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How to Have a Comfortable Night’s Sleep When You’re Camping
Even when a morning is sunny and beautiful out over your campsite, one thing that can make everything seem dark and dull is the quality of sleep you had: if you slept on the hard ground, your back and neck might be killing you all day! One of the best prescriptions for a great vacation is having a great sleep every night. If you’re camping, you’re going to need to know how to bring your bed with you as best as you can. Here are some tips for doing exactly that.
Put a lot between you and the ground. It’s not enough to simply have a sleeping bag – a sleeping bag is for keeping you warm, and not much else. You’re going to want to put a lot between your back and the ground, particularly something stable and soft, if possible. Air mattresses (along with a quick inflating gadget) can be invaluable for having a great night’s sleep. Cots that hang high off of the ground can also be comfortable, making sure you don’t touch the ground. Do your best to find a solution that keeps your back off the ground but also travels well, such as a folding cot or an inflatable air mattress.
Choose your sleeping bag for insulation, not comfort. You’ll find that a sleeping bag does best when it traps as much body heat as possible; not necessarily when it feels the best over your body. To get a good night’s sleep, you’ll want to be comfortable, but you can easily use a more comfortable blanket to buffer between yourself and the sleeping bags. Most sleeping bags are not uncomfortable, so this won’t be a major problem: just remember to keep inside your sleeping bag because its purpose is insulation and heat-trapping.Bring a pillow from home. Consider your pillow one of your luxury items: it doesn’t pack very well, but it is important enough to make that kind of sacrifice. A large, fluffy but firm pillow will help you to rest your neck and head comfortably, allowing you to feel comfortable enough the following day so that you can hike, swim, and do all of the things associated with camping.
Make sure you’re insulated from moisture. If you’ve brought a camper, this is an easy consideration. If you’re in a tent, however, you’ll want to make sure that everything is secure. You’ll want to keep the outside world as sealed off as possible so that your tent can be warm, soft, and dry. Make sure you’re protected from rain during the night and that everything is properly zipped up.
Photo Credits: lbshopgirl
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Tips for Women: How to Camp Comfortably
We all know that any given woman is capable of accomplishing the same things outdoors as any given man, and that what makes a good camper is not only attitude, but skill. Either gender is capable of developing both. But when it comes to camping comfortably, it would be just plain wrong to act like there are no differences between men and women, and it’s fair to say that women have higher needs for comfort than many men. With that in mind, here are a few tips for the adventurous women out there.
First, getting a good’s night sleep during a camping weekend should be considered the most vital aspect of your comfortable camping experience. If you wake up with a sore back, it’s going to ruin the rest of your day. But if you wake up like you wake up out of your bed at home, you should feel absolutely fine and have more energy to accomplish the things you want to accomplish while camping that day.
With that in mind, be sure to focus on a few essential things: padding, insulation, and dryness. Padding simply refers to the type of bed you might be using – if you can bring along an air mattress with a gadget for easily pumping it up, you should have no problem sleeping on it. For insulation, make sure you have a comfortable sleeping bag that adequately traps your body heat. And when it comes to dryness, take extra precautions to keep both your tent and your equipment of of moisture’s way.Next, think about the kind of equipment you’ll be using during the daytime that will change your camping experience. For example, what luxury at home can’t you live without? If it’s a shower, you can find portable camping showers that function similar to showers at home, or simply find a campsite shower on a campground. It’s usually a good idea to try out a night of camping out in your backyard, without the conveniences at home except the ones in your bag, to get an idea of how you’ll fare when you’re camping. Make sure to bring a notepad to keep track of all of the things you believe you’ll need and that which you won’t need to bring on your trip.
Having a comfortable camping experience is all about preparation. As long as you have your bases covered, you should have a great experience that feels like you’re at one with nature, not constantly fighting it by tossing and turning all night.
Photo Credits: russelljsmith
