Sleeping

Cowboy Camping on the PCT

"I slept on a naked boulder and when I awoke, 

all my nervous trembling was gone." John Muir

John Muir might be one of my heroes, but I'm not going to sleep on a boulder, especially without my ground cloth, inflatable sleeping pad, and warm down sleeping bag. I love backpacking but if I can't sleep, I'm not a happy camper. If it is raining, snowing, windy, very cold or the bugs are out in force, I will set up my tent, but if conditions are good, I will enjoy sleeping under the stars. 

It takes me a few nights to get used to sleeping on the ground and I am restless and toss and turn most of the night. Getting up in the middle of the night to pee when it is freezing is always fun. Sometimes the wilderness can be a noisy place. Being alone, going to bed early, being sore and dirty, and sleeping on an air mattress smaller than a bath towel takes some getting used to. My sleeping bag is not especially roomy and unless it is crazy cold, I use it as a quilt. Keeping it tight around my body so there are no drafts isn't easy when I toss and turn. And if that's not enough, I have E.B.D. (excessive backpacker drool). At some point during the night I can expect there to be a pool of drool on my air mattress. It's like a personal slip N slide party in the middle of the night! (Does anyone else have the same problem?)

But after a week or so, I begin to sleep better. My body gets used to the ground, the cold, the wind, the altitude, the noises and a new sleeping schedule. I learn how much I can drink before bed so I don't have to get up...at least more than once. And I learn to manage the drool by using my bandanna to catch most of it. I look forward to not just tolerating sleeping on the ground, but enjoying it. I'll let you know how that works out after a few weeks on the trail. Keep calm and sleep on!