The shoulder seasons — spring and autumn — are perhaps the most underrated time for a campground. There is no summer heat and no crowds, prices are lower, nature is especially beautiful in its awakening or its golden attire, and the campgrounds are calm and spacious. But the shoulder seasons are capricious: changeable weather, cold nights, rains, damp and mud require preparation that is not needed in summer. Those ready for these conditions get a wonderful holiday unavailable at the peak of the season. Let us go through what changes in the shoulder seasons and how to prepare for a campground holiday in spring and autumn.
Why the shoulder seasons are good
Spring and autumn have a mass of advantages for a campground. Few people: popular places, overcrowded in summer, stand almost empty, it is easy to find the best spot and enjoy the quiet. Prices are lower than at the peak. There is no exhausting heat, it is more comfortable for walks and activities. Nature is incredibly beautiful: spring blossom and awakening or autumn gold and crimson. There are no hordes of mosquitoes as at the height of summer. For those who value calm, solitude and nature, the shoulder seasons are often more pleasant than summer. The main thing is to be ready for the changeable conditions, and then these advantages reveal themselves in full, giving a holiday you will not get in the crowded season.
Changeable weather
The main feature of the shoulder seasons is the unpredictability of the weather. A warm sunny day can give way to cold, rain, wind, and the nights are noticeably colder than the days. In spring and autumn you can experience several seasons in a single day. So watch the forecast and be ready for everything: for warmth and for cold, for sun and for rain. Flexibility of plans matters more than in summer. Do not count on stable weather and do not plan rigidly. Readiness for change is the key skill of a shoulder-season holiday, and it is exactly this that separates those who enjoy it from those whom the first change of weather catches off guard and throws off balance.
Clothing in layers
In the shoulder seasons the principle of layering clothing works like nowhere else. In the morning it is cold, in the daytime warm in the sun, in the evening cold again — and you need to dress so as to adjust easily. A base layer, an insulating one, a wind- and waterproof top you can put on and take off as the situation demands. Warm things for the cold evening and night, a waterproof jacket and footwear for rain and mud, a hat are essential. A supply of dry clothes in case you get wet. Correctly chosen multi-layer gear lets you feel comfortable in any shoulder-season weather, whereas "single-mode" clothing dooms you either to freeze or to overheat.
Heating and warmth
In the shoulder seasons heating becomes needed again, especially at night and on cold days. Make sure the motorhome heater works and there is a fuel supply, check the ventilation and the carbon monoxide detector. Warm bedding with a margin, warm clothes inside, hot drinks help you warm up. A connection to electricity lets you use electric heating. Nights in spring and autumn can be almost wintry, and underestimating the cold is a frequent shoulder-season mistake leading to chilly, sleepless nights. The ability to warm up in the evening and at night determines the comfort of a shoulder-season holiday, so heating gets attention even if it is warm and sunny in the daytime.
Humidity, rains and condensation
The shoulder seasons are a damp time. Rains, fogs, high humidity mean mud, wet things and active condensation in the motorhome. Fight it: ventilation to reduce condensation, drying things and footwear, a mat and a place for the wet at the entrance so as not to carry damp inside. The tightness of the motorhome and the tent is especially important in rain. Humidity feels colder than the real temperature, so dryness inside is the guarantee of comfort and warmth. Damp is the main everyday enemy of the shoulder seasons, and the fight with it (ventilation, drying, protection from moisture) takes up no less place in the preparation for spring and autumn than the care for warmth.
Mud and the choice of place
The rains of the shoulder seasons turn the ground into mud, and this affects the choice and set-up of the spot. Soft, sodden soil holds a heavy motorhome poorly: it sinks and spins, so pads are needed under the wheels and supports, and it is better to settle on a hard surface or a rise with drainage, not in a hollow. Mud at the entrance is carried inside — a mat and a place for footwear are needed. Clarify the surface type of the spots and their behaviour in the damp. A good choice of spot with proper drainage and firm ground saves you from getting stuck and from a quagmire around the motorhome, which is especially relevant after rains in the shoulder seasons.
