Sleep Like a Baby in a Tent

To many city dwellers, their idea of “roughing it” is staying at a motel rather than a hotel. But for a true “roughing it” experience, camping out in the wilderness can’t be beat. Even at that, there are ways to go camping that are less primitive than others. If you use a pop-up or RV for camping, you can have much of the fun of living in the wilderness with many of the comforts of home.

But for a true camping experience, tent camping is great. It is the closest most of us will get to genuine primitive camping because you are fending for yourself with very few refined comforts that you are used to. The amazing thing about camping in tents is that it is a sport that can get in your blood to where you virtually never want to go back. Some of the great things about passing a night in a tent are…

The night air can be tremendously therapeutic. If you are camping in the mountains, the purity of that fresh air is almost intoxicating. You may sleep more deeply and find yourself more rested than you thought possible after sleeping in the wild in a tent.
Flexibility in where you pitch your tent. Even if you are using a prepared camp site, you can take your tent into the woods and pitch it wherever you wish. The idea of sleeping wherever you care to lay your head is very liberating.
Low fuss. Many tents are quite easy to set up and break down. You can work on your program to “simplify your life” by reducing your needs to the basics when camping.
The sounds of the forest. You will doze off to the sounds of forest animals, perhaps an owl or insects singing in the night. The forest serenade will lull you to sleep and be there should you wake in the night to comfort and relax you.
There is a simple tranquility to sleeping with no machinery running, no walls around and just you and nature.

Tent camping can be amazingly simple to set up. But there are some issues of comfort that you may need to take into consideration. So there are some precautions you can take to assure that your night in the tent will be almost as comfortable and enjoyable as a night in your own bed.

Before you leave home. Think ahead about what you might need in the tent. Many people do better with a simple pillow or a particular blanket to sleep under. Of course, you should buy a sleeping bag that is capable of keeping you toasty warm all night long. So research your equipment needs before you start out on your camp out vacation.
Before you pitch your tent. Its best not to just jump out of the car and pitch your tent in the closest spot you find. Make sure the spot that will be your bedroom is level and not on a slant. It can be an uncomfortable night sleeping on a slope. Also inspect the ground so you are not pitching your tent over an ant hill or some other natural occurrence that could result in sudden emergencies in the night. Take some time and inspect the ground for rocks that might jut through the floor of your tent. These can damage your tent and/or be a huge nuisance to a good night’s sleep.
Get up above the ground. You may wish to sleep with something between you and the ground. Simple but effective pads for camping can do a lot to get you off the surface of the earth to keep your body warmth contained and keep you off of those jutting rocks. For more comfort, a camping cot can be used that can elevate you completely and be surprisingly comfortable.
Warmth. As we spoke of earlier, a good sleeping bag is essential. This is one of those camping purchases for you to put some thought into. Make sure it is big enough so you can put your head under its covers without exposing your toes. Also think about the level of comfort you need. A good summer sleeping bag that gives you cover but plenty of air may be the wrong choice for winter camping where you need a thermal cocoon to pass the night in.
Bugs. You may not be able to keep all bugs out of your tent. In summer camping, it helps sometimes to open your tent up entirely for the breeze. In those cases, going to bed with bug spray on can help assure you wont be the landing strip for flying insects in the night.
Feeling safe. Your tent is your fortress from curious animals in the night. Before you take your tent out for a camping trip, set it up and make sure it is water tight and that the zippers all work on the doors and windows. By assuring you can seal that tent up, you are going a long way toward keeping nature outside while you sleep happily inside.

Tent camping can be great fun and one of the best night’s sleep you will enjoy. Adequate preparation and thinking ahead about where your tent will be set up and what you need as you settle down to sleep in the wild will pay once you are “out there” ready to enjoy your night outside. And once you have broken in both your equipment and your camping check list so you know you will be prepared to create a great camp site for sleeping, you will be eager to get out there, have a fun evening in camp and then nestle into your cozy sleeping bag to doze with mother nature.