On our last trip it was warm enough for a T-shirt while setting up camp, then cold enough before sunrise that I struggled to get out of the sleeping bag. I brought one heavy jacket and spent the evening either overheating or shivering. Next time I'm thinking of a base layer, fleece, light wind shell and dry sleep clothes instead. For that kind of big day-night swing, which layer do you consider non-negotiable, and what do you leave in the bag until camp?
Choosing layers for big temperature swings between afternoon and dawn
- camping
- choosing
- layers
- temperature
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I leave the fleece accessible and bury the heavy stuff only if I know it’ll stay packed all day. For temperature swings, it’s nice to have o...
I leave the fleece accessible and bury the heavy stuff only if I know it’ll stay packed all day. For temperature swings, it’s nice to have one layer you can add before you get chilled instead of after you’re already cold.
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The non-negotiable for me is a dry sleep layer. You can fake a lot of things while you’re moving around camp, but if your sleeping clothes a...
The non-negotiable for me is a dry sleep layer. You can fake a lot of things while you’re moving around camp, but if your sleeping clothes are damp or sweaty, the whole night gets miserable.
I’d put the shell right next to that. It doesn’t have to be heavy, but a light wind layer saves you from that cold breeze that sneaks in right after sunset.
Dry sleep clothes changed everything for me too. I used to think one jacket solved it all, but the night part of camping has its own rules.