Your tips for making life on the ground better at your camp site.

[Ramseybella]

I know we all come up with home inventions to make life a bit more comfy at camp sites, what are yours?

I have been using a piece of thin replacement Car floor carpet on the floor of my tent I bought at Big Lots a few years ago.
I was getting tired of waking up with my feet or elbows touching the cold tent floor off my Thermarest and sucking that cold into my body and into my joints.
I have never left home without it since.
That and a UCO Candle lantern at night hanging from the vented ceiling of my tent keeps the cold damp condensation down of the inner walls when in the Mountains..

 

[Checkswrecks]

DCStrom introduced me to a woman and I won't sleep in the tent without her, even if she is huffy. Don't worry, Big Agnes has sisters.


https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/ProductFinder/Pad/filters/34

 

[~TABASCO~]

DCStrom introduced me to a woman and I won't sleep in the tent without her, even if she is huffy. Don't worry, Big Agnes has sisters.


https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/ProductFinder/Pad/filters/34

After trying several, I use the BA Q-core..... Awesome !

 

[Ramseybella]

DCStrom introduced me to a woman and I won't sleep in the tent without her, even if she is huffy. Don't worry, Big Agnes has sisters.


https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/ProductFinder/Pad/filters/34

 

[VAT]

After several years of sleeping on a thermorest & sleeping bag, comfort is becoming more of a need. I still refuse to give into staying at hotels, unless we just have to. My buddy introduced us last year to the Travel chair cot. To say the least, my other buddy & myself both have one now. It makes the nights sleep and lack of stiff joints so much better the following morning. The cons to this.... Adds an extra 5 lbs. and takes up some extra space but, well worth it.

 

[Torque6988]

I too bought a cot. Makes all the difference

 

[Spaggy]

I use an Exped Downmat 9DLX with a Big Agnes sleeping bag. Love the Big Agnes mat sleeve, no more sliding off the mat. The Exped mat is the cats ass too.

 

[Mellow]

I have an exped 7.5 and DLX 9 mattress - the key is they are both 25 inches wide... the typical 20 inch width of mattress pads in the past are just too narrow. Toss those out unless you are actually backpacking and need to save space/weight. LOL

 

[steve68steve]

I folded a queen sized- sheet in half lengthwise, sewed the bottom shut, and sewed a zipper on one side. I meant for it to be a sleeping bag liner for colder weather (and to keep the bag cleaner), but when it's warm out I leave the bag at home. I have a wool blanket that I team up with the sheet. It makes a nice tent floor. If it gets cold in the middle of the night, I can just pull the blanket over me.
Made pillow case for my slippery inflatable pillow out of terry cloth, keeps it from sliding off the air mat, and it's a thick towel.

I feel "win" when I use some bike gear double-duty camping: I have a sheepskin seat cover that I rigged with quick-disconnect clips (like on a dog collar). Unclip the sheepskin from the bike and use it on a picnic table bench.. or rock, or tree stump, or whatever.
Hang the Camelback for tap water.
Top case makes a good sink or clothes washing tub.
Thermos full of ice stays frozen for a two days or more - its a miniature cooler - a small bottle of cream for coffee, some hot dogs in a plastic bag packed in with the ice... and... ice to make drinks cold.
On long trips I carry a small ratchet strap - has many emergency uses. Winch/ hoist/ jack/ windlass, tow strap, tire repair aid, lashing the center stand to the front wheel, securing gear or broken bike parts, ridgeline for tarp, heavy-duty gear clothesline, splint, nunchuck, ...

 

[Mellow]

I know we all come up with home inventions to make life a bit more comfy at camp sites, what are yours?

I have been using a piece of thin replacement Car floor carpet on the floor of my tent I bought at Big Lots a few years ago.
I was getting tired of waking up with my feet or elbows touching the cold tent floor off my Thermarest and sucking that cold into my body and into my joints.
I have never left home without it since.
That and a UCO Candle lantern at night hanging from the vented ceiling of my tent keeps the cold damp condensation down of the inner walls when in the Mountains..

Your problem is the thermarest, throw that thing away and get an exped or even the thermarest neo-air pads, some are in the 25"-wide area and make all the difference, yes, much more than a car floor mat but why pack more when these will pack smaller than your current thermarest?

 

[Ramseybella]

Your problem is the thermarest, throw that thing away and get an exped or even the thermarest neo-air pads, some are in the 25"-wide area and make all the difference, yes, much more than a car floor mat but why pack more when these will pack smaller than your current thermarest?

Recently picked up a KLYMIT Static V LUXE Sleeping Pad, Thermarest has been fully retired!
The thing packs down to the size of less than a half gallon of milk, it's nice.

 

[catang5oh]

I bought a hammock tent, best money I ever spent. Best sleep I have gotten in years

 

[Andylaser]

I have a Dutch army sleeping bag, which is ideal for those of us with a more robust physique, or who sleep on their sides. OK its a big ass bag, but supremely cosy inside.

 

[gunner]

I found that a good rectangular sleeping bag in addition to an exped pad makes for a good night's sleep. I have never been comfortable in a mummy bag.

Steve

 

[Ramseybella]

I found that a good rectangular sleeping bag in addition to an exped pad makes for a good night's sleep. I have never been comfortable in a mummy bag.

Steve

Mummy bags suck until the temps drop down then your forced to like them, it hit below 20 last weekend and I was not wanting to zip it up but I was surprised on how well I felt in that thing after I stopped fighting it.
Better than laying on a MRI table awaiting a full body scan, then everything you can think of starts itching!!

 

[gunner]

Mummy bags suck until the temps drop down then your forced to like them

You are quite right. My Northface Dolimite 20f is comfortable to about 38 degrees, when it gets colder than that I have to start adding layers and putting on my watch cap. I think the rating on a bag means you won't freeze at that level but it won't be "comfortable".

Steve

 

[patrickg450]

I found that a good rectangular sleeping bag in addition to an exped pad makes for a good night's sleep. I have never been comfortable in a mummy bag.

Steve

not a big fan of mummy either, which bag did you get?

 

[gunner]

not a big fan of mummy either, which bag did you get?

I have 2, a Northface Dolimite 20f and a Eureka
Shawnee 40F.

Steve

 

[tomatocity]

When it gets chilly I add a sleeping bag liner. When it is colder than that I add clothes. Not much on cold camping so this rarely happens.

 

[bloodline]

brown liquor