How do you sleep in the backcountry?

[Where's Bruce?]

With all the little nuances of backcountry life, how well do you really sleep when camping? Our diets are different, Mt. House can ambush you in the wee hours, some people think every sound is as bear, others can't quite get comfortable enough to sleep soundly...a few even have difficulty because they saw a monster rack on a species they are holding a tag for. So be honest, how (generally) well do you really sleep when living out of your pack?

 

[camping1601]

As a rule it doesn't matter if it's at home car camping, back country, or a motel, the first couple of nights suck, but I eventually get into a normal sleep cycle after two or three days..

 

[Hunt'nFish]

How well do I sleep?...... like a baby.
Hunt'nFish

 

[BackcountryMT]

After I take an ambien? Still shitty.

 

[gelton]

Excellent, I might wake up throughout the night but am down within an hour of darkness.

 

[BroodBuster]

I'm one of those lucky folks who could curl up on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier and take a nap.

The only time I have trouble getting to sleep is in excessive heat. If it gets into the '90s in town I'm dying to get into the mountains just to get a decent nights sleep if nothing else.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Quite nicely thank you.

 

[bowtech3dhunter]

I'm usually pretty exhausted at the end of the day, to be honest. So I eat dinner climb in the sack and sleep like a baby.


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[2hand]

I sleep pretty good no matter the details. Those who have trouble sleeping do some reading on this product. As near as I can tell it's a natural/better alternative to melatonin. Since melatonin is a hormone you can over do it and cause your body to stop producing it naturally.

http://www.sleepcocktails.com/pages/product

 

[deadwolf]

Rule #1. Fall asleep before the guy in the tent that snores
Rule #2. Somnopro, all natural sleep supplement : )
Rule #3 Forget that your tent looks like a nicely packaged bear snack


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[Mad Mountain Mike]

Most years I spend between 150 and 250 nights in a tent or under a tarp ( mostly the tent ). I've learnt to sleep quite sound, sometimes too sound, woke up one morning to the tune of a black bear ripping my shit apart. By the time I awoke he had most of my stuff spread all over.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Most years I spend between 150 and 250 nights in a tent or under a tarp ( mostly the tent ). I've learnt to sleep quite sound, sometimes too sound, woke up one morning to the tune of a black bear ripping my shit apart. By the time I awoke he had most of my stuff spread all over.

That's not helping. LOL

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Most years I spend between 150 and 250 nights in a tent or under a tarp ( mostly the tent ). I've learnt to sleep quite sound, sometimes too sound, woke up one morning to the tune of a black bear ripping my shit apart. By the time I awoke he had most of my stuff spread all over.

That's not helping the non-sleepers one bit. LOL

 

[mtnwrunner]

Sometimes good and sometimes not so good. I find that if I am at elevation, I don't sleep near as good and also if I have a super strenuous day, not so good. But Pendleton and sleepy time tea help.

Randy

 

[twall13]

For me I'm usually too excited the first night and don't sleep very well. I think the new environment and surroundings play tricks on the mind as well. I've started forcing myself to sleep outside several times per month (even if I'm busy and have to do it in the back yard) to help combat this and I think it does help. After a couple days in the field I'm plenty exausted anyway and usually sleep much better.

 

[J_hol]

Often times we are sleeping at higher than normal altitudes and sleeping can be tricky (see article). I always carry some sort of mild sleep aid (just in case) and typically use it for the first night or two or at higher elevations until I hit a rhythm.
http://www.altitude.org/sleep_at_high_altitude.php

 

[Double Creek]

I toss and turn most of the night. Just can't get comfortable lying flat and without a decent pillow. I'm also paranoid about dehydration and drink way too much water, which in turn causes me to get up and pee at least twice during the night.

 

[wasatchcomm]

I'm with twall13
set the tent up in the backyard and practice
to me its the bag and pad, totally different than my bed, no walls and all the sounds is the second
backyard practice will pay off for sure..
good excuse to include kids too, my son loves to sleep in backyard...

 

[ColoradoBackpackHunter]

Im usually pretty tired from hiking but if that doesn't do it I'll pop a melatonin. I don't have trouble sleeping once I get to sleep but I don't like to take my time falling asleep and risk being too tired in the morning. I get some of my best sleep in the backcountry.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I used to sleep like shit. Now I have my sleep system dialed and sleep like a baby. A quilt and Xtherm are where it's at for me.