Crazy budget Jan '18 FW trip

[MalkaR]

I have a crazy dream of doing a super budget trip in a tent at Fort Wilderness January 2018. I can do it for $2000 for four of us, since DH will still be in his busy season at work and refuses to camp anyway. I'm a little nervous to bring it up with him, financially and that it might be hurtful to say I want to go when he can't. He surprisingly had a great time but doesn't want to pay for another $5000 trip. I've taken the kids tent camping on my own twice (and had more trips planned for this summer but my 6 year old broke his arm on Saturday so we'll have to wait a bit before we try again) so I know we can handle it, although we've only camped for two nights and this would be five nights. I just have to figure out which food is packable and non-perishable since we'll be in a tent.

 

[sweet maxine]

I would take some bagels, those little packages of peanut butter that come in packs of 3, apples, oranges, trail mix, things like that. The campground is typically cheap, and there are cheap ways of eating there too. If you have a car, I would get a foam cooler and ice, which would last to keep some things cool.

 

[peg110]

You definitely need to talk with your DH sooner rather than later. It's okay to "Plan" it out and then talk, but keep in mind that maybe he WOULD like to go. You might be surprised. Maybe he would be willing to camp if it's a low budget. Maybe he would be willing to spend a bit more to go again even if it's not the campground. OR maybe he is okay with you going as you are planning. In any case, the longer you wait to spring it on him, the more likely he may be "Upset" about the whole thing.

You never know... his response may just surprise you.

 

[MalkaR]

You definitely need to talk with your DH sooner rather than later. It's okay to "Plan" it out and then talk, but keep in mind that maybe he WOULD like to go. You might be surprised. Maybe he would be willing to camp if it's a low budget. Maybe he would be willing to spend a bit more to go again even if it's not the campground. OR maybe he is okay with you going as you are planning. In any case, the longer you wait to spring it on him, the more likely he may be "Upset" about the whole thing.

You never know... his response may just surprise you.

You're definitely right. Whenever I see these posts about people asking things when they haven't spoken to their spouse, I think about how silly it is, and here I am doing the same thing! I actually did mention it last night and he just did a kind of "oh" with a shrug thing. I think he thought I wasn't serious. I'll have to try again.

 

[peg110]

You're definitely right. Whenever I see these posts about people asking things when they haven't spoken to their spouse, I think about how silly it is, and here I am doing the same thing! I actually did mention it last night and he just did a kind of "oh" with a shrug thing. I think he thought I wasn't serious. I'll have to try again.

Glad you mentioned it to him.

I think I can relate to him. I like going to WDW but of course the cost is a huge factor when planning. Personally, I like to camp and I love Fort Wilderness, but when DW makes "Plans" for "Another" trip, I am very much the "Oh with a shrug thing" too.

Just make sure he knows your desires and you should try to consider his as well, and perhaps a great compromise will present it self.

I hope all works out well for you in the end.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

Would tent camping in January be enjoyable for young children? I know it is Florida but it still gets cold. Avg hi for Jan is 71 avg low is 47, so those are some cold nights. Not having a warm place to retreat for a whole week sounds miserable.

I know that even the FW campgrounds run about $60 in cheap season. For that price or less you could stay in a cheap offsite hotel, there are tons in the area.

 

[2goofycampers]

We have been in Jan a bunch. Sometimes the low is in the 50's, high near 80. Sometimes the low is in the 20's, high near 50. With the dampness factor it felt cold! You can get a ceramic electric heater for the tent. But, being outside is a different story.

 

[MalkaR]

Would tent camping in January be enjoyable for young children? I know it is Florida but it still gets cold. Avg hi for Jan is 71 avg low is 47, so those are some cold nights. Not having a warm place to retreat for a whole week sounds miserable.

I know that even the FW campgrounds run about $60 in cheap season. For that price or less you could stay in a cheap offsite hotel, there are tons in the area.

We have been in Jan a bunch. Sometimes the low is in the 50's, high near 80. Sometimes the low is in the 20's, high near 50. With the dampness factor it felt cold! You can get a ceramic electric heater for the tent. But, being outside is a different story.

We actually did tent camp one night in January on our trip last year. Yes, it was quite cold, but I brought a heater that helped a lot. We were fine until there were gusts of winds that blew the warm air right out and it would take a while to warm up again, until another gust blew it out. One issue is that we have warm weather sleeping bags. I think that warmer sleeping bags would make a difference. Looking for a cheap offsite hotel might be a good idea, but then I lose all the benefits of staying onsite, free transportation and nightly activities. Maybe this isn't the best idea. I'll really have to think about this.

 

[mtnminnie]

you might want to consider borrowing a winter tent from a friend. this could make a huge difference.

 

[MalkaR]

What is the difference, design-wise, between a typical tent and a winter tent? I looked online and they just seem to be better to stand up to high winds, not necessarily warmer. What makes them warmer?

An idea of mine is to put a reflective "emergency blanket" over the tent but under the rain fly to hopefully reflect heat back inside. I have the Amazon Basics 4-person tent. I've only ever used it in warm weather camping.

Edited to add that the night we stayed at FW, we used on of their rental tents with cots.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

We have camped at Disney in tents, in January for the last 4 years in a row. We bring electric blankets & space heaters. Some nights you need both, some nights nothing at all. When nights get down to 40s, as long as both blankets & heaters are on, you will not notice the cool temps The key to the wind is to get an inside loop site, that will help a great deal.

I love camping at Disney, but only if hubby is there to enjoy and help out with the work load.

 

[MalkaR]

An electric blanket is a nice idea! Since we're in a pretty small tent, maybe one larger electric blanket on top of our foam mat floor and under our sleeping bags would work well.

