A writer for the Rocky Mountain News recounts an overnighter gone wrong in just about every way possible.
4 a.m.: I’ve looked at my watch six times by now, waking every hour or so to lie there, cold, slightly damp, unable to find a comfortable position. I listen to the dogs snore and the creek roar. Finally, I hear a bird sing. It’s almost dawn. I touch the wall of the tent and icy water rains down on my head. I can see my breath, and I know that the warmth of the sun is still hours away. I lie there, trying in vain to identify birds by their songs and guessing whether the creek has risen.
Checking the watch every hour: yep, exactly like all my camp-outs .
There’s nothing on earth like waking up with the forest and looking upon that purple sky just before the sun shows up. For me, though, it’d be just as well if I tried to stay up all night, waiting for dawn. Maybe the will to stay up would cause me to sleep. Heck, if it brings sleep, I’m down with it.
I used to sleep like that (or not sleep for that matter) and I finally broke down for comfort items.
From the military I used to think you had to “rough” it all of the time, but now that I have a quality down bag and a THICK sleeping pad (big agnes system) I fall asleep the second I lay down and I don’t wake up a sweaty mess here in AZ.
When I first started backpacking, I suffered constantly from Sleepless First Night Syndrome. I was still assembling my collection of gear, so my sleep setup wasn’t ever constant. Now that I’ve quit messing with it, and figured out what it takes to be comfortable, I sleep almost as well as being at home.
Of course SFNS usually leaves me so exhausted that, come sunset on Night 2, my body just ignored the discomfort and let me sleep.
I’ve always slept better outside than inside. I sleep more soundly inside, with fewer interruptions, but I actually feel much more rested after sleeping outside. Both my alertness and attention span are better after having slept outside.
As far as comfort goes, it’s true that you can always make up for bad campsite choice by carrying a heavy inflateable pad, but if you can learn to choose those naturally-padded campsites, those are the best. You can learn, like all animals learn, to walk in circles on your intended sleeping spot feeling the ground for bumps and padding, and choosing a place that fits your body. It’s a skill well worth learning.