Added Weight For better sleep

[stan_wa]

ME: 6:2 215 lbs, weight weeny cause i tend to like to hike further than i should.

My current set up.

1. bag: enlightened equipment quilt 20 quilt or -20 big Agnes bag , the minus 20 only comes out when its stupid cold.
2. pad: therma-rest NEO air large mummy shape
3. pillow: puffy jacket or pants in the pump bag

The problem: I dont get great sleep in the back country. especially the first night of the trip by the 3rd night it getts better. Even with 7-9 hours of sleep my garmin sleep score is often 50-60. where at home i average 85. So im thinking should i take a weight pentaly and get a more comfortable set up. it seems to me the best bang for my buck would be a wider more comfy pad. Currently my arms like to fall off the sides of the pad and its kinda noisy. im not certain the pad would fix anything, im sure it cant hurt, but sleeping in tent might just mean sub optimal sleep. When i sleep 8 hours or less a nap is mandatory if glassing this is plan, even when i try to caffeinate my way to surviving a long glassing session ill fall asleep setting up. In addition to the pad being sub optimal, i find the sticky legs from sweet to be pretty irritating, fresh base layer for sleeping helps this. I find the pillow pretty comfy. i get a few air drafts from the quilt but not terrible. I fall asleep in 5 min or less every night no mate what.

If you were me would you add a extra lb and use something like the klymit LUX i got for the wife or the get new thermaret NEOloft, add some weight and go for max comfort?

Should i try something else? supplements? ear plugs,

 

[180ls1]

Same but 6'2" 235. I run a 30x80 pad. It helps. Sleep mask as well.

 

[ianpadron]

Wide/long pad, quilt, and a helinox cot... you'll wonder why you didn't make the switch sooner. If you can't make the jump to a cot, seems the Zenbivy system gets a lot of love here too.

Shoot I used to carry an 11 pound cot in 3 miles to one of my spots, never regretted it.

Think about sleep like this: if you're never properly recovering on a hunt because you sleep like $%##, what is your actual work capacity? And would that work capacity be decreased by an amount greater than the extra weight to sleep well?

I'd rather have the ability to perform as close to peak as possible than to waste away from lack of sleep, personally. That 40 pound pack will feel like 80 after a week of poor sleep, tack an extra 3 pounds on your sleep system and enjoy!

 

[JeffRaines]

When I first got into backpacking in general, I became the biggest gram counter. One thing I learned quick was that skimping on anything sleep related isn't worth it.

Some guys can sleep on half a closed cell foam pad with their legs on their pack using their puffy for a pillow. Im not that guy. I need a cushy pillow(settled on the Nemo Fillo) with my puffy under it for extra height. For a pad I use a Exped Ultra 7R in medium wide. Finally for a bag, I use either a EE quilt(wide) or a WM bag if the temps are super low. This combination has gotten me the best nights sleep in the backcountry.

Just like most things in this category, it's all subjective. You could take my gear out and have a miserable night even though I sleep great with it. It's trial and error, and unfortunately it's costly.

I think going with a larger pad might be a good start.

I also think that backpacking in general is always going to be suboptimal sleep. It's really a balance of space/weight vs comfort... and things that are comfortable typically aren't lightweight or compact.

 

[stan_wa]

Ill try taking my wider heavier pad on my next trip and see if i sleep any better. Its widder and about 12 oz heaiver.

 

[BuckRut]

Do you keep your pad blown up all the way. If you deflate your pad slightly but inflated enough to keep you off the ground can be more comfortable for some.

 

[stan_wa]

Yeah, I definitely have found that if I deflate the pad to just the right amount where my butt almost touches the ground but not quite that seems to be the best and that’s a great tip

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Pad: the Sea to Summit Ether Lite XR looks intriguing. Replace or supplement an existing pad.

Pillow: Like my Sea to Summit Aeros premium. Not a fan of using clothing for a pillow. If there’s room I do have a small memory foam pillow which is money.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Wide pad has made the biggest difference for me and weight penalty isn’t bad

 

[Poser]

IMO, the single biggest factor in quality sleep in the backcountry is practice/repetition. If 1-3 hunting trips are the only time you are using your sleep system, you probably won't sleep very well especially the first few nights. Spend some nights out using your sleep system all summer and you'll get it firmly dialed in so you can sleep well. This is also a bit of an ever evolving thing that may require some tweaks every year.

