Tent Camping in January

[Scootin'By]

I'm starting to plan a trip to WDW for next January - yes, I know, it's a long ways away, but I'm an early planner. My original plan had been to go in October and I was thinking of driving down with my camping supplies and putting my tent up. But now that the date has been moved back to January I'm a little conflicted. I live up north, so the cold is no bother to me, but I do most of my camping during the summer. I'm a little worried about the temperatures getting down pretty low at night and making it just too hard to sleep. Plus, a very chilly walk to shower in the morning. Any thoughts or experience here?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jonnnyap]

My family loves tent camping, and while we’ve never done it at WDW, our experiences have been quite positive in cold weather. The lack of bugs and a dry season in winter in Georgia/Florida makes colder weather tent camping our preferred time to go. Everyone has a different threshold of what’s too cold. For us, it’s 42 degrees. Anything colder and it’s not fun/doable. We have a small electric space heater that we use in the tent (very careful not to have it too hot or touch anything that could cause a safety issue) that keeps our sleeping space warm enough. We also use thermal-rated sleeping bags to stay warm at night. I see January in WDW estimated average temperature ranges 50-70, so this would be a yes for us. Hope you can make it work and have a great time!

 

[Stratman50th]

I don't tent camp so your cold weather comfort level is obviously a personal thing. The only "warning" I would give is our "winter" is normally mid January. It lasts about 10 days to 2 weeks and within that time it can actually drop below freezing a few nights. Mostly we get frost warnings so we can cover plants. After the snap winter is pretty much over. Mother nature can have her own ideas on things so keep that in mind. It's been cold here this year since before Christmas, even dipping to around 45°. That is way too cold for us here! If you're experienced tent campers, (I am not) I'm sure you can make the best of it so enjoy.

 

[bama_ed]

I'm starting to plan a trip to WDW for next January - yes, I know, it's a long ways away, but I'm an early planner. My original plan had been to go in October and I was thinking of driving down with my camping supplies and putting my tent up. But now that the date has been moved back to January I'm a little conflicted. I live up north, so the cold is no bother to me, but I do most of my camping during the summer. I'm a little worried about the temperatures getting down pretty low at night and making it just too hard to sleep. Plus, a very chilly walk to shower in the morning. Any thoughts or experience here?

Thanks in advance!

January is a month with pretty wide swings in temperatures. It can be sunny and moderate one day and rainy and chilly the next. I looked at last year's temps for Orlando in January and the high was 76F and low was 26F.

Two things I will say since you're already an experienced camper (mostly in summer you said). Depending on your tent and sleeping system (cot? bag on the ground? air bed?) you want to make sure that you are thermally protected from the ground (if in a sleeping bag on the ground). If it's a cold spell the ground will suck the heat out of your body and you will need a sleep pad/mattress that has a good R-value (the R number runs 1 through 6 - higher is better/warmer) to prevent the heat loss.

The same principle applies on a cot. Even though you're up off the ground, the cold air under the cot will also pull body heat out. People think to throw blankets on top of themselves but don't do much for underneath them. So at least a blanket (folded over into several layers) underneath you or the sleep pad laid on the cot first will also help keep you warm.

Next, there is nothing wrong with throwing an electric blanket in the car for the trip with an extra blanket ("just in case") to put on top of that to warm up the sleep system to a comfortable level. Bring an extension cord to run to the tent. While sleeping bags (if that's what you use) are temperature rated, I have found that those are, IMO, only loose guidelines. I would rather be OVER-prepared versus UNDER-prepared.

There are other tips and tricks but you probably know those.

Good luck with your planning.

Bama Ed

PS - temps rise quickly in the mornings once the sun gets up high enough over the trees. Cloudy nights hold the daytime heat better. It's the clear nights that are the coldest.

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

We have been at the Fort the last four years in January, this year we will be there the first week of Feb. Honestly, it's a crapshoot. Plan it and prepare for any weather. One year it was in the 20s a few nights. Most years it's 70s/50s and gorgeous. I wouldn't say not to book it, but cold could happen. When it does it doesn't stick around too long.

 

[morrik5]

If you know anyone with Boy Scouts' experience, they usually do winter camping in the colder climates. Maybe you could chat with them on how they stay warm. Our daughter did it in Ontario, Canada as late as late November/early December.

 

[BarbLynnM]

We’ve tent camped in past, and I agree with the above. I’d like to add that condensation can form on your tent walls. Some kind of heating device/fan will help with that. We have one of those electric heaters that are multi-speed and have an auto-shutoff if tipped over.

