Fall camping keeps things Cozy and it’s my favorite season to camp.

There’s something about fall camping that’s just different. Crisper mornings, campgrounds and trails with less people, and the weather gives you the need for a fire you can enjoy up closer rather than from a distance. However, fall can also bring challenges when warm afternoons can quickly change to chilly nights and daylight tucks away behind the horizon earlier. Fall can also bring rain, wind and an unexpected freeze depending on your terrain.

For me, I am all about oversized hoodies & a crackling campfire so when the weather starts to change and the days get shorter, I start planning for trips to enjoy the great outdoors. When it comes to fall camping, however, it is best to be prepared for any weather that you may encounter. This includes your vehicle, your camping gear, food to enjoy and personal gear.

This fall, I’m especially excited to spend time camping with the newest product in our lineup, the RipTide. This is my current demo unit for both personal weekends and show events and it combines a place that is dry to store my gear as well as get out of any inclement weather. It is outfitted with a BunduTop and BunduHalf 90-degree awning as well keeping my main living space compact and outdoors yet offering the solace of being dry if needed.

Why Fall

I like to hike and the fall weather makes it more enjoyable for me and Dozer with less humidity and cooler temperatures. I am also not a fan of large, crowded spaces and fall means tourist season is coming to an end or is over making places such as Yellowstone, Southern Utah or Mt. Rushmore less crowded and easier to enjoy without feeling like a sardine. If you are a fall color enthusiast, this is also the perfect time to enjoy landscapes that are completely transformed, basking your view with warm oranges, browns and reds.

Keep in mind though, whether it is features you want in your ideal setup or places you want to visit there will always be a tradeoff that you need to be prepared for.

I love a beautiful 65-degree afternoon but know that it can quickly become a 35-degree night, and clear skies can turn into rain and wind without notice. Shorter days often mean shorter hikes so I can reach camp before dark—unless I bring the proper gear, such as a headlamp and trekking pole, to safely navigate the terrain after sunset. When customers ask me about fall camping, my suggestions always include three staple things to accommodate: comfort, climate and preparation.

Creating a Comfortable Sleeping Space in the BunduTop

A comfortable night starts with getting off the ground, and that’s one of the things I appreciate about the BunduTop. As temperatures begin to drop my bedding becomes just as important as the tent.

Instead of relying on one extremely heavy blanket, I focused on layering. I use the Beddy’s system to provide my fitted sheet and cozy comforter but when temperaturesdrop, I add a down alternative comforter to the mix or a wool blanket inside a duvet cover; the cover is used because while wool is a great insulator, I don’t like its scratchy feeling and it causes skin issues for Dozer.

Layering is also important when it comes to your overnight attire. When temperatures start to drop, I will keep a dedicated pair of cozy drysocks under my blankets along with a comfortable and breathable base layer. These added itemscan make a surprisingly big difference on colder nights.

With limited space, my goal isn't simply to pack as many blankets as possible. It's to create as leeping system that I can easily adjust as conditions change.

Ventilation Matters
When temperatures drop, the instinct is often to close everything up as tightly as possible. However, when the temperature drops and it is time to start using my diesel heater and dig out my battery-operated CO Detector, I also make sure that my BunduTop is adequately vented.

Warm air from breathing and everyday activity carries moisture. When that warm, humid air meets colder surfaces, condensation can develop inside your sleeping space causing your bedding to feel damp, which is just as uncomfortable when cold as it is when it is hot and humid.

In the current setup, Rory ducted my diesel heater into both the Riptide as well as up through the floor of my tent. With the heat running, I open one window corner about 6” on

each side, I open just the solid flap and leave the screen in place. But even still, this smallopening will reduce condensation from inside the tent and acts as a fresh-air exchange, especially if there is more than one person in the tent.

Ventilation allows your sleeping space to feel warmer, drier and more comfortable.

The BunduHalf Expands My Outdoor Living Room

One of the parts on my current rig that increases comfort outdoors is that it is equipped with the BunduHalf. This expands my space immediately outside the RipTide giving me an area to cook, organize gear, sit outside and transition between the outdoors and the BunduTop when conditions aren't perfect. a

During summer, an awning is used to escape the sun and provide shade but, in fall, its role changes and it becomes a place that means rain won’t send me home. This is because the awning offers me, and those I am camping with, a protected space outside essentially expanding the campsite. When the weather is not ideal, I use different wall panels that attach to any BunduAwn configuration to help keep the elements out from under the awning.

This year, I am excited about the new privacy square. While originally designed for the for the BunduAwn360, that is not what we outfitted my current set-up with so I plan to experiment with it on my BunduHalf to see how adaptable it is for use when I need more than just a single panel for weather protection.

The BunduHalf is only one way the RipTide allows me to comfortably work around what mother nature throws at me.

Shorter Days = Power Need Adjustments

Another telltale sign of fall is less daylight. As the days become shorter and the sun sits lower in the sky, it is important to start paying attention to how much power you are using as well as and how much solar energy is producing.

What works for long durations during your summer adventures can change just like the seasons. What worked perfectly during your peak summer season (June – August) will change when fall hits and the sun sinks lower in the sky changing the angle of sun exposure to any solar panel.

