Our Top Tips for Autumn Camping with Kids

The tent sat in late Summer sunshine looking out to fields and moors — The sunshine makes a huge difference in Autumn, but there can be a huge difference between Summer and Autumn Camping!

Do you want to try Autumn Camping?

I’ll admit, that I’m currently writing this during an Autumn heatwave, sitting by an open window in the evening wearing shorts and flip flops. But Autumn camping is nothing if not unpredictable, so if you fancy stretching your Summer season out to the max, then Autumn camping might be just the ticket!

We did our last camp of 2022 at the last weekend in September just on the cusp of October and here are the tips we’d give you from our experience. It’s OUR experience, not everybody’s so if you have an extra tip, why not leave us a comment at the bottom!

Here are our top 10 tips for Autumn Camping!

Autumn sunsets really do make Summer sunsets look pants!

1. Factor in the early nights

If you have school age kids and you plan a weekend camp, factor in the time it takes to get the tent up, the drive to your destination and the sunset times.

You can find them super easily on the Met Office or BBC weather pages, but it is getting earlier…. and by the end of September, you’re looking at as early as 7pm. Moral of the story? Get there ASAP and leave yourself time.

(Obviously this is less applicable to those heading there with preschoolers! Enjoy the FREEDOM guys!)

2. Nights can get cold. Like really cold.

Obviously this is going to rely on your weather forecast. But check it.

Because if you have a sun, you can enjoy some top bloomin sunshine during the day, but at night, it can be freezing. Proper cold.

Our weekend in 2022 resulted in a temperature drop to 3 degrees at night. A temp so cold it drained the batteries of the iPads (THE HORROR!) So I’d encourage you to take something to insulate the devices so they don’t get damaged!

Dressing in layers at bedtime is the ONLY way to Autumn camp.

3. Wear bedtime layers…

Yes, this can apply to Summer camping too, but I’m talking getting some thermals on, and checking the season weight of your sleeping bag.

Sleep is the key to a happy camping trip. If nobody sleeps, nobody is happy.

On our night of 3 degrees, the kids went to bed wearing thermal leggings and long sleeved tops, a sweater, a fleece onesie, a beanie, thick socks and gloves. I am firmly of the opinion you can always take them off, but there is nothing funny about being freezing in the night.

4. Get a thermal bed roll

If you are sleeping on air beds, this stops a lot of heat being lost through the ground. It’s literally like a roll of foam with a foil emergency style blanket side.

5. Wellies all the Way

Or those short ones that are easier to take off. But basically your feet will get wet. Flip Flops will be wet and squeaky, trainers will get soaked, walking boots are a faff to put on and off and crocs will let water through the holes.

The dew can be pretty heavy in late Summer/ Autumn so cover those feet with something waterproof! Or you’ll have permanently wet and cold feet. Not fun!

6. Also…. FIREPIT!

I mean this is literally on my must have list all the actual time whilst camping. But if you want to maximise your outside time (and if you’re camping, that’s surely what you’re after) then book a pitch with a firepit, or one that allows you to take your own!

The tent in the night, with the campfire in the background — A cozy evening firepit shot

7. Take spares of all your clothes.

During the Summer, it’s likely you’ll be able to hang out whatever you got damp and the sun will dry it pretty quickly (if it IS sunny that is!)

During Autumn, the dampness will mean it’s harder to dry anything out that gets wet.

So from experience, take spare PJs, socks, jumpers and basically anything that you would feel really grumpy about sitting in, damp. And then take some more.

Yes, whilst camping is kinda a minimalistic sorta game, overpack on the dry stuff and vac pack it to save space.

8. Or…. book a campsite with a drying room

These are an absolute godsend, but not every campsite will have them.

In the Yorkshire Dales (our speciality!) we love Usha Gap Campsite, that has a toasty warm room just to dry boots, socks, towels or whatever you need to dry! (Maybe yourself!)

Keep warm and toasty! And bring games (but that applies all year round!)

9. Stay toasty….

From the inside and out!

This is a tactic used in my winter swimming. If you start to feel the evening chill, then don’t just reach for the hot water bottles (always a necessity if it’s cold camping as it can make your bed lovely and toasty to get into) but warm up from the inside too!

Hot drinks, soup and even maybe a night time hot snack can help you warm up from the inside out. Then the layers and the hot water bottles do the rest!

10. Take advantage of the later sunrises and the early sunsets!

Of COURSE you are going to have a great time, and what adds to the epic-ness of Autumn Camping is that you benefit from a more reasonable sunrise time (about 7am) and an earlier sunset time!

So check out the gloriousness of a sunrise and go to bed dreaming of a beautiful sunset!

The sunset next to the tent — Watching an early Autumn sunset

Are you going to give Autumn Camping a try then?

Hopefully you’ve found SOMETHING here that helps!

And if you want to find out more about what we take camping with the kids you might like our blog all about what we bring camping!