A couple days ago, we went into the first day of fall. I personally love camping in the fall. The scenery is a better sight, the climate feels more relaxing, and of course, colder nights creep up on us. It seems that when we transition from summer into fall, temperature seems to start dropping rapidly. Not an uncomfortable low, but enjoyable with a long sleeve shirt and hot chocolate. Winter camping used to be my favorite season, but now I'm leaning more towards fall.
With the drop in temperature, some things do need to be considered in regards to gear. Our gear changes for each season and a few considerations are to be taken when dealing with fall. Let's first look at the obvious gear change for this season: warmth. This is a little easier to determine for autumn months than winter months.
The big change in clothing is primarily long pants and shirt. I personally wear thin-to-medium long pants and that is adequate for me. Some people need heavier pants and some people get along fine with shorts. If you will be backpacking in the fall, I recommend getting a durable set of convertible pants. Many fall days can be warm, so it's nice to have shorts, but the nights can get cold. With convertible pants, you can zip on the pant legs when the temperature drops.
As far as shirts, I will often wear short sleeves while hiking, but have a thin, long sleeved shirt handy. When you hike, you will warm up, but if you stop for a break and it's cool outside, it is nice to have that extra layer. I will generally bring a thin, long sleeved shirt along with a fleece sweatshirt.
Several posts back, I went into choosing sleeping bags. This can vary quite a bit in the fall based on various factors. I recommend having a sleeping bag rated around thirty degrees colder than you plan to be sleeping in. If the forecasted temperature is to be 60 degrees, you may want a 30-40 degree bag. Remember that most sleeping bags are rated for survivability and not comfort. Some bags have an EN rating which is a European rating. With the EN rating, the upper limit, comfort level, lower level, and extreme ratings are labeled. Right now, I have a 32 degree bag and the next down is a five degree, so I have to use discretion. My 32 degree bag is down fill so it's light and my 5 degree bag is synthetic so it's bulky and heavy. If I have any doubts, I usually go with the colder rating bag. Over the past month, I have experimented with bag ratings and shelters and have found that the type of shelter you use may change what sleeping bag you need. When I sleep in a tent or just in the open, I found that it's a good idea to stick to the 30 degree rule (having a sleeping bag rated 30 degrees below the outside temperature).
When you sleep in a hammock, there are a few factors to think about. If you use a GOOD under quilt, you could stick with the 30 degree rule and should be okay. Though, you may want to consider having a bag rated slightly lower. I've found that your butt will start to chill during the night. When in a hammock, your butt will compress the sleeping bag more than normal, so naturally, it won't loft as well. A good way to compensate for that are to use a good under quilt. When the temperature drop to low 50's, an under quilt may or may not cut it, depending on what sleeping bag you have (assuming you are using the 30 degree rule). Sometimes, the under quilt will keep you warm all except for your butt. That can be fixed by placing a space blanket between the under quilt and hammock under your buttock. You can also just use a thin tarp. A lot of the times, the coldness is caused by convection or wind. If you use a material that prevents the wind from getting to you, the problem can oftentimes be fixed.
Another problem I find is my feet getting cold. I have this issue more than my butt getting cold. I will oftentimes wrap my feet in jacket or coat and that mostly fixes the problem. It would be a good idea to get a pair of thick Marino wool socks that you only wear for sleep. That can almost always fix the cold feet problem (in the autumn months of course).
I recently started bivy camping within the last year. What I have found is that bivy bags will trap heat. In the winter, this is a great plus, but it can be easy to over-insulate in the fall. So far this fall, the coldest it has been was 52 degrees and I used my 32 degree bag. I did find myself unzipping the bag quite a bit. When using a bivy bag, try to have a sleeping bag rated close to 20 degrees lower than the outside temperature. When you add an insulated sleeping pad, it can change that up, but not significantly enough to make much of a difference. If you use a bug bivy, you should probably stick to the 30 degree rule. (Stay tuned for a future post on bivy camping).
Another aspect I look at that isn't quite so critical is food options. For a weekend trip or impromptu trip, it's easy to just grab some Ramen noodles or Mountainhouse freeze dried meals. However, in the fall, it is nice to have a well cooked meal. If the temperature is going to drop, the extra calories will keep you warm. But aside from that, on a cool, fall night, it's enjoyable to have a well cooked meal, sitting back around the fire. I also like to have hot chocolate or hot tea for the evening (bear in mind that tea will make you leave your sleeping bag for the latrine). My camping buddy takes a travel mug along that will keep the hot chocolate warm for a good part of the night. He likes to keep it near his sleeping bag so he can sip on it during the night when it gets chilly.
There really isn't a whole lot that goes into transitioning gear from summer temperatures to fall temperatures, but the changes are significant. If you are looking at getting into backpacking or hiking, I recommend starting in the fall because that is, in my opinion, the most enjoyable season to hike. Now get out there and adventure on!
