Camping In Fog

OK, so what is any different about camping in fog? Other than dampening your spirits and perhaps your tent and sleeping bags, camping in fog is not too different than camping in normal conditions. With ONE major exception: visibility.

Fog limits visibility. It makes it harder for you to see where you're going and it makes it harder for others to see you and your camp site. If you're out and about and get caught in fog, you might have to hole up for a time and wait for it to clear if it gets too bad. You can get yourself thoroughly lost if you keep moving when you can't see landmarks that would keep you on track. Driving in fog often means reduced traction as well as inhibited visibility as the fog condenses on the road or trail surface. Turn your headlights on DIM so other driver's can see you better. High beams usually light up the fog in front of you and glare back making it even harder to see where you're going. If you have fog lights, use them. If you don't have fog lights and encounter fog with any regularity, consider adding them. They are not terribly expensive nor difficult to install.  Fog can make it hard to see tents and vehicles in camp.  After nearly running into my own unlit motorhome when returning to camp in the fog one night I added reflective strips down both sides to make it easier to see.   I also placed reflective strips near the front and rear of both sides of my motorcycle trailer. You might put reflective tape on  your tent or hang chemical light sticks at strategic places to protect it.  Solar lights may also add some visibility and you can often pick them up at dollar stores so they don't have to be expensive.

Driving in fog is challenging to say the least and you may often encounter fog between home and your camping destination.  After an hour or so of trying to peer through thick fog my eyes usually feel like burned holes in blanket.  Proper fog lights are helpful.  The amber or yellow lens, low mounting position, and flat beam pattern help illuminate the roadway without reflecting too much glare back at you.  Never use your headlights on bright in fog (or heavy falling or blowing snow).  The glare will make it really hard to see what's ahead of you.  As in other situations of decreased visibility, you need to adjust your speed so you don't run into stopped or slow moving vehicles, but try not to become an obstacle yourself.  The central valley in California gets something they call "toole" fog -- it is thick as pea soup but very shallow.  Sometimes drivers of big semis are high enough to see over it while ordinary cars are swimming through it.  When I encountered this situation I couldn't even see the hood ornament on my car, but I could see blue sky above me!  I waited for a truck to pass me and then locked onto his tail lights and followed him for many miles.  If nothing else, having a big truck to clear the road in front of you should reduce your chances of being hit head on.  Be sure to maintain a safe distance.  You don't want to run into him if he stops.  Even if he stops and you do run into him, the impact will be a lot less than if you'd hit an oncoming vehicle head on.  Using a truck as your "front door" (as CBers say) not only protects you from on coming traffic, most truckers are familiar with the roads and will be aware of potential problems either from experience or from warnings via CB radio from other truckers, long before you do.

I once had some yellow tinted sun glasses that actually made it easier to see in the fog.  Ordinary sun glasses will make it harder.  The yellow tinted lenses are sometimes found at sporting goods stores that cater to hunters and shooters.

In camp, you need to make your tent, RV, and other equipment visible to avoid someone from running into it. Lights or lanterns can help make your tent and your picnic table easier to see in the fog. To protect your RV, reflective tape on all 4 sides will help it show up in the headlights of any approaching vehicle. One of the most visible formats is the alternating white and red reflectors you often see on semi-trailers but that may not be very attractive on the side of a nice motorhome. 3M makes a variety of colors of reflective tape so you may be able to find something that blends with or complements the existing color scheme while giving you high visibility. I chose a 2" wide white strip for one of my motorhomes and installed it over an existing white strip of nearly the same size. It was nearly invisible in daylight, but the high reflectivity showed up brightly in headlights at night or other times of decreased visibility.  Before installing the reflective tape I nearly ran into my own motorhome when returning to camp one foggy evening which is why I decided to install it.

Minimize the chance of someone running into your camp by choosing a safe location in the first place. NEVER set up your camp on a trail or road. Keep your camp a safe distance from trails and roads. Avoid setting up camp next to an outside turn on a road or trail, where someone missing the turn might run into you. Fog, rain, or snow may make it difficult for them to see the turn or slick conditions caused by rain or snow may cause them to loose control and head smack into your campsite. Camping on the inside of a turn is a little less risky. If someone misses the turn they aren't as likely to run into you, but they may still loose control if the road is slick and then they could spin out and go anywhere!

If you encounter fog while out on the trails on an OHV, horse, or just hiking, you will need to take extra precautions to remain safe.  Other travelers may not be able to see you or you may not be able to see them in time to avoid a collision so you need to be ready to take evasive action at a moment's notice.  If the visibility gets too bad you may want to seek a safe place to take a break until it improves.  If your OHV has lights, make sure you turn them on.  They might not help you see any better, but they will make it easier for other travelers to see you.

If the weather turns cold you may encounter freezing fog.   Branches on trees and bushes and power lines will become coated with something called rime, which is a form of frost.  Sometimes freezing fog creates what is knows affectionately as "diamond dust" -- brilliant ice crystals that collect on horizontal surfaces as they fall from the freezing fog.  I've even seen crystals suspended in the fog, glistening like tiny stars when illuminated by street lights or head lights.  While it is incredibly beautiful, it isn't much fun to breath it and it can inhibit visibility, making harder for you so see and be seen!

See and be seen!