Shh! It's a Secret: September Camping

Posted by Gav Grayston.
First Published Sept 2013; updated May 2023.

September is a great time of year for camping. The weather is still reasonable, pitches are available, and it's a great time for camping. Don't stop just because the kids are back at school.

Don't write the Summer off when the kids return to school. September is a great time of year to go camping.

For many families, once the summer school holidays are over, so is their camping season. After all, 6 weeks with the kids and now there's homework and lots of things that need to be done when they are back at school. But don't be too quick to write off September.

September is actually a fantastic time for camping:

It's usually still warm(ish)
Campsites are still open but not as busy. You can get some great pitches.
It's the season for campfires. In September, it gets darker earlier, which is great for gathering around the campfire for some stories.
It's a great time of year for walking. Nature can be at its best in autumn, with leaves, conkers, etc. for the kids to collect. You could even take them back to your camp and make some pictures with your findings.
It's a good time of year for taking photographs and trying to capture those autumn colours.

Just as with springtime, weather can be a little 'unstable' at times (mind you, that's true for most of the year). So there are a few things you need to take with you:

It can get a bit colder at night now, so take some rugs to insulate below your mattress. Yes, these go UNDERNEATH. They provide ground insulation and will make sleeping a lot warmer.
Microfleeces are great this time of year. Take clothes you can wear in warm, cold, and wet weather.
Don't forget a hat. A lot of heat is lost through the head.
If it's really chilly, pop your thermals on. We have been known to sleep in ours when it's really cold - but it should not get that bad in most Septembers.
Take a tarp or footprint to put under your tent. The ground can be wet and muddy, and this will help keep the bottom of your tent clean.
Take a tarp to shelter under. You can create an outdoor shelter to cook under, even through the rain showers.

Don't pack away your camping gear just yet.

So don't discount September camping. You capture the end of Summer and the glorious start of Autumn.

Don't pack away your camping gear just yet.

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