Don't lie, we all know every sound we hear outside our tent at night is sasquatch, maybe two bears, some Hyenas, a few wolves, a bobcat that made friends with a mountain lion who are being followed by a disgruntled honeybadger.
I've found a really helpful thing to do is sleep in your sleeping bag and on your mat at home for a few nights leading up to the camping trip. Throw the mat on the floor and use your camping pillow and sleeping bag (if it's not too hot). That way you can figure out all the most comfortable positions and how to move around in your setup and if something doesn't work for you then you can change it before your trip.
I’m an ultralight thru hiker, have done weeks at a time in the outdoors and have always gotten anxious at night. Mostly from all the things moving outside my tent and sometimes from the silence. The white noise idea is a fantastic idea!!! Thanks.
I sleep pretty well outside. I’m usually more tired than I am at home, so that helps. In the summer, I use a quilt and a 3+ thick pad. I’m a side sleeper, so an extra thick pad is a must. Don’t go cheap on your pad! Especially if you’re > 50 years old. In my 20s, I could sleep anywhere and with very little padding.
Dan, I love your stuff! Embracing the suck, it the way to go. Once I stopped worrying about getting to sleep and staying asleep, I got more and better sleep. I feel rested despite getting up a couple of times and taking a half hour or so to fall asleep. Some things that have helped me: - having an early bedtime at home will make the transition to the tent easier - I sleep with an R6 (7?) pad (thermarest xtherm) and a bag rated 15° warmer than the anticipated weather. I also wear about everything I packed - if you are skinny, the temp ratings are worthless - get a wide pad - 20 inches is too narrow - go for the 25 inches and full length - I side sleep with an air pillow for my head and an air pillow for my knees - I am a firm believer in quilts and got rid of all my bags. It does take some time to understand how to best use them, but it is worth the time investment. - I pick a boring documentary book on tape and play it through the night. I don't really worry much about the content or the fact I can't figure out when I fell asleep as the material is dry! Works for me
It's true, setting your expectations is key. I know I won't sleep as well in a tent, but I chose to enjoy that rather than get frustrated. The experience of lying in a tent in the woods, listening to the sounds and breathing the air, is wonderful!
Switching to a quilt was a game changer. Good pillow is critical. I also carry a fitted twin sheet to cover my pad; adds another level of comfort., weighs ounces. The more like home, the better. If all else fails, whiskey and Benadryl are on my essentials list. Thanks, Dan, really dig your channel!
I like covering my sleeping pad. It does add some comfort. I use a cheap sleeping bag liner that packs down super small and also possibly adds some protection to the bottom of the pad. I've even stuffed it with debris for use as my sleeping pad.
I'm just getting into backpacking, and in the past have HATED mummy bags/slim sleeping bags. Felt way constricted. Didn't know much about these quilts until I saw Dan's videos. Pretty comfortable and still keep you warm?
Thank you for your thoughtful tips. Here's an idea for a future video : seeming deal breakers THAT ARE NOT. I an 73 years old, and I use a C-PAP machine at night. I'm sure many folks think that using a C-PAP machine is a deal breaker for backpacking. I bought a refurbished travel C-PAP on-line and power it with a Red Lithium 6ah Milwaukee drill battery and a voltage bump up unit.. Each battery is good for 12-15 hours. Don't give up too easily!
Dan, Love the channel, another exceedingly important topic for hikers, 3 omissions however. 1. Most flatlanders like me have serious insomnia due to high altitude. Benadryl and a toddy before bedtime can help. Otherwise I typically embrace the suck of sleepless nights over 9000 ft. I try to plan my campsites at the lowest altitude I can reasonably achieve on my throughhikes. 2. Drinking too much fluid late in the evening, especially in men over 40, will lead to at least 2 pee episodes and associated sleep deprivation, which really suck when you are in a warm sack and it's freezing outside. Also, make sure you pee right before turning in for the night, even if you don't really have to; we call it the "Emergency Potty". 3. Earplugs and a sleep mask are an essential in my kit, to mitigate wind, snoring, lightning/thunder, moonshine, flashlights, creek/stream noise, and spooky night sounds. Cheers, the HIking Doc.
