Equator Taper

Equator Taper

Camping When It's Cold – What To Pack

We at Outdoor World Direct provide camping equipment for campers of every kind, from Duke of Edinburgh Award candidates to festival goers, to families going on their annual holiday. People tend to equate sleeping under canvas with the summer months. However, there's no reason why you can't camp out at any time of year – in fact, in many ways it can be more fun.

Throughout the year, people hike long distance trails like the South Downs Way and South West Coastal footpath, deliberately choosing the cooler months for comfort. All the things that make summer hiking unpleasant - the intense heat, crowded backpacker sites, and carrying extra drinking water - are avoided. Water is heavy, and you must always carry enough to avoid dehydration. Having gallons of the stuff sloshing about on your back is no fun when it's 80 degrees in the shade. Much better to hike the trail in early spring or late autumn, when you can strike out boldly, with no risk of getting heatstroke if you have to nip downhill to replenish supplies.

If you've never tried off-season camping before, you could join the Camping and Caravan Club, which holds group events and rallies throughout the year for both tents and caravans. There you will find plenty of advice on the right camping equipment to choose for all-seasons camping – and you'll make tons of new friends too.

Whether you are hiking or staying on a site, you need to remember the nights will be cold. Your tent should be double-skinned, easy to pitch and, if travelling alone, small and cosy rather than spacious. Remember, the roomier your tent is, the colder it will get at night. That being said, the tent must be large enough for you not to touch the sides when lying down, so if you are tall or heavily built, buy one man bigger than you need.

Switching to sleeping bags, you need to invest in a 3 or 4 seasons brand. No matter how warm you get being active by day, that warmth will soon go once you stop moving. Choose a mummy, rather than square design, as the tapered shape is designed to hold in warmth. If you are backpacking, you may think travelling light is out of the question in the cooler months – but not necessarily. There are some innovative lightweight sleeping bags which are designed for 3 or 4 season use. The Outwell Cloud, for example, has a unique tapered shape with a zipped footbox to regulate heat, and a unique twin-layer construction to trap body heat in key areas.

Your camping equipment list should include a mattress. A self-inflating mat is preferable to a foam bedroll; the air acts as an insulating layer, and the mat is less bulky to carry. If you do decide on solid bedrolls, invest in the thickest you can carry, and buy an extra groundsheet (preferably silvered for insulation). This will stop the coldness of the ground seeping upwards.

We at Outdoor World Direct supply everything you need to enjoy life in the great outdoors – no matter what the time of year.

About the Author

Emma writes articles on Outdoor World Direct's tents including product guides on Sleeping bags