Fall is a great time to bring out the energy saver inside and be conscious of what you are using when and how it affects your battery levels. With the sun being lower, it is a great time to add a portable solar panel and charge controller to your setup which will allow you to maximize sun exposure during peak hours of the day.
The goal isn't to stop using power, it’s about maximizing your usage so that your system can support the way you camp.

Prepare for Evening and Overnight Temperatures

I used to be a fair-weather camper, not wanting to venture out to explore when the temperatures were below 50. However, this would cut my season very short here in the Midwest when we can have snow as early Halloween! With a few adjustments and additions, I am no longer a fair- weather camper and can easily endure the cooler evenings before winter settles in.

While it is always important to check the daytime weather conditions when you’re preparing for a trip, it is just as important to check the overnight temperatures as well! As a super planner, I start preparing for both personal and business trips far sooner than most but I always wait until about 5 days prior to leaving to pack that way I can monitor the weather as my trip gets closer and make sure I have the gear I need to be comfortable.

This can be as minor as a change in the bedding you have to a more extensive change like bringing along the diesel heater. These changes should also be considered for those carrying water on board, while all our lines in the truck campers are internal and as long as your furnace is running, they shouldn’t freeze, for those like me who are carrying potable water it is important to know what kind of temperatures you will be up against so room is left in any jugs or water container to account for any freezing that could happen.

Pack for the Season You're Entering

With my years of experience, I have acquired a separate kit for my summer and fall trips. My set-up is compact and room is limited so when the weather changes, I take out the items that I will no longer need and replace them with the staple items needed for the season at hand.

Staple items that are added for fall include
• My Diesel Heater & Fuel Can
• Fall Weatherproof Jacket
• A thin pair of gloves that are water resistant
• My Mucks
• And additional items of every layer
• Cold weather sleeping gear
• Reusable hand warmers
• Portable Solar Panel and charge controller
• Hiking booths that have been waterproofed
• Awning wall panels and telescoping poles

To see my list that includes some of these items as well as other gear I use and purchase them yourself, click HERE.

I have also learned that it is nice to have a designated place to put any gear that may be wet or muddy. To accommodate this with my BunduTop I place a tote a bit larger than my shoe size just inside my BunduTop drop panel for the ladder cover. This gives me a place to take off muddy boots or shoes in the tote before stepping on the mat below my ladder keeping that space as clean as possible. I also carry wet wipes I keep inside this area so I can give the dog a good wipe down if needed before we climb up into the tent. I also try to keep any wet clothing out of my BunduTop and use the extension arms on my ladder cover as a “clothesline” to hang up anything wet overnight or when the weather allows for them to dry out.

I welcome fall and the challenges it brings making me think differently about how I prepare. With layered bedding, the appropriate outdoor gear and conscious power consumption, I get acampsite that offers opportunities to enjoy every changing season.

My current setup of the RipTide with the BunduTop and BunduHalf keeps me excited as the RipTide will offer additional coverage in exceptionally terrible weather with a space that lets me stay dry and warm if the awning is not enough. It also allows for a comfortable space that Dozer can hang out as he is still a fair-weather camper!

Sometimes the best adventures take place on cool fall mornings, with the leaves changing around you, coffee in hand and nowhere you need to be.

Can I Winter Camp, YES. Do I? No…

While we have customers who camp no matter the weather, for me fall is the latest part of my camping season and usually ends around Halloween when most recreational areas with camping close here in the Midwest.

Extending my season into fall allows me to enjoy all the cozy things that fall has to offer, hooded sweatshirts, flannel shirts, hiking, fall leaves changing colors and the smell of a campfire. Being able to extend into this timeframe adds about 6 weeks to my season, and while this is not a lot, it is enough to make sure I am recharged and refreshed before the dullness of winter starts to set in.

Fall also offers crisp mornings with light frost covering my surroundings which gives a magical feel to the season. The appropriate gear makes these temperatures more doable while I make my morning coffee with a living space that is entirely outdoors.

That's the kind of camping I'm looking forward to with our new RipTide setup.

Final Thoughts

My camping season starts in the spring, usually around April or May depending on the year and goes until October. I don’t camp here in the Midwest the last full week of July through the first 2 weeks of august as our weather is unbearably hot with humidity levels just as high as the temperatures, so these added few weeks in fall make up for the time, I avoid the extreme heat.

I welcome fall and the challenges it brings making me think differently about how I prepare. With layered bedding, the appropriate outdoor gear and conscious power consumption, I get a campsite that offers opportunities to enjoy every changing season.

My current setup of the RipTide with the BunduTop and BunduHalf keeps me excited as the RipTide will offer additional coverage in exceptionally terrible weather with a space that lets me stay dry and warm if the awning is not enough. It also allows for a comfortable space that Dozer can hang out as he is still a fair-weather camper!

Sometimes the best adventureas take place on cool fall mornings, with the leaves changing around you, coffee in hand and nowhere you need to be.

The adventure doesn't have to end with summer, it just gets a little cozier.