Ultimate Tips for Fall Camping

For many people, camping is a pure summertime activity. Once the needles start to turn golden orange and the trails get strewn with leaves, camping equipment is carefully stowed away until the following summer. But the true outdoorsman knows that if you properly prepare yourself and your equipment, fall is the best time of year to hit the trail and get out in nature.

 Whether embarking on a late-season backpacking trip or shuttling the family to the mountains for some leaf peeping, getting outside this fall is a great way to make the most of the season. A lot of the standard camping techniques will carry you through fall, but here are a few extra fall camping tips to elevate your experience.

Find The Right Camping Site

You need to decide what you want out of fall camping and then decide on the best camp spot. Whatever your escape, there are plenty of ways to find out the best camping spots for fall, from internet searches, local outfitters, or guidebooks. But when you get to your fall camping site, there are some tips for picking your microsite, where you’ll hang out and pitch your tent. It’s even more important in fall to find higher and drier ground, as rivers swell quickly and pools fill with excess rainfall. Try to find some natural shelter where possible, and remember that cool nights down low can hit freezing up higher. Camping at altitude in the fall is serious business, and it’s often best to hit the heights during the day and retreat to lower levels overnight.

Eat Like Kings

Eating a hearty, warm meal can make a huge impact on your physical and mental state. Not only can you excuse your gluttony after all your physical activity, but digging into a nice big meal will help fuel your body, replenish your muscles, and keep you warm through the long, cold night. Meanwhile, if you bring a portable refrigerator during the trip, it will improve your happiness during the entire trip. By using a portable refrigerator, you can store any food and drinks you want during your trip, so that the food will always be kept fresh. In addition, if your freezer is dual zone style, you can store more kinds of food such as ice-cream, steak and fruit, because dual zone dual temperature design means that your refrigerator can be used as a fridge or a freezer, and you can bring the things whatever you want!

Prepare for rain

Even if you check the forecast and pick the driest-looking day, chances are you’re going to get rained on at some point, so be prepared for camping in the rain. Fall is a good time to re-waterproof your tent — better to re-waterproof early than find out you missed the prime time. It’s also a good idea to get yourself a tarp and get familiar with how to set up different tarp shelters. You can add extra reinforcement to your tent, create yourself a vestibule area, or just set up a tarp for a kitchen and cooking shelter.

Light up the camping

From campfires to fairy lights, you need a source of light when you’re camping in the fall. Sunset often catches people out as it gets earlier by the day, so it’s a good idea to carry a small flashlight or headlamp with you from early evening. Stringing fairy lights around your camp can give it a homely feeling, and also be used to guide the way to your tent or kitchen setup, or create a perimeter of sorts. Having a lantern in your cooking area gives you a more ambient light, rather than the spot beam of a headlamp or flashlight.

Final Thoughts

We hope our fall camping tips help you get out there and have a great time! With a little bit of planning and preparation, camping in the fall can be relaxing and super fun! It’s an excellent way to get outdoors and experience the best of the season. So, go soak up everything nature offers during this time of year.