How to make spike camps more comfortable?

[chizelhead]

I always bring a stove, worth the weight to me to get started in the am. Start the stove and heat the water for a hot breakfast from your sleeping bag in the tent. It will warm it up, and a hot breakfast (I usually do oatmeal, added protein scoop, dried fruit and/or nuts ) and hot drink and I am ready to get up and out.

I never think of a stove as optional when spike/backpack hunting. It's key for morning (coffee, hot meal) and evening (warm meal, warm drink to recharge, hot water in a nalgene in the sleeping bag to warm it up). It can also help thaw frozen boots in the morning that can be really hard to get on and thawed with only your body heat.

 

[Blackdog317]

I upgraded to a thick (3"+), warm, comfortable pad and bag. Hot meals you enjoy are a plus. Comfortable pillow AND a second pillow/dry bag. As a side sleeper with low back issues, I sleep with the second pillow between my knees or under both knees. I stuff the pillow with my puffy jacket, base layers and socks for the next day. When I wake up, all those items are toasty warm from being in my sleeping bag all night. That makes getting up and dressed much easier on a cold morning for me.

 

[Maverick1]

Work harder during the day. No problems sleeping at night.

 

[ndbuck09]

You know what else sucks, living 11 months knowing you didn't get it done. That drives me getting up each morning. Also, sleeping in a backpacking spike camp setup is a learned ability. You get better at sleeping well the more you do it. This is where someone who does a lot of backpacking during the summer smokes people who just try to backpack for 7 nights a year. Doing it more means its more normal for you.

 

[Blackdog317]

You know what else sucks, living 11 months knowing you didn't get it done. That drives me getting up each morning. Also, sleeping in a backpacking spike camp setup is a learned ability. You get better at sleeping well the more you do it. This is where someone who does a lot of backpacking during the summer smokes people who just try to backpack for 7 nights a year. Doing it more means its more normal for you.

Agree here. It usually takes me 2-3 nights before I can fall asleep quickly and get good rest... regardless of how hard I worked on that day. It probably doesn't help that I live at 40' above sea level and only get to hunt at higher elevation 7 - 14 days a year (9,000'-12,000').

Foam ear plugs and sleep aids also help me get better rest (Melatonin or Advil PM).

 

[rogerdoger]

Melatonin

 

[elkliver]

I never sleep good on a backpacking pad... Hunting season is only once a year... I suffer through it and go hunting. sometimes a mid day nap is in order.

 

[shwacker]

For me the morning is the best - finally time to get up after what is often a long night. By night 2 or 3 I'm usually sleeping better. I have read that "sleeping with one eye open" is a real thing.

Agree with the hot beverage/breakfast in bed crew. Also, keeping things extremely organized and clean seems to help me. I try to live better out there than in my daily life.

 

[D_wit22]

Less focus on sleep and camp, more focus on elk and killing them

There problem solved

 

[Coveyleader]

If you can, pre-season, hike the palace in.

 

[peaches]

Chemical hand warmers tossed in the sleeping bag

Good earbuds and some music

A nip of bourbon before dinner

 

[Indian Summer]

If you can, pre-season, hike the palace in.

Exactly. My gear wood stove included has been on the mountain for about 8 years.

 

[CMF]

Do you have any tips for getting started in the morning? Everything was coated with frost and it sucked getting started.

I'm thinking that I need to have my pack fully packed the night before. I need to just put on my boots and start walking. It will still suck but for just a little while.

Even if I'm home or base camp, wherever, I always do better having as much ready the night before, makes it easier to get out of bed not dredding having to pack and do stuff.

I've considered, but haven't tried yet, making my coffee the night before and having it in a Zoji thermos. It would be one less thing to do in the morning. The thermos only adds a couple of ounces over a GSI mug.

Melatonin

Add L- theanine for sleep. I usually do 2-3 aleve and 2-3 L-theanine on a hunt, occasional melatonin.

 

[rogerdoger]

I've considered, but haven't tried yet, making my coffee the night before and having it in a Zoji thermos. It would be one less thing to do in the morning. The thermos only adds a couple of ounces over a GSI mug.

Last year I used the mocca shot gummies in the morning, each pack has 200 mg caffeine. Then make coffee when I have lunch, if I hike with jetboil.

 

[CMF]

Last year I used the mocca shot gummies in the morning, each pack has 200 mg caffeine. Then make coffee when I have lunch, if I hike with jetboil.

I just tried those on my sheep hunt in Aug for midday cause I'd leave my jetboil at spike camp. They weren't great, but they were tolerable.
We could probably have a whole thread on non-coffee caffeine, lol.
I also tried the caffeine gum and C4 powders, the mocha gummies were better.

 

[wyosam]

Bring more stuff.


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[insanelupus]

I never sleep good on a backpacking pad... Hunting season is only once a year... I suffer through it and go hunting. sometimes a mid day nap is in order.

Sometimes? Gee whiz, I must be in the whimpy side then, a midday nap falls into the "must" or "absolutely needed" category for me! And it doesn't matter if I'm backpacking in, slept in the truck, or slept at home. If I'm hunting, it's part of my vacation time, and a midday nap fails into the category of enjoying my day.

Most of the best sleep I've ever had in my life was while hunting!