A vape pen of 9 lb hammer indica will fix insomnia and all the stuff you listed at the end. I'm 43, wake up about 3 to pee every damn night and I drink a lot of water right up until bed time. That part is annoying, but unless it's below 20 degrees, I have no issue stepping outside into the cold to pee. I imagine the spooky night sounds and such are a city folk thing. Grow up in the country and you don't think twice about them. Of course we're also always armed (yes, even when backpacking), so pewpew in the rare event that spooky sound turns out to be threatening.
My biggest issue is with the inside colour of a tent. Since I used Vango and OEX I loved the warm orange colour. It makes you feel good. Tents like the Durston and other dull/grey, drab tents are awful to be inside, especially in bad weather. Colour mentally has a larger than thought about affect.
This is something I've never considered. My tent is silver and while I don't want to change tents I am looking at upgrading the quilt. Will try an orange one and see how it affects the mood. Hoping the orange will create a warm glow with the silver.
I was hammock camping on an island, about 6' from the water's edge way out in the bush. There was a full moon and, for the first time, I didn't put in my earplugs. I didn't get much sleep that night because fish continue to feed under a full moon. A fish jumping close to your ear tends to wake you up. Lesson learned.
Whenever packing for a campout, your voice comes into my head "replicate sleeping at home as much as possible". While I don't sleep perfectly outside, I don't skimp on sleeping gear and I manage to sleep a decent night! Thanks Dan and team!
Dan... thanks for your great tips/ideas. I hike in the Australian wilderness ... and have, for the past 20 years, been going lighter and lighter (with comfort like your favourite chair). Despite 100+ 5-10 day trips - I still pick up great ideas from your channel. Thank you very much. Just bought some dyneema - to knock up a few experimental jackets and stuff- bags ... the adventure rolls on. Cheers.
Oh thank you Dan!! You are a true lifesaver! I almost bought a mummy bag but I 100% HATE when the hotel sheets are tucked in!! It's my worst nightmare!! I don't know why I didn't think about it before but I'm glad I didn't buy my sleeping bag yet!! I appreciate this video sooo soo much!🤭👍
I don’t sleep well at home and if I’m not under a 20lbs blanket I’m all over the bed. Slowly building gear and stamina for hunting, scouting for spring turkey is gonna be my first real test camping in over a decade.
"How cold of a sleeper are you" - I just bought a 30-degree sleeping bag for a summer hike where temperatures are going to be in the 40s at night, and I am pairing it with my pad that has an R-value of 5.9, and a S2S Reactor liner 😂 I refuse to have a bad sleep, so hopefully this setup will do the trick.
The only time I ever sleep better is if I’m in my hammock. That’s the one place I can sleep as good as home. Also the white noise tip is key for me too. I’ve slept with a fan in the room my entire life. I can’t sleep good without it. I also use it at hotels, my in-laws, everywhere. Thanks for the video Dan! Keep ‘em coming!
Oh! I had very bad time for two nights during the last Moon soon! While I was my way From the Singoor Village via Chitral Gol National Park to Shoghore village. Superb sharing as usual sir the great! Lot of love and respect from a solo mountain hiker friend from the Hindu Kush Mountains Lower Chitral District of Pakistan!