Water and infrastructure
In the shoulder seasons part of the infrastructure may work not in full. The outdoor water point in early spring and late autumn is sometimes shut off because of the frost risk, some campgrounds are already or still closed, some facilities mothballed. Clarify what actually works on the needed dates, and carry a water reserve. Watch for night frosts, which in the shoulder seasons creep up unnoticed and can damage the water system — at the risk of sub-zero, take the same measures as in winter. Check whether the chosen campground is open and the needed facilities available, so as not to arrive at a place closed or mothballed for the shoulder season.
Spring and autumn: the difference
Spring and autumn are both shoulder seasons, but they differ. Spring is the awakening of nature, rising warmth, blossom, the first greenery, but also the thaw, melting snow, river floods, an especially muddy and damp period at the start. The ground is still cold, and the water in the bodies icy. Autumn is golden foliage, the mushroom season, the harvest, more steadily cool weather, but with the cold and the shortening day increasing towards the end. In spring the weather more often "goes up" towards warmth, in autumn "down" towards cold. Account for this: early spring and late autumn are almost wintry and require the corresponding preparation, whereas late spring and early autumn are milder and more comfortable. Understanding the character of the particular period helps you prepare more precisely.
Gear for the shoulder seasons
The shoulder-season gear is, in essence, a readiness for two seasons at once. Take both warm things (as for cold) and light ones (for warm days), and certainly waterproof ones (rain is very likely). Rubber boots or waterproof footwear for mud, a warm sleeping bag, thermal underwear, a hat and gloves for cold days. For the motorhome — a working heater, thermal screens, means against condensation. Mats and a place for drying wet things. A supply of dry clothes. In essence in the shoulder seasons you take an extended set covering warmth, cold and damp, because in a single trip you can encounter everything at once. Universal gear for changeable conditions is the basis of comfort in spring and autumn.
Health in damp cold
Damp combined with cool is treacherous for health: it is easy to get chilled and catch a cold, especially having got wet and not changed. So keep your feet warm and dry, change into dry clothes, do not sit in wet things, warm up with hot drinks. Damp cold is felt and tolerated worse than a dry frost, so it is taken seriously. Protect children and the elderly from hypothermia. A first-aid kit with the usual cold remedies will not hurt. Attention to warmth and dryness is the main measure of preserving health in the shoulder seasons, for a cold caught in damp weather can spoil the whole holiday and overshadow the impression of a wonderful season.
Activities of the shoulder seasons
The shoulder seasons are wonderful for many activities precisely because of the absence of heat and crowds. Hikes and walks are comfortable without the summer swelter, nature is especially picturesque, the photos magnificent. In spring — the awakening of nature, the first greenery, blossom; in autumn — golden foliage, mushrooms, the harvest. There is no heat exhausting on activities, and no mosquitoes. Swimming, true, is usually already or still unavailable because of the cold water. But for trekking, the bicycle, watching nature and a calm rest the shoulder seasons are perhaps the best time. Having matched the activities to the season, you get a rich holiday in comfortable conditions, which many undeservedly skip, considering a campground a purely summer affair.
The mindset for the shoulder seasons
A shoulder-season holiday requires a certain mindset — a calm acceptance of changeability and a readiness to adjust. Whoever goes for guaranteed sun and warmth will be disappointed in the shoulder seasons; whoever values quiet, beauty, solitude and is ready for the whims of the weather will get a wonderful holiday. A rainy day is an excuse for a cosy evening in a warm motorhome with a book and tea, not a spoiled holiday. Flexibility, a readiness for any weather and the ability to find charm in a damp autumn or a cool spring is what makes the shoulder seasons the favourite time of many experienced travellers. It is a season not for everyone, but for those who appreciate it, it reveals the campground from its best, calm and beautiful side.
A short set of rules
- Value the shoulder seasons for the quiet, prices, beauty and absence of heat.
- Prepare for changeable weather and keep plans flexible.
- Dress in layers, take warm and waterproof things.
- Provide heating — the nights can be almost wintry.
- Fight damp, condensation and mud, choose a spot with drainage.
- Clarify what works at the campground and beware night frosts.
Once you have tasted a shoulder-season campground, many start to prefer it to the noisy summer: the same nature, but in calm, colours and without crowds — you only need to prepare for the whims of the weather. And choosing a campground for a holiday in spring and autumn is convenient through the catalogue and on the map.