Temps are dropping. You can feel it in the air.
Camping in the cold? It’s a whole different game. If you’re new to this—backpacking, hiking, or even just pitching your first tent—it gets tricky fast.
Cold weather adds a layer of challenge. Literally. And honestly? I’m getting cold just thinking about it. Chances are, if you’re just starting out, you’re going to mess up a few things.
That’s totally normal. Let’s go over the biggest mistakes new campers make when it gets cold.
Mistake #1: Sweating When It’s Cold Outside
Now, that’s very easy to do. It actually sounds like it’s not easy to do, but it is.
You get to camp, you’re working hard to get set up, get a fire started, maybe you hiked in. You work up a big sweat.
But when the temperature drops, you’re going to get very cold. And it can actually get dangerously cold—especially in fall depending on where you’re at and what your climate is like.
Photo Credit: ALittleAndALot.com
If it dips below freezing, that’s a recipe for hypothermia. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is getting sweaty.
How do you combat this?
By not working as hard.
Or, by recognizing when you’re starting to sweat and stopping to cool down.
I know it sounds counterproductive—because it’s cold out—but you definitely don’t want hypothermia in the backcountry or at camp.
Mistake #2: Not Layering Properly
This ties right into the first mistake. Maybe you don’t even know what “layering” means. What I do is wear thin layers and stack them into one big bulky layer if I need to.
In the winter, I wear five layers: a T-shirt, two mid-layers, a puffy, and a hard shell (like a rain jacket). The shell is something old that I don’t mind getting hit with fire embers.
This system helps you regulate your body temperature. You can bundle up when it’s cold, or take off layers when you’re moving around.
Mistake #3: Believing the Temperature Rating on Your Sleeping Bag
As a rule of thumb: never believe the temp rating on a sleeping bag.
There’s something called the EN rating system. It’s a standard for sleeping bag temps—but not all companies use it. There’s no law saying they have to.
Good companies do.
EN ratings break down into three categories:
- Comfort rating
- Transition rating
- Risk/survival rating
Most people want the comfort rating—but companies can put any of the three on their product tag.
So you might buy a “20-degree” bag… but is that the comfort rating or the risk rating? You won’t know unless you dig into the manufacturer’s site.
Rule of thumb: Add 10–20°F to the stated rating to know how comfy you’ll actually be. Check if the company uses EN ratings, and which one is listed.
Mistake #4: Not Insulating Properly Underneath You
Most new campers don’t even think about insulation under them when they sleep.
Photo Credit: EscapeCamperVans.com
They think a good sleeping bag is enough. But if the ground is cold, it’s going to suck the heat right out of you. That’s why you need a sleep system—not just a sleeping bag. That includes a properly rated sleeping pad.
I use the Sea to Summit Etherlight Extreme. It has an R-value of 6.2. That means it’s rated for deep winter—good enough to sleep on snow and stay warm.
Get a sleeping pad that matches the season. That’ll keep you warm all night.
Mistake #5: Inflating Your Pad with Your Breath
People do this all the time—even experienced campers. The problem is, your breath has moisture in it. That moisture goes into your pad and lowers the R-value, making it colder.
Most pads come with a pump sack, like the one from Etherlight. Or, you can get a tiny electric pump like the Flextail Tiny Pump X. Using a pump puts dry air inside the pad—and that keeps you warmer.
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