How cold is it really

Hi Litbalt

Providing Mother Nature is set to "Normal", it is usually perfect weather.

If it is 0% cloud cover, expect below zero at nights with daytime temperatures anywhere from mid to high twenties and it you are lucky possible low 30's. Overcast nights and they will be mild, low teens

Make sure that you have quality rated sleeping bags, -10 C is great.

Opt for cheap quality bags and the nights will be the coldest and longest nights that you will ever experience.

There has been countless times over the years when we have had well below zero, our swag white with frost, but we are as warm inside out quality Australian made sleeping bags.

This simple investment will make or break your trip.


Cheers



Stephen

I would generally agree with Stephen.
However a bit of wind out there and the chill factor increases uncomfortably.
Knitted jumpers are no protection from the wind. Also have a good thick jacket or at least a wind-proof jacket worn over the jumper.

It can get very cold. We sleep in a comfy bed in the vehicle, out of the wind and frost - but we have on a good doona as well as a few blankets. Clothing wise we dress in layers so that as the day warms up you can peel off or add layers to stay comfortable. A good windproof jacket is a must at night.

I know what you mean about being an overpacker - main thing is not to take anything that you want to keep clean as the red dust will get onto everything, and be prepared to live in the same few sets clothes. Dress for comfort rather than fashion - most of us out there look a bit of a dag!

Cheers,

Val.

We had a minus 8.6 degrees one night several years ago up the north end of the Simpson. Have had heaps of nights when the tent was frozen stiff and you could shake the ice off it. Buy good sleeping bags. But, if as said if overcast can be quite mild at night.

I don't know where you are from, hence what you are used to.
Diurnal range in the centre of Australia is typically 20-22C when cloudless, Hence -3 Overnights will be 17 in the day. If cloudy it is unlikely to be sub zero, but the wind is very important
It is very rare to get sub zero temperatures with a wind.
As stated above, a good sleeping bag, insulation from the ground and two layers of bedtime clothing (T shirt and track suit and maybe polar fleece) and you wiill be comfortably very warm. You could take big thick jackets, but they woulld only replace what I have said above.
The secret is layering rather than big heavy jackets.
I wouldn't think you would need any more day time clothing that what you have in Sydney, Melb/ Adelaide for an outdoor activity/ night football game.

This assumes you stay dry

Hi Litlbalt.
We lived on the fringes of the Simpson Desert for some time.
Layering is the answer. We always laughed, that you take your wardrobe with you, sit on top of each layer as it comes off & then put it all back on ,on the way home.
On a clear night it can freeze the water in a bucket, the cattle troughs would freeze over & the water pipes in our house would freeze.
If you go to bed with cloud cover, it may go during the night.
The wind is a very lazy wind when it gets up, it goes straight through you.

Gather enough wood for a good fire for the evening with enough for the morning left. Get some good thick bed socks . Now for the Ladies who need to go to the Loo at night, have a pair of canvas unlaced shoes which will fit over the thicker socks. sort of like moccasins without the wool, quick to slip on! & keep them inside.

We go camping back out in the desert in our tent on our hols now that we don't live there anymore.
Good gloves a scarfe or muff for you face & a Beanie as well as a wind & shower proof Jacket. It also depends on how much you feel the cold of course.

I will never forget. This group of campers came into Oodnadatta pink roadhouse & while waiting to use the loo, one of the ladies said that she was going in to try to buy a Doona! she as sick of cold sleepless night's.
One other said Oh they won't have Doona's in there would they?
Out she came with a bright white new Doona.
The cry was " It'll turn red!
Her reply was, I don't care! I've never been so cold in my life!
Take care, safe travels.Bye for now. Ma.

On our first trip we FROZE at minus 3 degrees on some nights.

Don't use air filled mattresses.... they are just too cold.


Be prepared for range of temps. Enjoy

You have me worried about our sleeping bags now I just checked and 2 are -6 but the other 2 are 0 and they are the ones for our girls. We will be sleeping on self inflating mattresses with woollen blankets underneath plus the girls will be in swags all in our tent. They will also be in layers going to bed including those fleece sleep suits you can get for kids.

The problem with sleeping bags is many manufacturers use different rating scales. I understand thet at least within the EU they tried to standardise things.

If you are car camping, don't worry about more expensive feather down sleeping bags (I use them when I am backpacking). Many of the camping stores specialise in these as they cater to backpackers and they will try to steer you towards them.
Don't be afraid to buy cheaper non Down ones, provided they are well rated and don't worry about the bulk or weight. Weight and bulk is less of a problem in a car, just get a good temperature rating and remember kids will feel the cold more than adults. As fiddly as they are, a cheap $20 canvas folding mattress is infinitely better than the ground or a poor $100 air mattress.

Dont know what number our bags are but they are all rated spring/autumn. A good allround bag for all conditions. Generally flanellete pj's is all that's needed but for those colder nights a layer of thermal is all that'needed.
BS

Litibalt
Does -5 and even colder grab you ?
Had ice on my swag a few times !

Luckily for me, I had a -10 rated sleeping bag, and a cheep one, from St Vinnie's, as a throw over my legs as well.
Also 20mm thick waterproof high density, foam mat, under the swag, to stop the cold creeping up thru the base of the swag, which also acted as a ground sheet.

Snug as a bug mate !
Cheers Bucky

A few years ago, wifey and I spent near a month on the road exploring the red center.

Days ranged from high 20s to 8 deg, and nights from balmy low 20s to -4.

Reason, we started in lovely weather, then got hit by a rain band for a few days, but it was not cold, then it cleared up and got Cold in both day and night.
Quick cook of tea, hover by the fire and early to bed.

We met one couple at the Ayres rock caravan park who started out their trip from Darwin, and only had summer weight bedding.

We offered them what we could with oil skins, thick jackets etc, they ran their car to warm it up before bed, and still suffered terribly, I hope they took our advice to get some decent sleeping bags as a minimum before they continued on.

Wifey has an early Roman sleeping bag, its excellent, I got us some newer ones a few years ago, and of course, there Roman bags again. They are well made, durable and warm with good quality zips.

I also made my own swag, and we had some left over wool laying about, so I made up a lovely warm quilt thats purpose built for my swag.

I was the only one in a group of 4 who had a good warm nights sleep whilst up at Lovacks Hut (spelling?) in the high country, their tents were frozen solid, as too any water about the place, and even after 10 in the morning, we were driving over frozen puddles (some quite large) with ice as thick as my thumb even tho they had been in full sun all morning.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and enjoy what comes your way.

Trains

We were there last June/July and it was freezing overnight. We have -10c sleeping bags and blankets plus a heater for powered sites.
Take the warmest and best quality items you have.
The days are cool in the morning, nice at lunch but cool off again in the arvo.

these days I find it easiest to jump in the swag fully clothed and that includes thick jacket.

makes it alot easier to get up in the morning

Back when i was a bit tougher and for work so I nned to be a bit more hygenic sharing a ute

I would take the previous days thermos out into the bush first thing in the morning and after the dailys have a totally naked sponge bath

and that wa in WAs coldest spot SE of norseman mid winter

coldest part of the day is just after the sun rises, you can feel the temp plummet despite already being cold as the sun comes up above the horizon