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Up here in the mountains of BC it is defiantly the Fall season. The trees have slowed and are shedding their summer coats of green. Bursts of Orange and yellow splatter the landscape as you drive. The golden sun gives everything a beautiful glow in the evening.
This is a season I love.
This is a season of preparation for winters chill. The smell of the firewood that is being cut to warm the house on winters cold nights. The kitchen in a busy state of preserving what the garden grew for our bodies nourishment. The feeling of slowing down being welcomed after a hurried season.
This is also a season of Thanksgiving and celebration. For this is the season of reflection and surrender. Our family is preparing for a week long camping trip to fellowship with others within the body of Messiah. This time of celebration is known as Sukkot (or Feast of Tabernacles) where we gather in the wilderness, fellowship and rejoice for 8 days. This is a commanded Feast of Yah laid out in Leviticus 23:34-44.
We look forward to this time each year. This will be our third year camping in the fall. Each year we feel better prepared then the last. Our first year we camped at home because all the camp sites had been closed. Last year we got to go out and got rained out the second night. This year we are prepared for almost any weather.
Now Northern BC gets very chilly at night and lately we have been spoiled with temperatures that are well above the norm for this time of year. So I wanted to share with you some of the ways we are staying warm when camping in the Fall season.
1.Layers
Toques, gloves, thermal wear is a must have for Fall camping. Having a nice warm base layer to keep your warm is key when the nights get unpredictable. Also make sure you have either a rain poncho or rain jacket. We learned that lesson last year. so this year we are going prepared.
2.Tent(s)
This year our son will be in his own tent and my husband and I will be in ours. We got new tents this year as our tent from last year did not survive the season. But honestly it was over ten years old so it owed us nothing. We opted for tents that can do 3 seasons. This family doesn't camp in the winter much.
3. Heater
One thing we are eager to try out this year is a terracotta heater. Is it a simple as it sounds. You take a base for a terracotta planter and then put tealights on the base and cover it with the pot upside down. The picture below explains it better then words can.
4. Foam floor
This one is a game changer. you can buy the 2 foot by 2 foot foam pads for your floor. Make sure you buy enough for the floor surface of the inner tent where you will be sleeping. We started doing this earlier this year when camping for 4-H activities and it keeps the tent that much more dry and warm because it is a layer of insulation against the cool damp ground.
5. Air Mattress/ Sleeping pad
Speaking of insulation. While my husband and I prefer to sleep on an air mattress purely for comfort. Our son loves is foam sleeping pad. He is still young enough he doesn't cramp up when crawling into and out of bed haha. But having the foam floor helps with keeping the air mattress warmer as well.
6. Sleeping Bag
Sleeping bags that are rated for colder weather are you best friend. We bought ours from Coleman. and they are rated to keep you warm at -6C (20F). Another tip is to put a fleece blanket inside your sleeping bag that will hug you during the night. Polar fleece blankets are always part of our camping gear.
7. Footwear
There is nothing worse then getting damp feet when camping. Good quality wool socks are a must. Plan on taking more socks then you will need. So are good warm boots. If you do a lot of hiking then you will need to have the adequate footwear for that. also you want to have rain boots or water proof boots in case it does rain.
The last thing to remember when camping in the fall is to keep your calorie intake up to match the level of activity. Warm food and drinks keep you both warm and nourished from the inside out. In my next blog post I'm going to let you know just what it is that we will be eating while out in the wilderness.
Until then..
May Yah Bless and Keep You,