Come for the cold. Stay for the fire.
The chill is part of what makes November special. Coffee tastes better on a cold morning. The fire feels better on a cool night. Blankets come out, conversations run longer, and the woods look different every day as the last leaves come down.
Our first Founders Weekend this November is full, and camping opens soon. When it does, pack the warm sleeping bag. Throw in the extra blanket and the good socks. Then come spend a weekend making something, meeting new people and sitting by the fire. The Little Artist inside you is dying to get out.
Join the listWhy we love the cold season
We are cool weather campers, and we think fall and winter are the best kept secret of the outdoors. Fewer bugs. A tent that stays comfortable instead of baking in the sun. Crisp air that wakes you up better than an alarm. Somehow coffee and a hot meal always taste better when you can see your breath.
The colors are at their most vibrant, and the light is something else. Golden hour and blue hour are what photographers live for, and painters and makers of every kind have chased that light for centuries.
If you already love camping in the cold, come share it with us. If you've been curious but never quite worked up to it, this is the place to try. We'll show you how to stay warm, sleep well, and make it something you look forward to instead of something you put off.
Founders Weekend is November 13 to 15. A year after we found this land, we're celebrating with one small weekend of camping, campfires and art. See the weekend.
Cold weather camping is different from camping in July. A little preparation is the difference between toughing out a chilly night and loving the whole weekend. Here's what we've learned.
What November feels like in Bedford
Afternoons are usually cool and comfortable. Once the sun goes down, the temperature drops fast, and nights often get down near freezing. Late in the month, a frosty morning is very possible.
Bedford averages from NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020. Any given weekend can run warmer or colder.
You might get sunshine, clouds, wind and rain in the same weekend. It also gets dark early, so evenings around the fire start sooner than you might expect. Pack for the night, not the afternoon.
Good to know about the property
Our campsites are simple and quiet. There's no electricity or water at the individual sites, so plan to pack a few things you might take for granted at home. Here's what you'll find on the property during Founders Weekend.
- Portable restrooms
- Handwashing stations
- Safe drinking water from the city supply
- Wi-Fi near and around the gazebo and class tents
- A private hot shower or a hot soak in a portable tub
Since there's no power at the sites, bring a charged power bank for your phone and leave the plug-in heaters and electric blankets at home. There's no need to haul in jugs of water. Just bring a bottle you can fill up and carry back to your site.
Very little light pollution means you'll see a lot of stars on a clear, cold night, and the sunsets and blue hour light are worth bringing a sketchbook for. It also means it gets truly dark, so bring your own light.
Bringing your dog?
Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome. Sound carries on a quiet night, so please bring a dog who will settle in without barking, so everyone gets a good night's sleep. A tie-out at your site gives your dog room to move while staying put. Classes are a shared space, so please plan ahead for where your dog will be while you're making art, and keep everyone's focus in mind. A warm bed or blanket for your dog in the tent is a good idea too.
Layers are the secret
Several light layers beat one giant coat. Start with a base layer, add something warm like fleece or wool, and keep a jacket close by. Peel layers off while you're busy in a workshop and put them back on when the sun drops.
Bring long pants, long sleeves, a sweater or fleece, a warm jacket, a rain layer, closed-toe shoes or boots, gloves, a knit hat, and more warm socks than seems reasonable. A hat and dry socks around the evening fire make a bigger difference than almost anything else you'll pack.
Sleep warm
Check your sleeping bag rating
A summer sleeping bag usually isn't enough for a November night. Look for a bag rated at least 10 degrees colder than the overnight low in the forecast. If you aren't sure your bag is up to it, bring extra blankets or a fleece liner. It's easy to push a blanket off at 3 AM. It's impossible to wish one into existence.
Insulate underneath you
This is the mistake almost everyone makes once. The cold ground pulls heat away from your body all night, and a great sleeping bag can still feel cold if nothing is insulating you from below. Use an insulated sleeping pad if you have one.
Staying in one of our tents? We provide the air mattress. Bedding is up to you, so bring your sleeping bag, pillow and blankets, plus a sleeping pad to go under the mattress and block the cold from the ground. Air mattresses are comfortable, but the air inside them turns cold overnight. Lay a thick or wool blanket on top of the mattress too, under your sleeping bag. Insulation above and below is the single best thing you can do for a warm night.
Bring more blankets than you think
This is one time overpacking is a good idea. One blanket for the fire or your morning coffee, and a couple more for sleeping. A blanket around your shoulders on a chilly fall evening just feels right.
Keep a dry set of clothes just for sleeping
Pack a separate set of sleep clothes and keep them dry inside your tent. Change into them right before bed. Clothes that feel dry can still hold dampness from sweat, rain or sitting by the fire, and damp clothes make for a cold night. Dry base layers, warm socks and a knit cap are the goal.
Plan for damp
November doesn't always bring rain, but fall weather changes its mind. Bring a waterproof jacket even if the forecast looks clear. If you're bringing your own tent, set it up at home first to make sure the rainfly and stakes are all there. If it rains during Founders Weekend, we'll keep making things under the gazebo and our covered class tents.
Pack clothes and bedding in waterproof bags or bins. And bring a second pair of shoes. Wet shoes on Saturday morning are a lot less charming than they seemed Friday night.
Small things that make a big difference
A headlamp keeps your hands free after dark. An insulated mug keeps coffee, tea or cider warm a lot longer. A camp chair makes fireside evenings much more comfortable. A small towel or two handles tent condensation, wet chairs and muddy boots. And keep drinking water, even in cool weather. It's easy to forget when you're not hot.
Staying safe in the cold
Never bring a heater, grill, camp stove or anything that burns fuel into a tent. Carbon monoxide has no smell and can kill. Warm bedding, good insulation underneath and dry layers are the safe way to stay warm overnight.
Fires stay in our fire pits, and we'll put them out together at the end of the night. If Lawrence County issues a burn ban because of dry weather, we'll follow it, and we'll let you know before you arrive.
Check the forecast before you leave
A day or two before you head our way, look at the Bedford forecast. Skip past the daytime high and look at the overnight low, the chance of rain, the wind, and the morning temperature.
If Saturday says 58° in the afternoon and 34° overnight, pack for 34°. That's the number you'll care about in the middle of the night.
Your November Packing List
Check things off as you pack, or print it and stick it to the fridge.