 

[peg110]

What is the difference, design-wise, between a typical tent and a winter tent? I looked online and they just seem to be better to stand up to high winds, not necessarily warmer. What makes them warmer?

Well, much like a house, INSULATION. While most people don't think of tents this way, the think "Nylon" tents have an extremely LOW R Value in that it lets AIR (and as such, heat/cold) FLOW through it. A thicker material (like canvas or even a thicker nylon) provides a better thermal barrier. Of course it also adds "Weight" too.

While your "Thermal Blanket" (Giant sheet of aluminum foil?) may help to "Reflect" heat back in, I think the "Effort" may be lost if you don't reduce the "Wind" to blow the heat out (and blow the "Cool" in).

A "Tarp" (or similar) that can Cover the WHOLE tent (or most of it) would be far superior to reducing heat loss. It's probably much better if it's not directly touching the tent either so that air flow that does happen, happens BETWEEN the tent and cover and is lessened to the point where it doesn't want to flow THROUGH the tent material

 

[MalkaR]

Well, much like a house, INSULATION. While most people don't think of tents this way, the think "Nylon" tents have an extremely LOW R Value in that it lets AIR (and as such, heat/cold) FLOW through it. A thicker material (like canvas or even a thicker nylon) provides a better thermal barrier. Of course it also adds "Weight" too.

While your "Thermal Blanket" (Giant sheet of aluminum foil?) may help to "Reflect" heat back in, I think the "Effort" may be lost if you don't reduce the "Wind" to blow the heat out (and blow the "Cool" in).

A "Tarp" (or similar) that can Cover the WHOLE tent (or most of it) would be far superior to reducing heat loss. It's probably much better if it's not directly touching the tent either so that air flow that does happen, happens BETWEEN the tent and cover and is lessened to the point where it doesn't want to flow THROUGH the tent material

Nice explanation. Thanks!

 

[sweet maxine]

I use some kind of reflective material that I bought at Walmart which is fleece, or something like it. I think it's called Insul-fleece, but not sure of the name. I use this over my mattress when I am backpacking in a cold weather location, and it helps greatly! Also, wearing layers is helpful at night, especially a fleece hat. Fleece tights are amazing for sleeping in the cold. You might even find them on clearance in the summer, and they could be found in children's sizes as well.

Since you will have access to electricity, the electric blanket idea sounds great---or the electric heated sleeping pad. Man, I wish I had one of those on one of my camping trips!

A better rain fly, or full rain fly is helpful too, but sometimes there can be a problem with condensation as well.

The big problem I can think of with kids, is that middle of the night trip to the comfort station. Good luck with your planning!

 

[Cosmic]

We were camping in DE this May; the low was around 35-40. We had sleeping bags that were "rated" to 30 degrees (those ratings are normally "survival", not "comfort") with a couple of electric blankets on top for the five of us. It was fine. This was in a tent that had mesh vents under the rainfly that we couldn't seal up. If you wanted to go one step further, the Coleman Instant Cabin tents zip up very tightly when they're closed. It's a negative when the overnight low is 70, but it's a positive here.

 

[sweet maxine]

We were camping in DE this May; the low was around 35-40. We had sleeping bags that were "rated" to 30 degrees (those ratings are normally "survival", not "comfort") with a couple of electric blankets on top for the five of us. It was fine. This was in a tent that had mesh vents under the rainfly that we couldn't seal up. If you wanted to go one step further, the Coleman Instant Cabin tents zip up very tightly when they're closed. It's a negative when the overnight low is 70, but it's a positive here.

Yes, my backpacking tent is a cheap 3-person tent, but it is solid walls with one zip up window. It works wonderfully in cool weather, but most likely would be stifling in the summer heat and humidity. I would also advise sealing the heck out of your tent, just in case of any random rainy weather. I spent the time going over every seam before a trip to Canada and Alaska couple summers ago. It was time well spent, as my little cheapie tent withstood all the rain and weather the elements could throw out, while others with $$$ tents were collapsed and sopping.

The sleeping bag advice is great as well, that a previous poster mentioned. I have a cheap down sleeping bag purchased from a close-out store for about $20. I scoured the local thrift stores for down items like vests and jackets, then transferred the down from them to my sleeping bag and resewed the seams. It sleeps very warm now.

Wool socks are great too for cold weather. You might even find some on clearance. I've found plenty of wool socks at the local thrift store for about 50 cents to $1 a pair. Merino wool is very nice if you can find any items made from that.

Cashmere sweaters are fantastic for cool weather. I find those also at the thrift store for about a dollar. Layer that over a nice long sleeve top, and it instantly warms you.

 

[dalir]

We have done many inexpensive trips to Disney. We carried in all snacks and cooked at the camp site. *(Remember - you can refill water bottles for free at any quick service.)I recommend a plug in cooler. Ours is a Coleman. It keeps you from having to restock ice. We were in a pop up and made use of a slow cooker so that dinner was ready for us. In a tent you may need to squirrel proof it. Maybe a crate or small dog kennel? Or just have evening picnics with sandwiches - grilled cheese are always quick and easy. I would also check thrift stores for any equipment that you don't have to keep costs low. Enjoy!

 

[KornBred]

I hope everything works out but a husband, a guy, that doesn't like to camp? Sorry but I gotta do it.

 

[MalkaR]

I hope everything works out but a husband, a guy, that doesn't like to camp? Sorry but I gotta do it.

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Yeeeaaahhh. He's a great husband and father but as far as "manly" stuff.... not really. Oh, and the trip isn't happening.