This is good advice, but it's also really frustrating advice. You can't know if something is going to work for you until after you've tried it or you've tried enough other things to know what you need. If you don't have friends who share the hobby, bought the gear that will work for you, and are willing to let you borrow it, you're kind of stuck trying to predict what'll work for based purely off of internet reviews, recommendations from strangers, research, and guesswork. I've wasted hundreds of dollars on cheap stuff that didn't work for me, and now I'm spending hundreds more on expensive stuff that I'm praying won't be the same. I had a scare after using my new trekking pole tent for the first time. It took forever to get a good pitch and was still cramped and uncomfortable, with by feeet right up against the wall soaking up every droplet of condensation. It also didn't help that was in a terrible mood because I burned holes in my top quilt, the other expensive piece of equipment I'd bought, due to a stupid mistake and careless moment on the same trip. I didn't give up on it, though, because I had a hunch that my good pitch wasn't actually good. It took me a couple of hours looking around the internet to find a tutorial on how to get an actual good pitch with that specific tent.
@@Manatherindrell Also true! The used gear sales are about the best you can hope for, but not everyone has access to those or can find what they want. Some of the "highly rated" things I bought at the beginning were absolutely awful for me, but I think going into it knowing your sleeping style it helps a little bit. For example, if you're used to sleeping on a luxury king mattress with down everything at home, you're probably not going to enjoy sleeping on a 1 inch closed cell pad, even it is highly reviewed.
I rewatched you light that lantern probably 7-8 times and belly laughed so hard I woke my wife up. Thanks for the laugh. Great video. Always look forward to them!
I sleep really well when I’ve worn myself out. You totally covered that in the early part of this video. I think all the fresh air is another part of the equation. I find that I wake frequently at home and want to sleep in when I can vs sleeping straight through the night and waking very early while camping.
Every night I play the same ambient music and it puts me right out in less then 10mins. Over time I have increased the volume and have a small rechargeable fan that helps with movement from my husband or dog. I'm hoping this will help when I start backpacking.
I had actually one of my calmest and best nights ever during a storm. Sure, it felt a bit sketchy at first having the tent morph during gusts. But you know what helps? 2 or 3 beers and healthy exhaustion will make you fall asleep soon enough. Just make sure you have a warm enough (if it's too warm: poke your leg out) and thick enough sleeping pad, a warm sleeping bag you can lie in comfortably and a pillow size of your preference and youll sleep like a baby. Picking a decent camp spot is pure common sense and self preservation.
Beer is heavy as heck! Not that I haven't partaken of some trail magic when amazing people lug a cooler up to trail junctions. Whiskey in your cocoa at night is far more efficient!
@@jgalt99 Well, it obviously depends on how long you'll be out there. If it's an overnighter you can carry a few cans without issue, if it's a longer tour, then yes, a flask of whisky or whatever poison you might prefer (including hot chocolate) is probably a better choice.
@@diotough Sadly I am 4 hrs from the nearest mountains, so my trips tend to be longer in duration to justify the drive. I could definitely countenance carrying a couple pints if only going out for a single night.
I sleep better outside than at home, because I’ve been enjoying outside all day and looking forward to my sleep system that I know is comfortable for me. The half a Benadryl I usually take probably helps too lol. I am blown away about the background noise on the phone!! I bet it takes up less battery. Thank you so much for that! Always good tips 👍
I love multi day hikes but I’m terrified at night. I take Benadryl, valerian root and melatonin, and have headphones in. I don’t sleep great still, but I might have had 2 hours of sleep my first overnight with no meds and no headphones. The wild life where I live is pretty tame compared to other places but knowing that doesn’t help.
One thing I do before the big hunt every year is, sleep on the floor a week before I go. It helps feeling so beat up in the early morning. After the years of sleeping with nocturnal animals about, you learn the sounds each one makes. Just know that the one you need to heed walks on two legs....
I gotta be honest, I did not expect to learn as much as I actually did from this video. Thank you very much! Also glad to know there is at least one other person that needs white noise to sleep hahaha!