Could be that you need a wider pad, or maybe you just need to get your body accustomed to sleeping on the pad you have. In the mattress industry, salespeople tell customers that it takes about 30 nights of sleep for your body to fully adjust to a new mattress. One would assume that the same goes for your backcountry sleep set-up.

 

[45-70govt]

Wider pad was a big improvement for me, also, i used to do the puffy in a stuff sack also, swapped to a pillow with straps to hold it to the pad. worth every ounce.

 

[BuckRut]

Melatonin is also a lightweight option that might help a little as well.

 

[BigDuckHunter]

I’m 6’3 and 250 and I sleep on my stomach. I’ve had sleep troubles in the past as well. Being too hot/cold is a big one for me. I use a sheet and quilt that’s a lot like the zenbivy system which helps me regulate temp really easily.

I also recently switched to a Big Agnes Rapide long/wide pad and it is incredibly comfortable. It has taller baffles on the outside edges that keep me centered as I move around a lot in my sleep.

For a pillow (I wouldn’t skimp on that), I use a thermarest compressible pillow. It’s comfy and light, but I’m thinking I might try something else that I can inflate to get something a bit bigger and hopefully lighter.

Ear plugs are also a must for me. The outdoors can be surprisingly noisy and that helps me tune out all of that and relax.

All-in-all, it’s definitely not the lightest sleep system. I could probably shave a pound off by going with the bare minimum. But I’d rather carry a 51 pound pack well rested than a 50 pound pack exhausted.

 

[TaperPin]

Should i try something else?

It’s human nature to sleep better after getting used to a new bed. I solved the problems you’re having by simply sleeping for a week prior to the trip on top of the pad and sleeping bag. Doing this only on weekends for a month prior also works for me. I get a chuckle out of friends who say there is no way they would sleep on their skinny little pad unless absolutely necessary - that’s exactly why they don’t sleep well anywhere.

A Motrin or Tylenol before turning in takes the edge off any minor annoyances, even helps dull insect bites enough to make it worthwhile if mosquitos are still out.

I also use a tiny am/fm radio and headphones to drown out silence if wind stops blowing, or if my mind gets to thinking too much. As I get older calorie intake in the evening effects sleep - if it’s warm out less food helps to sleep cooler and extra calories warms me up.

 

[Drenalin]

Melatonin is also a lightweight option that might help a little as well.

This is the best weight I've ever added.

Sea to Summit pads are very comfortable, and the newest Ether Lite line looks interesting. I found the old pads to be heavy, which is fine for comfort - the new ones looks reasonably light. The old ones were also insanely bulky, which should be better with the new design, if not as trim as Thermarest or Nemo. And the old ones were cold, which seems to be what they set out to address with this new line.

 

[Chris Lapp]

I think it's worth adding a little weight to your sleep setup if it means you sleep better. I went ultralight on pad and pillow for one trip and barely slept. Next time, took a more comfortable, but heavier setup, and got much better sleep. Worth every ounce.

 

[CMF]

I just ordered another sea to summit ether lite 25". I'm only 5'9 so got the womens large that is like 72". I had to order a second cause the wife took over the first one. It's way quieter than our thermarest xtherms and 25 is much nicer than 20 wide.

 

[stan_wa]

I think a few of you are in to something with the practice sleeping on it at home. I would guess I spend 15/20 night a year in the backpack tent so enough to tinker with the set up but not enough to adjust. I have found that after a few nights in a row I sleep better. This leads me to think a few night at home would help. Or I’ll just be tired at the start of my trip haha

When im Gone every week end hunting from mid August thru mid December the wife is very understanding but if I start sleeping in the yard that might be a bit to much haha.

Has anyone noticed if sleeping on your bed for a few nights between trips ( as a weekend warrior) resets your “getting used to it” I’ll have to pay attention to that this year .

I’ll try the wide pad, ear plugs , and a melatonin

 

[JeffRaines]

Melatonin is also a lightweight option that might help a little as well.

This or Benadryl on the first night on a trip is almost necessary for me. After a night or two I get adjusted but that first night it’s nice having a little persuasion.

 

[Poser]

Has anyone noticed if sleeping on your bed for a few nights between trips ( as a weekend warrior) resets your “getting used to it” I’ll have to pay attention to that this year .

I usually spend 20+ nights in a sleeping bag in July and August, though I will usually do quite a bit of Sept bear hunting from home before more camping in late Sept and Oct. I'm usually feeling pretty dialed in with my sleeping bag being my "2nd bed" following the summer. I don't do much or any camping in the winter months so I usually don't sleep so well once I start getting out again in May/June.