The Twisted Leaf

I’ve lived in New England all my life, and still marvel at the fall foliage every year. Fall is also my favorite time to camp and backpack - most people (kids included!) find sleeping more comfortable in cooler weather, and by late September the mosquitoes, bees and other airborne pests are gone. Most family campgrounds are open through the end of October, as well, and they tend to be less crowded after the Labor Day holiday in early September. A 20-degree sleeping bag will be perfectly adequate in most of these campgrounds through October.

Peak foliage tends to come sometime during October or early November for most of New England, so now is a great time to plan a foliage outing. With that in mind, I came across a good site for planning a New England fall foliage trip, it has links to popular locations, travel help, and guides.

(Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferboyer/277384668/in/set-1314579/ under a Creative Commons license).

If you do want to start planning a family camping trip in Autumn, there are a few things you can do to make your stay more comfortable in the colder weather.

• Leave cotton at home, and take advantage of synthetic, wool, or silk shirts, long underwear, and socks.
• Dress in layers, you can add or remove layers as needed to warm or cool off. A lightweight, nylon outer layer is great for deflecting cool breezes and will be water resistant. Bring a pair of nylon shorts for warmer days or to wear while hiking.
• Bring a small wool or synthetic cap to wear at night, it especially helps to wear it while sleeping, since most heat will be lost through your exposed head while you are in your sleeping bag.
• If you will be doing any hiking, read my tip on Dry Socks Every Morning.
• Use a sleeping mat or air mattress to insulate your sleeping bag from direct tent-floor contact. This will keep you warmer at night. I’ve had good luck with Ridge Rest sleeping pads over the years, they are cheap and lightweight, and have just enough padding. For something more comfortable (and a bit more expensive), try a Self-Inflating sleeping mat.
• Bring extra fuel for your stove, you will use the stove more often in the fall to make hot drinks or soups between meals.