Banff

Driving cross country and we need to keep the overall costs of our trip down . . . hotels in and around Yellowstone are quite expensive so we're looking to camp for 3-4 nights @ Canyon Campground. Our biggest concern is the temperature!! Looking at the averages, it appears that it dips down into the 30's at night.

Where we're from, that's EXTREME!

Do people really camp in Yellowstone? If so, how do they survive? Not sure we'll have the gear to survive those Arctic temperatures. All we have is a car.

Thanks for any input.

StantonHyde

I have camped/backpacked in that weather many times. If you go in July or August, it usually doesn't get down to 30. If you have a tent, then you get a good, 20 degree sleeping bag and you sleep in long underwear. In the morning, you throw on a fleece, a winter coat, and warm pants. It will warm up quickly. Bring hats and gloves.

Again, I don't think it will get much below 40 or 50--or maybe it just never felt that cold to me! You could also look to camp at a campground with lower elevation. I think that is listed in park info. I know I camped at Lake in July and were fine.

kureiff

You'll be fine. Bring hats and gloves for the mornings. Fleece and a jacket and a decent sleeping bag will keep you warm!

My dad cross country skied across Yellowstone with friends two weeks ago, and they tent camped every night. They had -28 one night.

utahtea

Have you considered Madison Campground? It's 1000 feet lower in elevation and would be warmer. It's very centrally located but you will need to go to either Canyon or Old Faithful area for showers.

Utahtea

Banff

I have thought about campgrounds at lower elevations but from what I understand, Canyon has the best location for getting around YNP and it also has all the amenities like showers, etc.

spirobulldog

How long do you plan on being in Yellowstone? I wouldn't want to set up camp to many times, but it's a big park. You might want to consider 2 locations.

Plenty of gear out there to be comfortable in the cold. You just have to have the right stuff and spend the $$$ on it. A good mattress or pad along with a good sleeping bag goes a long way int keeping you warm/comfortable. You can layer under/over you sleeping bag and wear thermal gear of even a coat to sleep in.

I like Smartwool and Icebreaker(both are Merino Wool) for my thermal/longjohns type gear. Wear socks and something on your head to stay warm. A huge factor in staying warm(whether your sleeping, hiking, whatever) is having your feet and head warm.

Some Mattresses/Pads have better R Value than others.

If this is something you plan on doing a lot of over the next 5 years, invest in the better quality stuff.

Another option is renting. There are several places on the web that rent tents, sleeping bags, pads. REI does at most of their stores as well.

schlegal1

Rent it.

It doesn't sound like you are really going to get into cold weather camping (or if you, do you can buy it later).

Just google "Rent Camping Gear Yellowstone" and you'll have plenty of choices.

And I assume you were teasing about the temps being extreme or Arctic because 30 is barely below freezing. Though I agree, I don't like camping in weather that cold.

Also, do you camp otherwise? Or is this solely a cost-cutting plan because I think camping can be a really trying experience if you aren't committed campers. But if you like or really think you will like camping I bet you'll have a great experience!

nytraveler

Um 30 degrees is hardly arctic. That would be more like minus 30 degrees.

But you don;t say when you are going. It's unlikely to be that cold in midsummer.

Michael

It can get cold in the mountains. Over the years we woke up with ice on our tent flap (Aspen, July 1974) and snow in Glacier (July 1999). But even the cheap flannel lined sleeping bags (1974) kept us warm. The worst is getting out of a warm sleeping bag before one gets the body moving or a fire going.

Banff

I guess the humor in my comments (30 degrees = Arctic) didn't come across cyber-space very clearly. I was just kidding . . . but to a floridan 30 degrees sure does feel like -30.

schlegal1, We do camp - usually in the Smokey Mountains and I guess if we can handle camping in humid, wet weather we can deal with dry and cold nights out west.

We have regular sleeping bags but I have found some on Walmart.com that are -15 to 15 degree sleeping bags for only $24! It appears the bags have decent reviews.

Banff

spirobulldog, thanks for the tips! very helpful! We are camping for a minimum of 3 nights, max of 6 nights in Yellowstone.

Michael

Those Walmart sleeping bags will be too warm for most of the time when temperatures will drop only into the forties. Fleece and socks are a better answer.

starrs

"Canyon has the best location for getting around YNP ..."

I don't necessarily agree. Any of the campgrounds along the figure 8 loop would work just fine. It is more centrally located but if you are camping in two locations during your stay you don't have to be in the "middle".

schlegal1

>

That's personal preference--I am cold-natured and I have never found a too-warm sleeping bag. My husband could go without one on warm summer nights.

If you like camping you'll have a blast, Banff!

cruzrmomma

WE camped-it was COLD! what I wish I had is a tent heater! You can get them at REI or Walmart-totally worth $49 for a toasty night. We took it on another trip and it made a huge difference!

Connie

Camped in tents many times in July and had 30/low 40 temps. Get a good sleeping bag that has a hood. Doesn't have to be down. Even with that, I like to wear a hoody so that it keeps the cold drafts from going down the back of my neck. Insulated underwear, hat, gloves and wool socks.

They make inexpensive inflatable mattresses that are pretty comfortable. You might put a blanket under it to insulate you from the cold ground. These come in handy if you have guests at home and not enough places to sleep.

I've camped in all the major campgrounds in Yellowstone and I like Canyon because it is centrally located AND has showers/laundry facilities. Madison is central but does not have showers and it takes longer than it looks to get over to Canyon. Old Faithful only has a couple of showers unlike the others with over 10 showers in each room. Bridge Bay has showers nearby at Fishing Bridge. Grant has showers also. Once I have my camp set up, I do not want to move.

Just think how great that first cup of coffee will taste the next morning!!! Love it!

Banff

This is what I read . . . that Yellowstone gets down into the 30's at night (June). The tent heater is a great idea! Didn't know they had those.

Walmart has a -15 to 15 degree tent for only $24 but another poster said that we would be too hot - your opinions cruzemomma and Connie since you've done it?

StantonHyde

If you run cold, you should get the warmest gear you can find!! and make sure you have long underwear!

I guess I thought it was clear that you need a pad under your sleeping bag--who wants to sleep on hard, cold ground? If you have a bigger tent, then the Coleman twin air mattresses are great!! If you have a smaller tent or have to put more people in it, then something like a Thermarest is the way to go.

WhereAreWe

Air mattresses suck in cold weather. They do not insulate you from the cold ground, so even though they provide a soft surface to sleep on it will be cold. You need something to insulate you from the ground.

Tent heaters are either electric or fuel based. If electric you would need a site with electricity...obviously. If fuel based you will need to be careful about venting properly to avoid carbon monoxide. And obviously you need to situate things so you don't melt anything or start something on fire.

Personally I think its easiest to just use layers. Use your exisiting bags, add a fleece liner and wear some warmer clothes at night. Be prepared to adjust your clothing to how you feel.

I have a hard time believing the Walmart -15 bag is truly rated to that temperature if they are selling it for $24.

richmond706

I got your arctic hyperbole.
I agree with you about picking this campground. I reserved Canyon Village Campground for the end of June as a backup because I am still short 2 nights of hotel rooms.
to Starrs: There are only two campgrounds with showers for tents: Canyon and Grant Village. Canyon is the more centrally located of the two. It doesn't open until June 10th so that tells you it stays cold a while. Grant is June 21st and even colder at a higher elevation. I wouldn't want to walk a mile or more to a shower in the cold so I wouldn't consider a campground without one.
On Tripadvisor, someone posted photos of snow at their Canyon campsite in June so it is possible. We can always fix sleeping in the cold, but walking back and forth to the bathroom in the cold...yuck.