people who may have kids or dogs or play loud music (i.e. noise), having to walk to the bathroom instead of an area closer to your tent( this is a big one for me because i have to pee so often..lol), tent sites that may be gravel which means using a staked tent isn’t always ideal, permits/ fees/reservations are sometimes required, and less privacy.
These are by no means all of the pros and cons.
I did two car camps in summer. I learned that it can be super hot in a tent ( recommend a camp fan if you have a power source) and that there are a LOT more bugs in that season ( bring bug spray and keep you tent zipped up!). I learned that all campgrounds are not the same and it is wise to do research before going somewhere so that you know what to expect( type of tent site, amenities, etc). I learned too that some places get more crowded than others and that going during the week and not on holidays is probably best if you want less people around.
So let’s talk about my winter camping experience…
I knew it was going to be cold. I did what i could to prepare for that. Along with my usual sleep pad, sleep quilt and extra warm clothes, i brought several extra blankets and some hand/foot warmer packets. I also brought my cot to stay up off the ground and a pop up style tent that wouldn’t need staked if i didn’t have that option. The pop up tent i had was over 30 years old, and i had used it on many previous camping trips, so i trusted it.
Some of my fellow creators brought heaters. I didn’t have one. But i figured i’d be fine and worst case scenario, i could just go warm up in my car if things got too awful. The temps got down to 28 degrees the first night. That’s when i learned i wasn’t quite as prepared as i wanted to be.
For one thing my sleep quilt is a 20 degree synthetic type. It is a very good brand and quite expensive. But definitely not meant for anything below about 40-45 degrees. Initially, i had just laid my sleep pad on the cot and piled the quilt and 2 blankets on top. I wore 2 thermal shirts and pants and thick wool socks. I also put on my down jacket and wore a balakava hat under a trapper hat. I was still cold.. By morning i hadn’t slept well at all. Even the batteries in my heated gloves failed , though i had definitely charged and tested them before i left home. I had to go to my car , turn on the heat and warm up for about 10 minutes so i could at least thaw out my hands, take the edge off, make coffee and prepare to go for a hike. It did warm up during the day.
The second night I did better, thanks to some advice from another camper. I never knew that inflated items like sleep pads could make you even colder as they can hold the cold air inside and hence, closer to your body. In order to combat this , don’t sleep directly on them. A layer of something in between you and the pad helps tremendously. I was skeptical but i went back to my tent earlier than the others so i could prepare. i wrapped one blanket around my pad then strapped my quilt on to both, i layered the other blanket on top. I also utilized my hand and foot warmers more effectively by using them sooner , rather than waiting until i was already cold.My pad stayed inflated at least. Some of the less expensive pads don’t stay inflated in cold temps. I was much warmer the second night.
However….
The second night we had fierce wind and rain. A few other campers said there was also sleet. I slept through most of it, but i did wake at times when the wind was so loud it sounded like a train coming through. In the morning, I awoke to water all around the inside perimeter of my tent. It wasnt in the middle and thank goodness i was up on a cot, but some of my gear was wet. Another couple had left the night before because of water in their tent also. I am still not sure if this was due to leaks in the 30 year old tent i had, or due to the fact that i didn’t set up correctly. I do know that my rain fly didn’t seem like it was correctly fitted this time, and i didn’t pay much attention to how the tent floor was sitting because i was rushing to get everything up. Ididn’t have to rush, but i did. So perhaps it wasn’t the tent itself. My plan is to set it up again(correctly) in my driveway in the Spring rainy season and see how it fairs. If it leaks, i will try to detect where from and if it’s not a huge job i can re-seam seal it. If it’s too much, i’ll need a new pop up tent.
P.S. This is not my Durston tent which has been awesome in the rain– not a drop inside, nor any condensation- even during heavy storms. But the Durston is a trekking pole tent which needs to be staked( doesnt work well on gravel sites) and requires a larger area than a a free standing tent.
I think for next year i am going to have a few other items. Possibly a new pop up tent, a better rated winter sleep quilt, a large power bank so that i can plug in a heating pad or blanket, maybe a small heater ( not sure until i do some more research) , and for sure some better quality heated gloves-which are lifesavers on cold hikes as well!
But over all i think it went well for my first time. I didn’t freeze to death or have a gear failure that became an emergency. I enjoyed myself and met new friends.
I am grateful I had others around to give me advice and ideas, as well as be there if any emergencies did occur. I was grateful for the shared food, laughter and conversations. I have to say the camaraderie shared in these groups is priceless. Everyone has something(or many things) to offer.
Unfortunately i didn’t take many photos, just video.The photo below doesnt include 3 others who weren’t yet at camp when it was taken.They arrived after dark or on the 2nd day. If you would want to see the adventure itself, please visit my youtube channel @theferalfemale130 and look for the one titled “First Winter Camp/Penn Roosevelt State Park Early Winter Meet Up.”
Hope this was helpful to someone out there. Enjoy your winter and Namaste!
Wake up! 