How To...Make Fall Camping Fun, Not Cold & Dark: 4 Staff Recommendations on How to Adventure Comfy When the Weather Turns

Fall in the Eastern Sierra is one of the best times to get outside. The crowds thin out, the air turns crisp, and the aspen groves light up in brilliant gold. But with all that beauty comes one reality: colder nights and shorter days. Every year we see from folks come into the store after an unexpectedly chilly night (or two) or day short of sunlight, often frustrated that they didn’t anticipate the seasonal shift. Luckily, a little preparation goes a long way. Our staff put together four key recommendations to help you stay comfortable, cozy, and ready for adventure when the temperatures drop and days get short.

1. Don’t Shiver at Dawn: Mid-Layers and Puffies

The most common mistake we see? People rely on their summer hiking layers well into fall. Those long-sleeve shirts and lightweight fleeces are fine at noon, but the moment the sun dips or you crawl out of your tent in the morning, the chill sets in fast. A solid mid-layer or puffy jacket is the simplest way to solve this.

Right now, we’ve got Patagonia’s R1, R1 Air, and Nano Puff jackets on 30% sale for both men and women—this is the time to snag one before peak season pushes prices back to full retail. A mid-layer like the R1 breathes well while keeping you warm on the move, while the Nano Puff adds serious insulation when you’re hanging around camp. The best part? These pieces turn your standard summer layering system into a fall-ready kit without requiring a total gear overhaul.

Think about it this way: you want to feel confident stepping out of your sleeping bag, not dreading the moment you unzip it. A good mid-layer or puffy makes the difference between shivering through dawn and enjoying your morning coffee in comfort.

2. Upgrade Your Bag Without Buying a New One: Sleeping Bag Liners

Another issue we hear about constantly is cold nights in a summer-weight sleeping bag. Many folks assume that if the days are warm—sometimes even in the 80s here in Bishop—the nights will be mild, too. Not true. Desert and alpine climates both swing dramatically, and it’s not unusual to wake up freezing in the middle of September.

The fix? A sleeping bag liner. The Sea to Summit Reactor Bag Liner is one of our favorites. It can boost the warmth of your existing bag by up to 15–20 degrees, which means you don’t need to invest in a whole new cold-weather sleeping bag. For many customers, that saves both money and pack space.

Think of a liner as a proactive solution: instead of suffering through an unexpectedly icy night, you’ll already have the upgrade built into your sleep system. Plus, it doubles as a wash-friendly barrier that keeps your main bag cleaner for longer.

3. Don’t Lose Heat to the Ground: Sleeping Pads Matter

Here’s a truth we share with every camper who comes in: the warmest sleeping bag in the world won’t help you if you’re losing heat through the ground. And in the fall, a simple foam pad that worked fine in July often isn’t enough.

This is where insulated inflatable pads come in. Options like the Nemo Tensor Extreme or the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm are game changers. Their R-value ratings measure insulation performance, and these models offer high warmth-to-weight ratios designed for cold nights. Yes, they cost more than a basic foam pad, but the comfort and warmth payoff is huge.

Especially if you’re frontcountry camping—where puncture risk is lower and weight savings aren’t critical—these pads are worth every penny. Beyond warmth, they’re also just plain comfortable: many campers describe them as “sleeping on a cloud.” After a long day of hiking or climbing, that’s a luxury you’ll be grateful for.

4. Don’t Get Stuck in the Dark: Headlamps and Battery Backups

Finally, let’s talk about light. With days getting shorter, you’ll be spending more time in the dark—and cold weather drains batteries faster than you’d expect. The last thing you want is a dead headlamp when you’re cooking dinner, hiking back to camp, or navigating to your tent at night.

That’s why we recommend Nitecore headlamps and the Nitecore NB10000 battery pack. Nitecore lamps deliver excellent battery life relative to their lumen output, so you’re not sacrificing brightness for endurance. Pair one with the NB10000 (a tiny battery pack that brings an utterly ridiculous amount of power) and you’ll be set to recharge your headlamp, phone, or GPS device multiple times without issue. One of our staff members who does 25+ days in the backcountry at a time while guiding has happily lived with a battery pack with half the power and twice the size - and even he has come around to say that upgrading to the NB10000 is essentially a no-brainer.

For many campers, having reliable power turns the “hassle factor” of fall trips way down. You can stop worrying about whether your headlamp will last through the night and just enjoy your time outside. At the moment, Nitecore gear is available only in-store, we’ll be adding it to our website soon. In the meantime, the Petzl and Black Diamond headlamps that we also think highly of are online here if in need of one quick or scoping out options.

Wrap-Up

Fall camping doesn’t have to mean suffering through cold mornings, sleepless nights, or long hours in the dark. With a few smart upgrades - like a quality mid-layer, a bag liner, an insulated sleeping pad, and a reliable headlamp setup - you’ll be ready to enjoy the best parts of the season without the discomfort.

All the items we’ve highlighted are available at Eastside Sports in Bishop, CA. You can check our website for current availability, or reach out to us by phone or email if you have questions about what will work best for your fall adventures. Don’t wait until your next cold night to realize what you’re missing - gear up now, and make fall camping fun, not cold.