Tent camping in the 40s

rockin · 11-19-2011, 01:35 PM

My cousin is crazy! She took her family (teens) tent camping last night. I know it got to the 30s at night and it was in the 40s yesterday. I say it's too cold to tent camp now.

Fox38 · 11-19-2011, 01:38 PM

Did they take camping gear for colder weather or just go with gear for summer? I have camped in the 40s before. It wasn't terrible - just made you enjoy the fire more!

Lorax · 11-19-2011, 02:27 PM

Where I am, 40 is still nice camping weather. Even in summer, we get a few 40-50 nights easily. That's great sleeping temps with a 20* bag.

With the right gear, (and some experience) any temperature is manageable

ponderosa · 11-19-2011, 02:52 PM

I bought 20 degree sleeping bags for my toddlers, and we use them for tent camping right down to that limit. A 40 degree day is actually great hiking weather, and with the right gear, it really doesn't matter how cold it gets overnight. When I was a teenager, my sister and I used to tent camp by ourselves in the middle of winter. We grew up camping year round with our dad, knew what we were doing, and always had a great time.

Lamebeaver · 11-19-2011, 05:24 PM

I thought this thread was going to be something like this:

**CozInCowtown** · 11-19-2011, 06:14 PM

Nothing a good jacket and snuggly double sleeping bag won't fix.
40's at night and a campfire are a perfect combonation!!
DC

pastywhite · 11-19-2011, 07:48 PM

Sounds about perfect

Grandpa · 11-19-2011, 09:47 PM

In the rockies, you may not get it but you had better be prepared for 30 degree F any night of the summer. Check my Wind Rivers picture album. Those pictures were taken the last of July and the lakes were still frozen over and the passes still closed with snow.
As people have mentioned you can tent camp year round if you know what you are doing. 40 degrees is just good learning weather to prepare you for the 0 to -20 degree weather.

HikerJoe · 11-20-2011, 01:30 PM

I would rather camp in the 40's than in the hunderds. There are no bugs and you don't have to take a shower.

ppine · 11-20-2011, 01:43 PM

For a well documented history of camping in cold weather refer to mining camps all over N Amer and especially the Klondike in the days of 1898.

I have hunted elk in below zero temperatures. A canvas tent with a wood stove is what you need.

Throughout hundreds of thousands of years of human history, people have lived outside year round. Think about that the next time it "seems too cold."

I think Lamebeaver got it right. Camping in the 40s was with canvas tent, axes, and basic everything.