Sure, something can be said for the spring time. The flowers bloom and new life seems to blossom from everywhere. I mean, who can resist the warmer weather after a long winter and the chance to be barefooted again after a few months. Well, I personally can usually resist it and rather easily, having always been a cool-weather fan. Which brings us more directly on target: my personal favorite time of the year for camping out, or honestly, doing about anything else, would be good old crispy and cool Autumn. Yeah, spring may have the flowers, but fall has the leaves, the bright splashes of orange and gold, and that slight promise of something almost magical in the air. I like camping in the Autumn.
Autumn colors (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Camping in the Autumn paints a picture worth a thousand words
Picture it, as I often do: carefully cleared ground, properly placed tent, a gathering of twigs, just cool enough for some comfortable old well-worn sweat shirt without being cold enough to actually be uncomfortable. And sweet autumn smells, maybe even almost melancholy memories of camping trips and other assorted adventures left far behind. I’m a primitive type of camper. The closer to nature I can be, the better I like it and the more I enjoy it. I usually camp alone, and my camping needs are few to begin with. Autumn camping, which is by this point clearly my favorite, does present a few challenges, absolutely, but it also offers a lot of advantages over warmer weather camping.
Good footwear and appropriate clothing are, as in any camping venture, an absolute must, of course. And a little consideration should be given to extra warm clothing when camping after the leaves turn. I usually pack along an extra blanket in my pack in addition to my usual sleeping bag. Extra socks can come in handy as well, and some folks like to bring warm gloves along. Of course, the bugs are less, snakes (and I am not a fan of those slithering things) are usually not as much of a worry in the Fall of the year.
What are the advantages to camping in the Autumn
The main advantage to Autumn camping is, naturally, the beautiful and vibrant colors that normally occur right after that first frost but before the temps really drop and stay cold. The night skies are gorgeous, the air is fresh and crisp and just about made for marshmallow or hotdog roasts. And even the occasional spooky story just seems almost tailor made for that golden time of year. Now don’t misunderstand, I’ve done my fair share of spring and summer camping and I understand the pleasures associated with those warmer times of years. Moonlight swims and home churned ice cream can be hard to beat. For me personally though, Autumn and camping just go together like smoky mountain camp fires and hot cocoa. Of course this all does depend on the climate where you may live or choose to camp, and without question, Fall of the year camping in my native Alabama is a lot different from camping in say the state of Maine or anywhere in Canada. But even those relative northern reaches can still offer many delights and pleasures when the weather turns cooler. Just plan ahead as you would when camping in the warmer seasons and you should be just fine. Also remember, while I personally enjoy tent or primitive camping, most national parks or well-known camping areas have at least marginal conveniences such as showers, on site grills and the likes. Just camp according to your comfort level and experience.
So keep and enjoy your warm weather camping folks, me, I’m a cool air and crisp leaves camper!