I finally just accepted that I need to take an eye mask. I can't sleep if it's not dark and so in the summer when it gets light out by 4am I am wide awake... It felt so extra in the beginning but it's always in my sleep kit now
Once stealth camping next to trees "island" near a big hole in the field i heard big animal noise close... I guess moose it was.. But i was so tired that i only rawred back to it and fell sleep 😆. Im a very scared of wildlife and all the noises and can not sleep alone in wild and even cant go alon into dark park to walk. So love that if im supertired i just rawr back and can even sleep :) I think hammock swinging is great for good sleep and also i love sleeping close to road. If 24/7 traffic its the white noise i feel safe with. Big animals rather rarely come close i like to think :)
Spending lots of money to live the bougee homeless lifestyle. Some of the best dreams I've ever had though. And heck ya to the home pillow if car camping. That man needs a raise.
Thanks for picking up these basic but essential topics. It already helps me that you feel like it's worth to talk about it and I'm not the only person bothered by these challenges. Your advise helps as well though ;) So I'm looking forward to a new outdoor season in 2024 after bad sleeping experiences kept me off of it for a while. My setup will be 2x (!) Thermarest Topo Lux XL bound together with a fitting strap. This way I can really move around at night without falling of the mat. And the mat itself also doesn't move around in the tent too much since it fills the whole floorspace. On top of that I bring a real bed sheet with me as well as 2x (!) Thermarest pillows. This comes as close to home as possible. However my best experience so far was in a rooftop tent with a real mattress.
Lots of pretty good free white noise apps for Android users as well. I've been using those camping for the last few years and it really helps (I also used to always sleep with a fan at home but eventually migrated to a white noise device as the fan makes my wife cold).
Dan, what an amazing idea for a video. I don’t think I have ever seen anything like this before yet we probably all struggle with getting a good sleep in the bush. Great vid. Love all your stuff. Keep up the good work. 👍
Expectation can be a powerful thing! On a different subject, I normally hate background music on a video where someone is talking. You did it great though, it's low enough to be heard, but no so loud that it's competing with your voice for which one is actually the background track. I hope your recovery journey is going amazing and wish you all the best!
Dan! Thank you so much for pointing out the iPhone white noise! I’ve been sleeping with a fan for the past 25 years. When I don’t have it, I use RU-vid to play a ten hour video, which is fine when the phone is plugged in to the wall, but for a power bank, it might use more battery. Sweet tip! ✌️
Sleeping pad or sleeping mattress is key. The thicker, warmer and larger the pad the better. The pillow is also key and also the bag. Go too light on these and prepare to suffer. All that said weather is key. My worst night sleeping outdoors was due to very strong winds blowing all night (40-60mph) and even though I was in a heavily treed area the noise was insane. And yes, every noise (at least here in Colorado) is either a Sasquatch, a Mountain Lion, a Bear or a tweeker. All very dangerous. lol
One of the most important things for me is to be lying either flat ground or lying with my head up-slope. Sometimes this is really difficult to judge until you actually go to lie down for sleep. To avoid this i have a small spirit level to determine the best configuration and spot for the tent. Once i have this right i can almost sleep on closed cell foam and still get a good sleep.
Every single time we camp, my husband is snoring within 5 minutes of going to bed and wakes the next morning saying he didn't wake up a single time throughout the night. I smile, and say "Yay, isn't that nice" while mentally giving him the middle finger😁
Not cheap, but my dentist fitted me with a "mouthpiece" that completely stops me from snoring. It moves the lower jaw slightly forward by just a few millimeters but works flawlessly. Of course, the first step is getting your spouse to admit he snores!
I love. love LOVE my Hunka Bivvy. I get to have a loose waterproof mummy type into which I put my Thermarest, my sleeping bag and my pillow with elastic so it doesn't move. Everything is enclosed, no slipping off the mat, no having to sleep on your back. It keeps in the warmth, is light to carry too. I also have a cotton wraparound eye mask that obliterates light, but is very comfortable to sleep on, and loop earplugs that don't stick out, don't put pressure on your ears, and are hygenic and comfortable to lie on a pillow with. I have zippo handwarmers for winter. Two at the feet, two in the hands. Remember that if your feet are cold, you will not sleep. If it gets light early in spring and summer, you will wake up at 3.30am and not get back to sleep. If there are strange noises that raise your adrenaline, you won't sleep, so block them out entirely.
