I planned on camping this weekend here in south florida and knew it would be cool but not in the low 50's.. I was just curious of how others here camp in 50 degree weather such as how you keep warm. I know to some of you are use to the cold but ive lived in florida all my life and have thin skin. I just dont think blankets on a airbed will keep us warm enough.. any suggestions??
Insulate yourself from the airbed, get some warm clothes and build a fire. I just returned from a hunting trip. The days were pretty warm, but several nights were in the teens. It is no big deal if you have the right clothes and warm bedding.
Keep your feet and hands warm with gloves and socks. For some reason, I find that for as long as these areas are warm, I can pretty much handle the cold. If it's not enough, wear a thermal underwear when you sleep.
Place closed cell foam mats under the air mattress to insulate it from the ground. Rather than that as others have said layers. I am a back packer and go out all winter. Been out in temps under 0. The trick is in the layers and proper sleeping bag.
50 degrees is really pretty warm. As mentioned, layer up, insulate yourself from the ground. Wear a hat or watch cap if you're cold, keep your ears covered- you lose a LOT of heat through your head. I don't really do anything other than normal camping at 50 degrees.
70-50 degree days and 30 -50 degree nights is what we live for. This is the beginning of our camping season and we will camp and fish and play out side till may when the heat will run us inside for the AC
Im sorry for sounding like a wuss but 50 degrees down here for the most of us is cold enough for a jacket. I see snowbirds here wearing T-shirts and shorts in the 40's and the natives down here will be wearing full winter gear.
I was in Orlando once in Feb. for a trade show. It was about 45 deg. in the daytime. I was wearing a summer weight suit and the natives were walking around looking like the glaciers were about to Savannah and advancing fast. Same thing in New Orleans when I was down there. I'll admit, I don't handle heat nearly as well as someone from the very deep South.
swebob you may be a wimp in the cold but I am the same in the heat. I will backpack all winter. However when the temps climb up in the mid 80's I am done until it cools off again. Indiana has some high humidity as you do. I hate backpacking in the hot and sticky weather.
We go camping here on the central coast of Cal. all the time in 50 degrees or less. We have an air bed and frame from Cabella's and a big buddy heater. We keep the propane tank outside and run the hose through the power cord slot in the tent. We have been very comfortable (in shirt sleeves) in as low as 18 degrees outside.
The best way I've found to stay warm at night is to either heat the tent or skip the air mattress and sleep right on the closed cell foam. The air in the air mattress pulls the heat out of your body in an effort to equalize the temperature of the air wth the temperature of the rest of the air in the tent.
I am going to have to agree 100% with Hikenhunter: If 50 degrees feels cold to you DO NOT use the air mattress. Even with a closed cell under it, cooler air will still circulate under you. You will get a terrible night's sleep, wake up stiff and sore, and not want to camp at those temperatures again. I use a closed cell pad and a thermarest that I do not add extra air to in the cooler months. For me, a wool blanket or thin sleeping bag on top of that would be all I need, but you will probably want to use as thick of a bag as you have.
Not at all, swebob! We all got our different tolerance to heat and cold. The 50s are still quite warm for me. I pretty much go camping like any day. Then again, I really like the cold. Same goes for my eldest. My wife is my complete opposite. She can't stand the cold. There are times that we'd all be wearing just shirts and shorts, while she goes out with a jacket or sweater.
'Well livin below 30th parallel ya wouldn't think I'd have much to add.:tinysmile_grin_t: I have done lots of road trippin, and hunting in the winter. Air mattresses are great for summer and really helps us southerners in the summer. Das it. My winter camping style.: I sleep in long johns wool socks and a stocking cap. Tomorrows cloths(which are usually yesturdays too):tinysmile_fatgrin_tsleep in my big down bag too. Along with a bottle with enough water to make coffee. Nothing worse than waiting for ya coffee pot to melt:tinysmile_cry_t:For as far back as I can remember I have always owned 2 extra wide down bags they were army surplus dark green double wide with a sheet. This makes for a huge variety of setups either under between or over layers of down. I have woke up many a morning with my bag covered with frost. dressed in the bag came out all snug and wam and had the camp smellin like coffee in no time. Any of you ole geezers remember the Korean era army surplus 2 man bags with sheet??
Well im leaving Saturday morning and just gonna rough it and bundle up. I thank you for all the suggestions and will get back with some pics of my stay. Once again thanks..:tinysmile_tongue_t:
Amen to that. I haven't been able to stand the heat for some time now. My internal thermometer runs in a very narrow range these days. I function much better in the cold. I also noticed no one mentioned snuggling. My wife is one of the best organic heaters ever born.
Even in July and August, we plan for sub freezing temperatures in the high country. That is the best sleeping weather. Listen to all the great tips above, use those that fit your needs and have a great campout.
Hi... I'm sure that we all have our temperature preferences. With me, I've probably spent too much time in colder climes. I just don't mix well with heat and humidity. With the price of fuel oil now, I don't mind keeping the heat off a bit longer than what used to be typical. It was about 37-degrees outside this ayem, and it was a blazing 49-degrees in the bedroom. I kept quite warm with one medium and one thinner blanket, which felt just right. So, don't be too concerned about camping in 50-degree temps. Follow the above advice and you should do quite well.