I second Bama Ed’s advice inre: getting a thermal mat under your sleeping bag or cot. We will be camping at the Fort in a week, and though we have an air mattress, we’re still going with mats on top of the mattress under our sheets. I’ve paid the price of freezing half a night (even thought temps were in the 60’s) because I didn’t have anything thermal under me.

Our setup is going to be the air mattress, the mats (I’m going for our yoga mats, I’m thinking they’ll be thermal. Hopefully lol), flannel sheets.
I’m liking the above suggestion of an electric blanket, to be honest.

As far as the chilly race to the bathrooms, no help for it. Also, be aware that we’ve had experiences where the showers at the Fort can take upwards of *literally* 5 minutes to warm up. When you’re in your natural splendor, shivering and waiting for a (in theory) hot shower, it can seem like forever. I got into the habit of turning on the water first then getting ready to hop in after. Often I’ve outpaced the shower’s hot water output.

As far as our few experiences at the Fort in winter/early spring, the ambient air would be warm-ish, but the wind was pretty chilly. I could have gone for a warm sweater and a wind breaker that day.

We are tent camping this time around, not taking our Little Guy camper; while this is an El Niño year and maybe not the norm, next year will probably be similar. I’ll try to remember to make a post on our experiences camping weather wise.

 

[Scootin'By]

Thanks for all of the great advice! I usually sleep on a cot with a blanket or mat underneath, but I've recently switched to a big thick air mattress. I definitely have to invest in a rated sleeping bag. The trick with the electric blanket sounds like it could make for a nice warm night. The cold showers do not sound promising though, that might be what gets me to stay away LOL

 

[bama_ed]

The cold showers do not sound promising though, that might be what gets me to stay away LOL

Well the showers are cold if you are one of the early birds in that particular shower stall.

But after they've all been "primed" and running hot for showers of several folks, there is no problem.

I agree with the earlier advice about turning on the shower water while you get ready in the shower "booth". Just run the hot and in a minute or so it will be nice and steamy.

My preference is to go early (no waiting for a shower) and while I'm getting ready I run the hot. Then we are good to go for a full day in the parks.

Go and have fun!

Bama Ed

 

[ilovedisneymm]

We’ve had numerous tent camping trips in January. My best advice is…bring the kitchen sink! The weather can be sunny and 70 on a Monday and 20 on a Thursday…true story! Bring cot or air mattress, layers of blankets, electric blankets, and space heaters too! Some nights you just need the layers of blankets and some nights you need all sources. We camped like kings for weeks on end in Januarys thinking about heading that way…

 

[Scootin'By]

We’ve had numerous tent camping trips in January. My best advice is…bring the kitchen sink! The weather can be sunny and 70 on a Monday and 20 on a Thursday…true story! Bring cot or air mattress, layers of blankets, electric blankets, and space heaters too! Some nights you just need the layers of blankets and some nights you need all sources. We camped like kings for weeks on end in Januarys thinking about heading that way…

This is good advice and why God made SUVs

 

[bama_ed]

Thanks for all of the great advice! I usually sleep on a cot with a blanket or mat underneath, but I've recently switched to a big thick air mattress. I definitely have to invest in a rated sleeping bag. The trick with the electric blanket sounds like it could make for a nice warm night. The cold showers do not sound promising though, that might be what gets me to stay away LOL

A rated sleeping bag is not necessary if you have the e-blanket. Just bring a few bed blankets (and-or your summer bag) from home to throw on top (the e-blanket IMO should be not next to your skin and not on the outside but in-between), put the pad underneath you, and crank that baby up to high HOT if you need it.

I like a bed sheet as the first layer on top, the e-blanket if need be next, and any number of from-home blankets to keep the e-heat close to me. If you have a summer bag, that would go above the e-blanket IMO.

Bama Ed

PS - and I am an (old guy) Eagle Scout with lots of experience in cold weather camping. Beside MY nights camping as a kid, I was a dad to two Eagles who both camped year round for several years. Not building igloos, mind you, but staying comfortable (and dry) below freezing and still getting a good night's sleep. I can PM you more specific details if you need that info. Your call.

 

[Cierese]

For the past 10 ish years, we've been tent camping in January at the fort. There's often a cold day or two, but heated blankets... LOL!

 

[bama_ed]

For the past 10 ish years, we've been tent camping in January at the fort. There's often a cold day or two, but heated blankets... LOL!

Hey, they're great on those 26F Nights!

