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# How Habistack assists campers prepare for the elements

October 24, 2022 by Rich Kurtzman, Brand Communications @ Fathym

Camping; some love it, some loathe it.

Sleeping on the hard ground, with no heat or electricity can be rough. But getting outside of cell signals, the internet and text messages can be freeing. Looking at the night sky with no light pollution can be inspiring. And nothing beats cooking a meal over the fire.

Not knowing what weather is coming can put a damper on things, though.

That's why being prepared for the elements and the coming weather will help everyone have a great time in the great outdoors.

## Camping and the cold​

Going from the city up into the mountains likely means climbing in elevation.

Anyone who’s escaped the summer heat by heading for the hills knows the phenomenon.

You might’ve only worn shorts all summer long, but if you’re camping at 10,000 feet of elevation, it’s going to be a lot colder. Especially at night.

One of the best ways to combat quickly dropping temperatures is to dress in layers.

Those layers can mean a T-shirt, with a flannel on top, and then a weatherproof jacket or shell on the outside. Building them up as the sun goes down is a must.

And don’t forget to pack some clothes just for sleeping in; change after eating into clean clothes so you don’t bring food smells into the tent, which can attract wildlife.

## Camping unprepared​

I’ll never forget the time my dad took my brother and I camping only for it to start snowing on us unexpectedly. At 10 years old, our children's sleeping bags weren’t insulated enough, and we woke up cold, only to unzip the tent and see the snow coming down outside. The whole family spent most of the morning in dad’s running truck (Note: We don’t recommend doing this) and we left a day early.

On a separate occasion as an adult, I decided to camp in Steamboat Springs, CO in early April. By the time I made the journey, it was too late: There were multiple feet of snow on the ground. That night and early morning the temperature was down in the teens. If it weren’t for my special space blanket, I wouldn’t have done much sleeping.

In the summer, you may look to escape the 100-degree heat of the city and go into the cooler mountains, but then get rained on by mid-day thunderstorms. If you don’t have a tarp, it could mean hunkering down in the tent, which can be fun but also can put a hamper on things like cooking dinner.

Again, being well-planned for changing weather will only keep spirits higher in camp.

Bull moose in northern Colorado in Aug, 2020. Credit: Rich Kurtzman

## Be prepared for any weather with Habistack​

Habistack is a robust, feature-rich API that offers a powerful suite of weather forecasting and open-source data visualization tools.

Habistack combines the world's best weather forecasts with statistics-based, machine-learning techniques to tackle the largest datasets, including road weather, so you know what to expect on the roadways while traveling, too.

Habistack offers developers comprehensive weather forecasting capabilities over freely chosen locations and routes across the globe. The API delivers a unique suite of highly specialized forecast variables derived through statistically based machine learning models.

It uses 15 data measurements and then evaluates them using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

## Driving to your camping spot​

In America’s “wild west,” there are a lot of wide-open spaces to explore.

From the Grand Canyon in Arizona, to Arches National Park in Utah, to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Wyoming and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, just to name a few.

Wouldn’t it be nice to know what weather to expect on the road level while traversing treacherous mountain passes? And to know when and where there could be delays?

Now you can.

Proadject allows drivers to input their route and predict the weather along the entire way. It’s an app we built to show off the supreme computing power of Habistack API. That simple but brilliant technology can be used on shorter drives, like the daily commute, as well as for longer, multi-day road trips.

Living in a place like Washington state, in the picture above from our app Proadject, a road trip within just the state can mean elevation changes of 5,000-10,000 feet, quickly changing weather, and camping at elevation where the temperature drops greatly at nightfall. Be prepared and get the most out of your road trips with apps made using the Habistack API.

## Habistack point weather forecasts for camping​

Camping in Washington State can mean going to Mt. Ranier National Park or the North Cascades. And as we can see here, today is very rainy all across the Cascades, so knowing that would inform you as to what gear to bring to help you stay dry.

In the same way Habistack uses AI and machine learning to figure out the weather along your route, you can also input any point and get detailed forecasts which include: Temperature, wind speed and gusts, snow depth, sun, precipitation and more.

Pick a point where you’ll be camping and get accurate forecasts by using the Habisack API.

Habistack is open and free to the public to use. What web apps can you make using Habistack’s machine learning and AI?