Dear Dan, I would have been quite happy to see Sasquatch making the noise that made me stick my head out of the tent when I finally realized that the noise was REALLY CLOSE. Was lucky enough to find someone to tell me how to chase Mr Bear Eating My Breakfast away. I learned a few lessons on my first solo camping trip.
Benadryl, ibuprofen, baby powder, clean longjohns, and hot water in a Nalgene to warm the bed. 💤 cut a sheet of Reflectix to put under your pad when snow camping. I actually cut and taped an entire floor liner for my tent to use in Alaska winters.
Warm, toasty feet! I carry a pair of synthetic clean socks for sleeping after washing my feet, whether on climbing trips during winter or pleasant summer nights in the desert.
I am a motorbike / E Unicycle camper so my weight is more than backpackers, but much less than car campers so I watch these kinda videos. I do aim for a perfect sleep and have two different base weight categories. The main thing for me is the sleeping mat. UL140 for Unicycle and a Decathlon branded 12cm thick (partially) self inflating matt for motorbike. I am a side sleeper so the biggest thing is for me to be able to be on my side without my hip getting anywhere close to the ground. Another thing that helps but could be considered cheating. Chamomile tea, it makes you feel tired in a good non-artificial feeling way. I find people like hot drinks but gravitate to caffeine beverages. On that note too, powdered soup is a god send and changed my camping experience. Nothing quite like going into the tent for the night with a cup of soup. Keep it in the vestibules just in case, but sitting on your matt taking sips of soup is just so relaxing. Bonus is you can get a big tub off the stuff for cheap, I then take small amounts with me in doggy poo bags (I got a bunch of bio-degradable poo bags what feels like a year ago and they are so handy).
Watching this while I am unpacking from a short trip. Yeah, I did pretty much everything in the video but... Slept pretty badly because my pillow kept deflating. Plus a local warned me there were wild boars raiding camps so I was kinda on edge all night. :D
I agree with sleep like home. But unfortunately my wife bought a super expensive king bed. Definitely hard to recreate an 10k bed. 😮 But the pillows you use(which I bought immediately after your videos) definitely helps.
Hey Dan, you probably don’t remember but I commented on a previous video that I wasn’t a fan of the clickbait titles, but i just wanted to say I am a fan and i just love your videos.
Yeah, I need some kind of white noise to sleep, too - I'm an HSP so without it, my brain goes into overdrive processing every tiniest sound! Having said that, a good thunderstorm works just as well, so long as it lasts all night. Also need a good quilt - I'm a side-sleeper so mummy bags are definitely out, plus I prefer hammocks to tents!
I might be an outlier but I get the best sleep outdoors. Something about the sounds of nature and pitch black. Dunno, maybe cuz I’ve been camping since 10-11 when I was in the scouts so I got used to night forest noise.
After a day off hiking I can sleep everywere. I was sleeping in the wild for moths with a sleepingbag and a tarp( yes no isolation below, and it worked for me in 3 seasons...), using my jacket or whatever as pillow.
I am a stomach sleeper. I have tried many times over the last few years to sleep on my back or side and it's not happening. I had to go with a wide pad and a quilt to get decent sleep. I love the Sierra Designs Backcountry Quilt. I have had the synthetic 40 degree version and the Nitro 20 down version for several years now. I sprawl out some when I sleep and some of the slimmer quilts didnt work for me but I finally found stuff that works. Now I need to find the time for more backpacking trips.
I count myself very lucky because I honestly can't remember ever sleeping badly in my tent. Yes there have been times when it's taken me several minutes to nod off but I've never lain awake for hours. But that's because of the medication that I need. It practically guarantees a good night's sleep. However, my son has learned to pitch his tent away from mine because I do snore - very loudly!
