Camping in autumn: how to sleep warm in your tent
Camping in autumn has plenty going for it: quiet campsites, woods turning colour and clear starry skies. Only the nights are a good deal colder than in summer. Prepare well and you will still sleep beautifully. In this article you will read how to get through the night warm.
The cold comes from below
Many campers buy a warm sleeping bag but forget the ground. Most of your warmth is lost to the cold ground. Underneath your body the filling of your sleeping bag is squashed flat, so it insulates very little there. A well-insulating sleeping mat is therefore at least as important as your sleeping bag.
What is the R-value of a sleeping mat?
The R-value indicates how well a sleeping mat insulates against the cold ground. The higher the number, the better the insulation. A mat with an R-value of around 3 is a good choice for spring and autumn. For camping in frost, choose a higher value or put two mats on top of each other.
- Travelhawk Self-Inflating Sleeping Mat: R-value 3 and 10 cm thick
- Travelhawk Sleeping Mat 2 Person: R-value 2.5, for two
- Travelhawk Self-Inflating Air Bed: R-value 2.5
Choose a sleeping bag that matches the temperature
With a sleeping bag, look at the comfort temperature: the temperature at which you sleep comfortably. The Travelhawk Sleeping Bag is a mummy model with a comfort zone of 10 to 20 °C. A mummy model fits closely around your body and head, so less warmth escapes.
Getting colder than the comfort temperature? Then put an extra fleece blanket over or in your sleeping bag, and sleep in thermal underwear.
10 tips for sleeping warm in your tent
- Put on dry clothes before you go to sleep. Clothing you sweated in during the day feels cold at night.
- Put on a hat and warm socks.
- Take a hot water bottle and fill it with hot water before bed.
- Eat a hot meal in the evening and drink something warm from your vacuum flask.
- Get into your sleeping bag warm: move about a little before you lie down.
- Go to the toilet before you sleep. Your body then needs less energy to stay warm.
- Pitch your tent in a sheltered spot, out of the wind and not in a hollow where cold air collects.
- Leave the vents open. That feels counterintuitive, but it prevents condensation, and a wet tent and sleeping bag feel far colder.
- Put tomorrow's clothes at the bottom of your sleeping bag, then you put on warm clothes in the morning.
- Never use a stove, wood burner or flame heater in your tent. These can release carbon monoxide, which is life-threatening.
Cooking and light at an autumn campsite
With a mini wood stove you cook outdoors on wood or firelighters. Always use it outside the tent, on a stable surface, and check whether open fires are allowed at your campsite. Because it gets dark early in autumn, bring good lighting too: a camping lamp for the tent and a headlamp to keep your hands free. Read also: which headlamp do I need?
Frequently asked questions
What R-value do I need for camping in autumn?
A sleeping mat with an R-value of around 3 is a good choice for spring and autumn. In frost, choose a higher value or combine two mats.
Why is my tent wet inside in the morning?
That is condensation: the moist air from your breath settles on the cold tent fabric. Leave the vents open and do not hang wet clothing in the tent.
May I use a heater in my tent?
Never use a stove, wood burner or flame heater in your tent or awning. These can release carbon monoxide, which is life-threatening.
What do I do if my sleeping bag is not warm enough?
Sleep in thermal underwear, put on a hat, use a hot water bottle and put a fleece blanket in or over your sleeping bag.
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