Sleeping beauty

I love to sleep outside. In my tent, under the stars, away from the city - I find great joy in the lack of walls around me. I know a concern of many people is sleeping on the ground, with sore backs, or daily aches and pains. Self-inflating sleeping pads (like Therm-a-rests) are key to a comfortable night's sleep on the ground. Therm-a-rest makes pads in a variety of thicknesses, weights and widths; aware that people want and need different things from their sleeping pad.

Sometimes sleeping on my pad, though, I still wake up with a stiff low back. I like to sleep on my back, and the sleeping pads are very flat. One day I was sleeping on a slight down slope, and started tucking small articles of clothing under the edges of the sleeping pad to try and keep me from sliding down my pad and into the bottom of the tent. It not only succeeded at keeping me in place, it was more comfortable. The clothes gave contour to the pad to help support my body.

Now when I get in the tent at night, I lay on my pad, on my back and see where (or if) I want a little lift or curve of the pad, and tuck clothes in a variety of spots. I have also started to lay a light-weight fleece or my rain jacket underneath the pad at knee level (it should lay perpendicular to the pad) to give my low back some support. Imagine it like a bolster under your knees when getting a massage. