Sleeping well can make or break a camping trip. As I get older it becomes even more important, and sometimes more difficult, to sleep comfortably.
In 1974 the first Therm-a-Rest self-inflating foam sleeping pad was manufactured by Cascade Designs in Seattle; a company started by laid-off Boeing engineers. Therm-a-Rest pads completely changed camping for me; I slept much better floating on a cushion of air than I did on a foam pad.
Over the years I have owned several different self-inflating pads of varying sizes, thicknesses and weights made by several manufacturers. A couple of years ago I purchased an Air Core pad made by Big Agnes. Like the Therm-a-Rest was in it’s day the Air Core a quantum leap forward; it is 2 1/2″ thick, insulated, and packs to about the size of a Nalgene bottle
The Air Core is part of a sleep system made by Big Agnes. The lower half of the sleeping bags Big Agnes makes is an envelope for the Air Core pad. Only the top of the bag is insulated (the pad providing plenty of insulation between you and the ground) and thus much lighter than a traditionally made bag. I have slept much more comfortably with the Big Agnes system than any other combination of sleeping bags and pads I have owned. See my review of the Horse Thief sleeping bag.
I don’t have a lot of money but I did spend a couple of hundred dollars on a slightly used (eBay) Horse Thief sleeping bag and Air Core pad; the most I have ever invested in a piece of camping gear. A new bag and pad like mine runs a stunning $450.00. That’s a pile of money but sleeping soundly and comfortably is worth the investment.
If you aren’t ready to shell out for the whole system the Air Core pad is a great upgrade to your sleeping gear.
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Big Agnes insulated Air Core Pad 78″x20″ 2 1/2″ thick, 27 oz. and packs to 5.5″ x 9″ at Campmor |
In cold weather I wear a balaclava over a knit hat when I bed down for the night. The balaclava keeps my knit hat on my head and adds a bit of warmth around my neck. Remember that if you keep your head covered your feet will stay warm too (no, really; it works!).
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Terramar Thermolator II Balaclava Inexpensive and comfortable mid-weight balaclava. at Campmor |
I’ve also learned that I need ear plugs to sleep well and tune out noisy Scouts and snoring Scoutmasters. Most trips I bring along my iPod Touch and listen to music as I go to sleep. Some folks will think this is crazy but it works for me. Packing along a few spare sets of earplugs can elevate you to hero status amongst your fellow adult Scouters.
I also need a pillow; I’ve never been satisfied with camping pillows- they are too small, too hard, too soft, none of them are just right. This is an easy problem to solve though; I just bring the pillow I use every night at home unless we are backpacking then I’ll make a pillow out of clothes or a fleece jacket by putting them carefully folded into the pillow pocket in my Big Agnes Horse Thief sleeping bag.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I love my Big Agnes set up. I’m at work and don’t recall which bag I have. Only once have I flipped myself upside down and it took a few moments to figure it out and get right side up again. A neatly folded shirt-jac is my pillow and fits well inside the pillow envelope. I purchased my bag at Steep and Cheep.com for much less than the list price. My old nomex balaclava from my days as a tanker keeps me warm in the winter. Good post Clarke and thanks!
Sleeping well is essential and worth a little extra weight if necessary. I use a thermarest pads but you have me interested in the Big Agnes for comfort. While at Philmont one of the other adults had one while we slept in a mud hut and he kept me awake all night tossing and turning because his BA pad was *very* loud. I have since discovered the use of ear plugs (and if you use marshmallow ear buds by JVC with your iPod you don’t need separate ear plugs). I have felt guilty for using the ear plugs, so I am glad to see that I am in good company. It was the only way I was able to sleep through night last outing due to a snoring adult.
After a particularly loud snore-fest from the adults several years, I also started wearing earplugs. I worry a bit about stuff going on in the middle of the night that I might miss, but it’s better for everyone when the adults are well-rested.
A thin blue foam pad under one of the thinner ThermaRest pads under a fleece blanket works great. I keep them all rolled together and ready to go. Add a fleece blanket and a sleeping bag on top, and one doesn’t even have to be inside the bag. This also provides lots of layers for options and can be easily trimmed down in warmer weather or when hiking in a long distance.
I’ve been wearing a medium weight cap that goes under bicycle helmets for cold wx riding. It’s thin, slick enough to not stick to the pillow, and super comfortable.
ThermaRest Base Camp Pad
Large, Soft, Fluffy, Flannel Lined bag for most campouts (Coleman).
Rectangular Slumberjack Talon (40d F) Sleeping bag in a compression sack for backpacking (G3 Fiber).
Sea to Summit 100% Premium Cotton Rectangular Standard Sleeping Bag Liner for the Slumberjack (I do not sleep in nylon bags. Can’t stand them).
Columbia Cloud Haven Packable Fleece Pillow
If you really want something cool to sleep on, one of the guys in my Troop has trouble sleeping on the ground and he bought one of these:
http://www.luxurylite.com/cotindex.html
He absolutely recommends it. Takes in on all campouts including backpacking. He also put a ThermaRest on top of it. He say that he sleeps like a baby now. I say that he snores too much
I just bought the BA Insulated Air Core Pad. I have been using my old therm a rest on top of a closed cell pad for years. The older I get, that harder it is to stay comfortable. I’ve been thinking about the BA pad for awhile and your post convinced me to make the plunge. I have two bags that I really like, so I just couldn’t justify a new bag.
On the earplugs, I keep several pair around, especially after this year’s summer camp.
Let me know what you think of the pad.
REI Camp bed 2.5 and ThermaRest Tech Blanket. (Hawaii Camping). Noticeably more comfortably than my 15 yr old 1/2″? ThermaRest. How much does the size of your tent affect your comfort? Ive noticed more scouts and parents waking up “cold” after sleeping in big Coleman tents vs a smaller backpacking tent. Less air to warm up I imagine. Acclimation is another aspect. For families who have never seen snow. . . a 50degree night is frigid.
A small tent, close to the ground, can be 10 degrees warmer inside than outside. This is just from trapped air. I have a thermometer and I have measured this difference. I hang my thermometer on the outside edge of my tent fly. If it gets below 32 degrees, the Scouts get a Polar Bear award (come on guys, it’s the sunny, warm south!). (There is a polar bear at Sea World in Orlando).
The larger the tent, the greater the surface area conducting heat away, I imagine. Heat rises. If the cheap Coleman tent fly does not totally cover the tent then warm air will rise right out of it. The Eureka (and other brand tents) with the large flys, totally covering the tent, can be very cozy. Even with mesh sides. Especially with two or three Scouts in there. The large fly redirects the wind over the top of the tent. For example, the Eureka Apex tent.
I have a Eureka Backcountry 1 for backpacking (normally the cool season here) and I have been very cozy in there. It’s sort of small for me, but very light weight compared to my other tents.
I have a Eureka Timberline 2XT for other campouts. Very warm tent when it’s chilly outside. Too warm in early fall and late spring. I use a small battery fan.
When I took over the troop the former leaders had a giant 6 man family tent that they had purchased and used for themselves; way too cold in the winter.
I also have a ThermaRest BaseCamp 2in self inflating pad. Very comfortable and warm. Essential for old guys like me.