Is 55 Degrees Too Cold To Camp?

Camping in all weathers can be extremely fun and exciting, especially if you are experiencing snow or a new place. Though there are some questions and concerns that come with camping in 55 degree weather.

Camping in 55-degree weather is not dangerous for people who are expert campers and have camped in a number of weather conditions and situations. To camp in 55-degree weather, you need to be extremely prepared with warm layers and food resources. The weather on a night will also drop further.

In this article we are going to talk about whether or not you can camp in 55-degree weather, what you should expect and how you can prepare for a camping trip in 55-degree weather.

Is 55 Degrees Too Cold To Camp?

Camping in an environment where the weather is 55 degrees is pretty cold. Some individuals go camping in the snow; this isn’t a new thing. Climate researchers are known to go on camping in Antarctica and as you can pretty much guess, this is pretty cold. The summary of this all is that camping temperature can vary at different times. The nighttime temperature of 50-65 degrees is safe even for amateurs.

However, low 40s and high 30s can be very dangerous for non-professional and inexperienced campers. If you are going camping at 55 degrees, take extra thick warm layers and waterproof clothing along. This is only normal to protect yourself from the very cold weather. This weather temperature usually occurs in late fall and early spring. It can happen during winter too but sparsely.

Will The Ground Be Safe To Camp On?

At 55 degrees, camping is possible and the ground is safe. You should take protective gear from rain and insects, weathers like this can draw insects out. Nighttime and daytime would have different ground conditions.

Daytime

The weather is usually clear and visibility is high. Animals, especially insects will be in their homes, it’s best to wear some thick footwear to protect your feet.

You should set up your camp in the daytime, this is when you can clearly choose and set up your location.

Nighttime

The ground is cooler at night and visibility is lower so it harder for you to understadn where you are and get a clear picture of the ground and your set up.

You should be extra careful and get your area lit up if possible. Your camp environment temperature can drop lower, this is where your extra layered dressing and your tent setup become more useful. You should also look for a sheltered area as to provide shelter and warmth from cold winds.

Choosing Your Camping Methods

A sleeping bag should be on top of at least the tent floor and tent pad, stopping the cold ground from soaking away the body’s heat.
The tent shelters you from high winds and the sleet that rips away from the heat of your body, raising the chances of hypothermia.
it keeps you from getting wet, getting wet can make your blanket useless.

At 55 degrees, you don’t compulsorily need a hat in a tent, neither do you need a hooded sleeping bag. However, having them around as options is good since you never can tell how low the temperature can fall at night.

What Should I Do To Prepare For Camping In 55 Degree Weather?

To prepare for camping, you need to plan it out. Ask yourself those who are going, get the total number and their age. If you are taking children along on this camping event, you’d need some extra gear. But overall, here are ways to prepare for camping in the 55-degree weather:

1. Research The Location’s Real Temperature.

Find out the temperature of where you’re going to camp. You could use a weather forecast service to know the temperature of where you’re going to camp. Pay attention to elevation; weather forecasts are taken at a particular elevation.

If you camp at an elevation area higher than where the forecast was taken, the temperature would definitely be lower. If you’re going camping with your family and you’re taking the kids along, choose a lower elevation.

2. Choosing The Right Clothes.

Dress well to match the occasion, wear enough clothes. You can take some off later if you’re feeling sweaty, you’d probably need to put them back on when it’s colder.

Make sure you have layers that you can add if you start to feel cold or for when you are in a resting state.

3. Get Your Camping Gear Ready.

You’d need some gear for this camping event. Depending on the number of days you’ll be camping you would need certain things.

We advise making a list of all the things you require for yoru trip to make sure you are well covered and have everything you need.

4. Bring Food And Water With You.

Don’t go camping with the idea of hunting to feed or fishing. Bring food that will sustain you, eat carbohydrate foods.

They’ll digest faster to produce heat and energy. Bring water with you so you can keep hydrated and use it to cook food, create warm drinks to bring your body temperature up and keep you warm.

5. Choose An Area You Can Set Up A Campground Fire.

During fall and springtime, days tend to be shorter. The sun- your only source of heat and warmth could go down as early as 5 pm. When this happens what do you do? Well, this is when to get a campfire; this would keep you and everyone else warm.

It’s also another chance for everyone to sit around the campfire and tell stories for entertainment just before bedtime.

6. Don’t Be Tempted To Cook Inside Your Tent.

This is a very dangerous thing to do. Carbon monoxide poisoning could occur.

If you are to cook make sure you are outside of your tent with any smoke or gases blowing away from your tent and not into it.

7. Exercise Before Sleep.

Do some quick jogging, push-ups, jumping jacks and running before you go to bed.

This exercise will keep your heart pumping well and generate some body heat for the night. Always ensure you do exercises before going to bed!

8. Don’t Sleep On A Full Bladder.

There is a popular myth that having a full bladder helps keep you warm. This is completely false if you keep your bladder full at night. You’d be forced to wake in the middle of the night and use the bathroom.

9. Stay Warm All Night.

Temperatures drop at nighttime, you must prepare for this. Summer and spring are perfect times for camping outdoors and using hammocks but for weather during autumn and winter we suggest taking a tent and creating a warm stable shelter while you camp.

Here are some things you should remember to help you stay warm at night;

Layer up your dressing before you start feeling cold
Use thermals as they are very useful for keeping warm
Avoid using double-height air beds, they can be very cold
Carry along lots of extra blankets
Use portable heaters only with extreme caution. It’s best you get a carbon monoxide alarm if your tent is unventilated.
Choose tent size according to the number of people sleeping in; you’ll need all the warmth you can get.
Get some tent carpet/rug for tent insulation.
Use disposable heat packs; they are sure always to come in handy.
Get down insulation that will keep you warm. They are suitable investments if you’ll be sleeping in cold environment.
Take your hot water bottle along, you’ll need all the heat it can offer. Be careful of leaks! This is quite dangerous.

What Special Gear Do I Need?

To camp in this 55-degree cold environment, you’d need to take some gear along.

Wool base and synthetic layer
Nutrient-dense snacks
stainless steel bottle for water
Closed-cell foam sleeping pad
Sleeping bad (particularly one with lower-limit temperature rating)
Gloves, socks and a good weather hat
Wind resistant tent stakes
Thermos
Bottle insulator
Tent brush

Some people assume that camping with a propane heater or using an electric heat RV reduces the need for blankets.

You might fail to load on maximum propane tanks before leaving for camp. You can have hypothermia without additional blankets or heavy-duty sleeping bags to trap the body heat.

This same condition holds if you use the heater in a tent, the heater could die out or worse you run out of fuel.

Can 55 Degree Weather Be Dangerous?

Young children and adults generally have problems with controlling their body temperatures; old people can die from hypothermia when temperatures go below 50 degrees. This is why you need to keep them away from such weather.

When a young and healthy adult is exposed to 50 degrees of temperature, the body is stressed as it attempts to stay warm.

Covering up in a blanket and resting in a sheltered position will help to keep the body safe. But if you don’t have enough insulation, you’re going to suffer. You’re going to wake up when you’re shaking too much, because your body is trying to push you to wake up in an attempt to find a way to get warm.

You’re not going to sleep well, which makes it difficult to function well throughout the day.