I was having to get up 4x a night to pee, and thinking, “how is this going to work this coming season.” A couple weeks ago I cut my caffeine consumption from 4 drinks a day to a maximum of 2 before noon, and Voila! I am now sleeping much, much better and having to get up only once! No withdrawals and my energy through the day is just fine. Another thing I did was to start wearing a chin strap to keep my mouth from opening and waking up from a dry mouth. Easy, and it works. This has also helped with shoulder pain, because it allows me to sleep more hours on my back, rather than on my sides.
Yep, as I approach six decades I find the same to be true - less caffeine during the day, even in the morning, helps tremendously with sleep. Also, every pint of beer around the campfire has to, uh, come out, usually during the middle of the night.
I found out a really good sleep aid will definitely help with a good nights sleep when camping!! I got some melatonin sent to me when I was in Iraq because believe me you can never get a decent night sleep in that armpit of the earth country!!
Definitely a double pillow guy one for head, one for knees Also ear plugs lightly in ears, or I like to set up where I can hear running water in distance just so I can't hear all the sounds of a quiet forest at night.
I also backpack a ton and have 2 tips to add. First, one way I avoid getting upset about lower quality sleep is I just spend more time "resting". I figure, "Yeah, maybe I woke up 7 times, but I spent 10 hours in my sleep setup. Sometimes I'm just calmly lying in my sleep setup, sometimes I'm actually sleeping, but it kinda evens out to a solid 7 or 8 at home". Getting stressed about bad sleep doesn't help. Second, I wear an eye mask and ear plugs - similar to your white noise trick. Eliminating unexpected sounds and shifts of light makes it much easier to stay asleep.
Completely agree with this approach - like an international flight stuck back in steerage, I just tell myself that I'm resting knowing full well it's not great quality sleep. I use Decibullz brand silicon ear plugs ($20 at CVS/Walgreens) which custom fit your ear and don't protrude when side sleeping. Eye mask helps too. The downside is, that bear will have to poke me with his snout for me to acknowledge him!
I love your channel, I’m trying to get into backpacking and you have helped clear a lot of questions. Also, side note, you remind me A LOT of Jim Halpert.
Dan, there's an invention called WARM-WHITE LED's, too 😁 So you don't have to use a Lantern necessarily to get the warm, atmospheric light condition ;) And it saves the Gas in your Canister for some meals, too.
My strategy is to try and minic the process to get to sleep as much as possible. I work all different hours and haing a routine 20 minutes before sleep works for me. The other thing I try and do is sleep on my mat, sleeping bag, pillow etc for a couple of nights pior to going.
Earplugs. Good ones. -25 decibels or better. Soft squishy silicone. After trying about 5 different kinds, I found the ones that are comfortable for all nigh wear, and that absolutely transformed my outdoor sleeping. Also, stay away from your phone for at least an hour before bed, and plan to hit the sack not too long after sunset. I go to be at midnight at home, but on trail, I rarely stay up much past 9 or maybe 10 in the summer. Then get up when you wake up. Don't roll back over and try to get another hour or two. You'll go to sleep much better the next night if you got up and started your day. Plus, that extra hour or two is usually not very restful deep sleep. It's junk sleep anyway. And I'll emphatically reinforce that your sleeping bag or quilt should be rated to at least 20 degrees above the lowest expected nightly low temperature. I'lll also encourage you to consider either trtying a quilt or just unzipping the sleeping bag more often. Having the flexibility to adjust your insulation through the night as temps change is a game changer.
I have a question for you for a future topic. I'm wondering about gaiters. I don't see many of the RU-vidrs talk about them, but I've been on some very overgrown sections of trail and wished I had something to protect my ankles from thistles and spiny seedy guys that irritate me hiking in the summer in some locations. Do you use gaiters? Have you used them? If so, what style do you prefer? If not, have you tried them and rejected them? Do other people you backpack with use them? What are their thoughts?
