Camping in autumn, misery or a must do?

The Dutch love camping. Although summer is the most popular time for campers, for many, autumn is also a great option, for example during the autumn holidays or a shorter trip. According to the CBS, around 2.4 million Dutch people went camping in the summer in 2023, but in the autumn the number still reached 1 million. Not bad for a season that many people mainly think of as wet and cold. Does autumn have its charms after all?

Wet, grey, cold weather. Lots of wind, dark early. Words that may be the first to come to mind when thinking about autumn. In itself a fair assessment based on statistics and our own experiences. But a real camper will say: “There is no bad weather, only bad preparation”. A good rain suit works wonders against those downpours and strong winds. Waterproof hiking boots with warm merino wool socks and your feet are saved from ice-cold toes that you never think you will get warm again. The real cold person among us grabs a hat, scarf and gloves and is then completely ready to go for a beautiful autumn walk. Because what other season has such a diversity of colours. When you walk into a forest it is as if you are walking onto a canvas where a painter's colour palette has exploded. Especially when the sun finally shows itself and makes all the colours come into their own even more. That is a charm of autumn.

And then you get through the day, much warmer than you thought, because you were well prepared, and you come back to your tent. It is 5 pm and it is already dark. Luckily you have a good flashlight and all the tools to make a nice campfire. And that is where the fun really starts! In the dark by a crackling campfire, already some Christmas lights on the tent and you feel the atmosphere immediately. After a good campfire meal it is now time for a delicious spiced mulled wine or hot chocolate with whipped cream. The campfire stories and guitar music have started and you wonder why you only gave autumn camping a chance now.

But then comes the moment you have tried to postpone for as long as possible: crawling into that super cold tent. After the warmth that the fire has so relished you with, that cold may feel like a blow. But you will soon forget that brief moment of cold once you have crawled under your warm sleeping bag that does its job perfectly well down to -5 C (read the specifications of your sleeping bag for the temperatures it is intended for). And biting through the cold also builds character, we say. With an insulation mat under your air mattress, you ensure that rising cold from the ground does not penetrate your air mattress. In the fall, nature can also help you with this insulation. You can put the leaves that are lying everywhere under your tent and this has an insulating effect. Or you can opt for an air mattress frame, so that your air mattress does not have contact with the ground or for a sleeping mat with a high R-value (insulation value). Another good option is a roof tent. My final tip for sleeping is to sleep in thermal underwear with a good sweater on top, for example, and keep your head warm with a hat.

And now dream away nice and warm until the next beautiful autumn walk and warm crackling campfire.