Good night’s sleep means good time camping
Speaking as someone who has been camping for a long while, a good night’s sleep is essential to enjoying any camping adventure. From buzzing bugs to an inadequate sleeping bag, there are a number of factors that can keep a camper from a good night’s sleep. So what is a novice camper to do? Element important for a good night’s sleep are a good bed roll or sleeping bag, comfortable surface to stretch out on, adjusting to the quiet, darkness, and bugs. Here are some thoughts that should help with all these elements.
Sleeping bag or bed roll
First, if this is your first camping adventure, and you don’t want to buy a sleeping bag until you have decided if camping is something you might do again, consider borrowing or renting a sleeping bag. You might want to use an old sheet and make a “lining” for your borrowed bag but that’s up to you and your sewing skills.
An alternative to a borrowed or rented bag is a bedroll. I find a bedroll well-suited to summer tent camping when temperatures are relatively warm throughout the night (tip: If you find nights nippy, don’t strip down to the buff. Often just one extra layer is all you’ll need to be toasty warm.) and my tent offers good protection from inclement weather. Plus a bedroll is easy to make from the stuff you already have.
Here’s how: Lay a blanket flat on the floor and spread a similar size sheet on top of the blanket. If twin size blanket is used, fold in half or in thirds if double size is used. Roll it up from short end and use a string or rubberband to hold it together. When you get to camp, unroll and fold one end under so the bed roll is as long as you are tall. If you are hiking into a campsite, roll your bedding the long way, fold in half, and use a string or rubberband to tie the ends together so you have a donut that can be carried by slipping over your head and one arm.
Comfortable surface
Have you heard the story about the Princess and the Pea? You’ll have a better understanding of the Princess’s discomfort after sleeping on the ground. If the campground doesn’t have the tent pad, be sure give the ground under your tent a thorough inspection for little rocks and large pebbles and remove each and every one. And, trust me, you’ll find more while sleeping.
From air mattress to sleeping mats, there are a number of things you can use to minimize those lumps. Personally, I would get off the ground all together and go for a cot but it is a sizable invest and I know I’ll be camping again. If you aren’t sure about the whole idea, ask your sleeping bag source about borrowing something to lay under their bag. You could also go with what you have on hand: an extra blanket, pine needles or a couple of beach towels, anything that offers some padding.
So quiet
One might think the forest at night is really quiet but it can be anything but silent. Not noisy like boom boxes and train whistles, although these sounds are possible, but noisy with the sounds of nature. You won’t believe how loud an amorous frog can get! Ear plugs are good if you are sensitive to unfamiliar sounds. Or camp near a stream for the “white noise” of flowing water.
So dark
Another surprise for the novice camper is just how dark the night is in the forest. Some find the darkness terrifying. A good quality flashlight, kept close, is reassuring and will help reduce the stubbed toes on the way to the bathroom.
Even experienced campers can be surprised by the swing in temperatures between day time and night. (A thirty-degree shift isn’t uncommon in the mountains west of the Mississippi River.) Wearing a socking cap and socks are suggested to help ward off the cold. Another idea is to eat a little snack before climbing into your bedroll to generate some additional body heat.
Darn the bugs
One last word – mosquitoes. They don’t seem to care if it is day or night, mosquitoes are always hungry. You can apply a mosquito repellent just before you climb into bed or sleep well down and under the covers. I’ve been know to sleep with a bandanna draped over my head. Sorry, but I haven’t found anything more effective then these strategies.
Good tips for a wannabe camper! Its all good. (I love the story of Princess and the Pea by the way.)