Dirty Girl makes great ankle-high gaiters (for men too!). They weigh 1.5 oz and, I believe, are $20 a pair. Very helpful for bushwhacking. Altra trail/hiking shoes have a velcro strap in the back to connect to these gaiters. Many others make them but most of these seem to be higher, heavier and pricier.
The only "camping" I've done lately, is sleeping overnight at Sailing regattas. As I don't do well sleeping on the boat, pitching a tent somewhere either at the marina or in a park nearby has been the "go to" arrangement. What I discovered very early on was, our bedroom at home is VERY QUIET. There was a whole bunch of "City noise" at some of the venues. Not to mention the fishermen heading out at say, five? Gotta make sure we start that engine and let 'er warm up for at least twenty minutes. Anyway, thankfully I always carry ear plugs, and they are definitely the ticket for getting to sleep and staying that way. You have to figure out what works.
i will say hammock camping i actually do get some of the best sleep i wake up feeling pretty good. I do agree though first time i went camping i didn't even know what a sleeping pad was and slept straight on the floor in a sleeping bag with just shorts i woke up that night freezing put on some more clothes and slightly better sleep.
As one of those weird people who sleeps better wedged between two random rocks on the side of the trail than in my own bed, I feel called out. Great video, though!
This video makes my hammock seem so much less complicated. Just find a spot a good 50 feet from the snore zone and crash. Saves worrying about it being level, drainage, roots, bugs, the right sleeping pad, flipping every 15 minutes to deal with pressure points.... I just wake up a bit before dawn when the first birds start stirring.
Hi Dan I have a couple of different sleeping bags 2 mummy bags that are tight and I am a side sleeper and just now realized what a bad idea mummy bags are. I am going back to my iderdown bag the camping quilt looks Interesting tho not sure about the closures
For me, sleeping as well outdoors as I do at home means getting a good day's hike, nice supper & late snack before climbing into my hammock. My worst night's sleep in a hammock is still better than my best sleep in a tent. HYOH
Dan, I have never gone hiking /backpack camping. It has always been canoe camping. I even find it weird to haul all your gear on your back. Canoe camping enables you to take just a bit more with you. Old school canoe camping (sometimes you see this with kids who spend part of their summers at camps) is to have a big old wood food box. Most long journey campers use a food barrel. Can’t see hauling one of those on a hike. Anyways, it would be great to see you canoe camping in Ontario. If you do come North, Algonquin Park is a spectacular park to canoe camp in. Go two days in by canoe and your worries about work and the hustle of life will evaporate. The calls of the loons in the morning on a still lake will stay with you forever.
First 2-3 nights of a longer camping trip: melatonin & magnesium an hour before bedtime. You're welcome! Helps you feel tired and cozy, and relax your muscles
Thank you for this very practical content! It not only sets some realistic expectations of sleeping outdoors, but also provides guidance on how to improve sleep when backpacking, therefore making the experience better. I'm excited to put some of these ideas into practice this year. Another piece of advice I'd love to see from a future video: What do you do on a regular basis to stay in backpacking shape? If someone only has the opportunity to get out a couple times a year, what are some good ways you have found to physically prep for the distance, carry load, etc? Thanks for all your great content! I really appreciate your authenticity.
In the offseason or when training for a long thru hike, I try to walk with my backpack loaded with dumbbells. Eventually adding weights that equal my planned pack weight. Sure, it looks like you're carrying body parts around your local park but it works.
Things i need to have/ to do so i can get good sleep when hiking as light sleeper who have insomnia : Sleeping pad (i was not fond of this before, but now after i try it and know how comfortable to use this, i can't leave my sleeping pad anymore) Drink something warm (just enough, not too much) and make sure I'm full (hungry is my enemy) Have the good mentality that everything is gonna be okay (sometimes i do aftraid of everything outside my tent) And yes, i make my self really tired before my sleep time and embrace the uncomfortable.. 😂😂😂
