Denise
where can we go?
Answer
What kind of camping do you want to do?
Car (tent), RV and Cabin Camping:
Most State Parks have campsites where you can park your car and setup your tents, or even park a small camper. Fire rings and picnic benches are provided, restrooms with showers are nearby, but no electrical, sewer or on-site water. Pets and alcohol are forbidden. Up in Northern NJ: Stokes State Forest, Highpoint State Park, Worthington State Forest and Wawayanda State Park are nice. Down at the Southern end there's Belleplain and Corsen's Inlet for car and small RV camping. But my favorite state campgrounds are in Wharton State Forest in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. See the NJ DEP website for the complete list of state parks and campgrounds. All parks feature hiking trails, many have lakes with fishing, canoeing/kayaking and swimming areas, some allow mountain biking and horse riding.
There are private commercial campgrounds throughout the state where you can car camp or park an RV. Private campgrounds are more expensive but provide conveniences such as electric, on-site water and sewer connections. Game rooms, movies, swimming pools and other coordinated activities are provided at most commercial campgrounds. Most commercial campgrounds permit pets and *responsible* alcohol consumption. The most popular commercial campgrounds are in Southern NJ in and around Cape May, where the seashore attractions of Cape May and Wildwood are just a few minutes away. Beachcombers is my favorite commercial campground in the Cape May area. I've also stayed at several commercial campgrounds in the Pine Barrens, Wading Pines is my favorite.
Backpacking
If you want to go backpacking, the Appalachian Trail cuts through Northern NJ for 42 miles and is considered one of the top hiking trails in the US. The views in the NJ section are spectacular, but the terrain can be tough. The Batona Trail through the NJ Pine Barrens is also beautiful, and is much flatter and easier to follow. There are remote camp sites at several state forests that are not accessible to vehicles but are accessible to hikers, canoes and kayaks.
Canoeing/Kayaking
If canoeing or kayaking are your passion, the Pine Barrens again is the place to go in NJ. The Batsto, Mullica, Oswego and Wading Rivers offer plenty of remote scenery and accessible camping spots, and there are many outfitters to rent canoes or kayaks if you don't have your own. There are also some commercial and state campgrounds along the Delaware River on both the NJ and PA side of the river.
Summary
If you're sensing a common thread here you're not mistaken. My favorite area of NJ is the Pine Barrens. You have opportunities to fish, hike, canoe, kayak, shop, dine, explore historic sites and ghost towns, drive off-road on sand roads, geocache, and just sit back and enjoy the outdoors. It is my #1 choice for camping in NJ. But if you're more into the seashore attractions, the commercial campgrounds in the Cape May area are fantastic and draw visitors from throughout the Eastern USA and even international visitors.
cold weather tent camping. any helpful suggestions would be great?
my45tysond
the temp should get down below 40 degrees my concern is keeping warm. suggestions on sleeping bags & tents that retain heat there seems to be such a variance in price on this Equipment
Answer
Some good advice above on the peeing before you go to sleep.
I wouldn't call 40 degrees exactly "cold weather camping"-- in fact that's a not uncommon overnight temperature in the Spring and Fall. I've backpacked in temps as low as 20 below zero and used to teach winter mountaineering skills so I'll give you some tips.
The best all round sleeping system is to use multiple bags layered together. An excellent source to start with is the Campmor catalog (http://www.campmor.com) which has a huge variety of bags and pads and good charts for comparing weights, dimensions and features. They often have dicontinued models which are quite affordable. I recommend that people starting out get a 20 degree rated mummy bag. Get down-filled if you can afford it and/or will be carrying it backpacking or bicycle touring because it will pack lighter and smaller. If you are on a budget or will be using it for a lot of wet weather camping or canoe or kayak touring, get polyester fill. This bag, with the proper ground pad, will keep you comfortable down to between 30 or 40 degrees, depending on how susceptible you are to cold. Bear in mind that most temp ratings on bags are a little optimistic, like by at least 10 degrees. Second, buy a lightweight slightly larger bag, probably an oversized mummy or even a rectangular bag, single layer polyfill and rated around 35 to 45 degrees --a "summer" bag in other words. Once you have these two bags you are ready for anything. In mild Spring and Fall trips you can use the 20 degree mummy, on warm Summer trips take the single layer 40 degree bag and for cold trips take both and put the mummy inside the larger bag.
Another addition if you really tend to sleep cold is to get a very lightweight polartec fleece bag (you can find these for around $20 in most sporting goods stores or Campmor or even make one yourself by folding a cheap fleece blanket in half and sewing across the bottom and half way up the side.) This can be tucked inside the inner bag for more warmth and is also handy around camp as a blanket to wrap around you in the evening (do be careful around campfires as these tend to be flammable -- a very light wool blanket is safer around fire or stoves.)
The advantage of the multiple bags is you can tailor the temp to your needs. If you wake up too warm at night (and this actually even happens on cold nights) you can slip the mummy out of the overbag and cool down a bit. The two lighter weight bags are also easier to carry than one large heavy winter-rated bag. I switched to this system 25 years ago and it has served me well. Lighter bags are also easier to launder in a regular washing machine than a big winter bag.
Your ground pad is highly important too -- you should use thin closed cell foam on the bottom (one common brand is called ensolite but you can also use the thin closed-cell pads they sell for yoga mats). This will block cold and heat transfer. Then put a thicker more comfortable foam pad on top for comfort. DON'T use an air mattress -- they actually will make you colder since they allow air movement and heat transfer.
Wear longjohns to sleep in, NOT COTTON but rather merino wool or wicking synthetic -- lightweight fleece athletic pants and top or even fleece lounge pajamas can work, plus a cap (I prefer a soft polartech fleece one) and fleece socks. Don't try to sleep wearing heavy bulky clothes. They will restrict circulation and make you uncomfortable. Some people just roll up their pile jacket to make a pillow but I prefer to carry a small polyfill pillow with a fleece cover that rolls up into it's own stuffsack. Besides for comfort, the pillow also helps block heat loss out the top of the bag. Some people recommend the "hot water bottle" technique but I've seen too many people have leaks and wet bags -- bring some of those chemical heat packs and tuck one in a sock or mitten and put it down near your feet if you need a little more warmth.
Actually, a backpacking tent can be very warm and cozy during a cold night. Because it is a small space, your body heat builds up fairly rapidly. I've never felt like we needed any artificial heat source in the tent no matter how cold it was. The hardest thing is getting up in the morning out of your toasty sleeping bag. That's another benefit of the two bag system -- you can tuck your clothes between the bags for extra warmth and to keep them warm for dressing the next day.
Happy camping! The great thing about sub-freezing camping is no bugs and you can carry most any food you want without it spoiling.
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