Part of Mark Verber's The Great Outdoors
Version 0.3, February 16, 2007
Many people under estimate the value of a good night of sleep. If you don't cherish your sleep, you might want to read The Problem of Sleep which does a good job of documenting the value of sleep, what interferes with good sleep, and what the negative consequences of not getting enough sleep.
People have a variety of reactions to sleeping outdoors. On one extreme are the people find watching the night sky and hearing the sounds of nature around them extremely relaxing. For them, nothing is better that sleeping under the stars "cowboy style": a ground cloth, a pad, and a sleeping bag, quilt, or blanket. At the other extreme are people people that have trouble falling asleep unless the are in some sort of shelter which keeps the "wild" at bay and provides a sense of "civilization". There is no "right" answer. It's important for people to figure they are comfortable with and use that as a starting place. Most people find that it is possible to expand their "comfort zone" with a bit of planning and practice. I encourage people to select their Outdoor Shelter based on what will given them adequate psychological comfort. Otherwise they will spend the night worrying rather than sleeping. In particular they need to figure out how much "protection" they need for a "peace of mind"
For someone who has spent the majority of their life in cities, the thought of being exposed to the elements can be a bit scary. Common concerns seem to revolved around whether the shelter will keep the environment conditions at bay, and if the shelter will remain standing through out the night. My experience is that people worry too much about this. Expect in the most extreme conditions, or when using micro size poncho tarps, it's not that hard to stay dry and protected, even when sleeping under a moderate size tarp. Likewise, just a moderate amount of skill in the art of site selection virtually eliminates the risk of "standing water". Many people feel compelled to get a "bathtub" floor because they are concerned that just a ground cloth might not keep them dry.
If you have read my other outdoor web pages, you most likely know that I generally favor light weight, if not ultralight gear. But I have to make a confession. It took me a couple of years before I was really confident enough in my abilities and the performance of my gear to sleep through the night when facing a storm. Part of this most likely is because some of the first storms I weathered ended up pulling up my stakes and exposing me to the weather. If I had slept through these events I might have gotten soaks rather than slightly damp. It was a good thing during those early misadventures that I couldn't sleep well. These days though, I have enough confidence, that I can go right to sleep, actually enjoying the sounds of a raging storm, feeling snug and comfortable, and confident that I will stay that way under my tarp, even while the weather is raging "outside".
I recommend double walled tents, with the inner tent being largely made from fabric rather than mesh for people who really worry about environment conditions.
Nearly everywhere in the world has flying, biting, bugs. Some places the bugs are merely an annoyance, but in many locations these buggers are a real heath threat. People who worry a lot about flying insects, or are in locations where the is a significant risk of disease should use a shelter which is fully sealed, and provides enough distance from vulnerable sections of the shelter (such as the mesh) and where the user will be. In locations where the insects are merely annoying, I have found that my sleeping quilt keeps the bugs off my lower body, and either a headnet, or a A16 bug bivy provides adequate protection for me to get a good night sleep.
Many people worry about what might crawl over them while they are asleep. They are bothered by the thought that harmless insects like the common black ant might crawl over there face. For people who are hyper-worried about such things, I would recommend that they sleep in a fully enclosed space of some kind.
In most of the North America there is little danger of getting hurt by crawling critters in the middle of the night. I would encourage people to get over their ill-rational fears. I am sure many people have heard stories of snakes crawling into someone sleeping bag to stay warm, but you are MUCH more likely to have lighting strike you than have this happen, even if you place your sleeping bag right next to a snake's home. There is a tiny risk of getting stung or bitten by crawling insects such as spiders or scorpions, but they tend not to bother sleeping people. You are much more at risk in the day when you are disturbing the environment around you. There are some locations in Australia, Asia, and Africa where concerns are justified and it would be be foolish to sleep within some protective system, but this is the exception, not the rule.
In the continental USA there is little risk of being disturbed by large animals unless you are sleeping with good smelling food in bear country. In grizzly country it may be safer to sleep within an enclosed shelter: a tent or shaped tarp. Not because the shelter will keep the bear out, but there is some date that bears seem less likely to bother people inside shelters that the bears can't see into.
Man is the most dangerous creature. I don't have statistics, but my personal experience is that the percent of "nice" people I have run into backpacking, climbing, back country skiing, etc is higher than in the city. If you really want a steel door with a couple of deadbolts, the outdoors might not be the best place to sleep.
There are a wide variety of mattresses sold because people's tastes and needs varied widely when it comes to what is a comfortable foundation to sleep on. There is no "right" answer. There are a wide variety sleeping pads or sleeping systems which can be considered. My best suggest is to head to a good outdoors store, and lay down on the various choices for 15-20 minutes and figure out what works for you.
When the conditions are either hot or cold, it is often a challenge to get comfortable enough get a good night sleep. In warm conditions using a hammock or a cot can be helpful. A more common struggle people face is getting warm enough to sleep well. I encourage people to systematically figure out what is comfortable for them. The two best tools for this is a thermometer (ideally one that logs changes) and a small note pad. Each time you sleep out, record what gear you were using, what the weather conditions were, and how comfortable you were. Over time this will be key to you being able to plan effectively.
Before you go to bed:
Have the gear to keep you warm:
Make Good User of your clothing:
Use Items to Supplement Your Bag and Clothing:
Useful Techniques: