Sleeping on the ground can be ROUGH. Especially when you’re talking multiple nights in a row! Waking up bent and sore can take its toll on your body and most importantly zap the enjoyment out of your adventure. We’ve spent hundreds of nights sleeping on all kinds of surfaces, camping pads, and tents. Through this process we managed to learn a few things on how you can sleep better on the ground. Imagine: looking forward to your camping trip but WITHOUT the gnawing dread of bad sleep.
Here are our top tips for sleeping on the ground comfortably. Just restful snoozes and better days filled with fun:
Pick a spot for your tent that is fairly flat & even. If there is a slight slope, you’ll want the tent positioned in such a way where your head is uphill from your feet. Also be aware of the position of your tent to your surroundings: avoid camping at the bottom of a drainage if rain is expected. If it’s windy or stormy: pick a spot that is protected by wind. Also take note of any creaky trees that look like they could lose a branch in the wind. While most tents are pretty sturdy when assembled properly, they wouldn’t be able to stop the fall of a large tree branch.
Before you set up your tent or camping pads, do a quick sweep of the area for any major rocks & sticks. It’s much easier to identify pokey objects before the tent is on top of them.
For those of you living in moisture prone climates, a ground cloth or tarp is key to keep the inside of your tent dry. Save yourself from waking up in a puddle.
For the most comfortable sleep on the ground, invest in a HEST Sleep System. With 4 inches of temperature resilient memory foam combined with a 3” inflatable dropstitch base, the Sleep System is the ultimate in ground sleeping comfort. With an R-Value of 11.8 Sleep System provides maximum insulation against the cold ground, meaning you’ll stay warm and cozy even in the dead of winter. The addition of the dropstitch base also creates adjustable rigidity and support to keep your back and bones comfortable throughout the night.
Middle of the night bathroom trips are arguably one of the worst aspects of sleeping in a tent. Getting all your business taken care of before you hit the hay will hopefully prevent having to pry yourself from the cozy cocoon.
A light in a tent = big time bug magnet. When you’re entering and exiting the tent after dark- keep unzipped time to a minimum to cut down on pesky mosquitoes when you’re trying to sleep later.
Critters, spiders, and moisture, oh my! Shoes left outside the tent are fair game. No kidding we’ve lost shoes to marmots and rainstorms. The saying “there’s a snake in my boot!” didn’t come from nowhere.