 

[jaredjohn4]

We don't tent camp anymore, but I know the weather is a crap shoot in Florida. I'm up in Gainesville right now. Weather has been 40 at night, 60 in the day. We have a 38 ft. 5th wheel and went through a 30 lb. lp tank the first week. We are watching the weather to see when we can head back to the Chicago area where there is over a foot of snow. We are looking at putting the camper in Auburn until the end of February when we head south again. Due to DD internship at U of Florida, we will be back in Gainesville in late April, and due to DS going to the Fort in June, we will be back again then. Can't wait to see the sun and warm weather.

 

[BarbLynnM]

We’re heading to the Fort now, having left northwestern Michigan on the 12th. Winter has been following us down the entire way; we’ve finally gotten to Ga; while it’s still cold, at least there’s not a foot of snow.

That said, on advice from above posters (I almost typed “on advice from above” but thought better of that somehow lol ) we picked up an electric blanket to supplement the electric heater and blankets. That’s how it can go in winter, especially in an El Niño year I guess.

I had another thought; OP didn’t share if the tent was one they are familiar with in cold/rain/snow conditions. As I type this, I realize we’ve never used the tent in the rain, and a rainy 40 degree night isn’t the time to find out the thing leaks like a sieve. I should have tested it out in bad weather first; I do hope it’s not another case of the “dreaded learning experience.” In that case it might be a matter of seeing which resorts have vacancies lol.

When winter camping, it’s always best to test out equipment first.

 

[tinkerjo]

We tent camped in 2018 at the Fort in February and brought everything imaginable but we lucked out and nighttime temps were in the 50-60 range. The electric blankets never even got unpacked. For us Ohioans it was like summer camping practically

 

[jkh36619]

We don't tent camp anymore, but I know the weather is a crap shoot in Florida. I'm up in Gainesville right now. Weather has been 40 at night, 60 in the day. We have a 38 ft. 5th wheel and went through a 30 lb. lp tank the first week. We are watching the weather to see when we can head back to the Chicago area where there is over a foot of snow. We are looking at putting the camper in Auburn until the end of February when we head south again. Due to DD internship at U of Florida, we will be back in Gainesville in late April, and due to DS going to the Fort in June, we will be back again then. Can't wait to see the sun and warm weather.

Ever try a radiator heater? If you're on power, they don't draw a lot and heat spaces surprisingly well. We rarely use propane anymore. We are in a 37 ftr

 

[jimmymc]

With the right clothes and sleeping bag, I've never had an issue with cold weather camping. January camping is the only time I think I would ever bring a winter coat to Florida.

 

[BarbLynnM]

We’ve been at the Fort now for a week (checked in 1/15/24) We experienced really great weather, and really outright frigid weather. By frigid, I’m speaking in the sense of wind chills in the 20’s. That wind pierced my unplanned purchase of a windbreaker, and the chill went through a top, jacket, and the windbreaker. This morning I had a top, heavy duty sweatshirt/hoodie and the windbreaker. Still cold. And i lived in a climate where snowfall is measured in feet and it’s not rare to get windchills of -50 F.

It didn’t help that on one of the colder mornings, there was no hot water in our loop bathhouse. I bit the bullet and took a cold shower. Made the air temp seem warmer by comparison. Himself said it harkened back to his university days when the youth group house didn’t have hot water. I’m too old for that noise lol.

On the other hand, it’s supposedly (I’ll believe it when I see it) going to be in the 80’s by the time we leave. Kind of like Michigan’s UP. If you don’t like the weather, wait an hour. It’ll change. Same goes for Florida rain.

My take: 1) Even when the temps were in the 60’s at night, the cold air filtered in from the bottom of the air mattress. I had the yoga mats, but they didn’t help all that much. Next time we’ll get something that’s designated as being more thermal. Also, bless the person who suggested getting the electric blanket. Our space heater wasn’t up to the task of keeping our tent warm, and if we hadn’t gotten the e.blanket it would have been several cold nights. 2) Prepare for the unexpected. As far as the hot water is concerned, yep, when I was first in the shower it took a while to warm up. Yep, I could have gone to a different loop as the front desk suggested, but I was in my natural state by that time, and I wasn’t about to pull up stakes (so to speak) and hike to another bathhouse only to fine a line 10 campers deep. So, cold shower it was. In that case, I’d suggest turning on water first off to make sure you’ll get the hot water you paid for. 3. Layering clothing is very, very important. As I noticed some years ago, the sun can heat the air, but when that wind blows it can be more nippy than expected. There were some times I wished I’d worn my winter coat.

Stay warm, my friends.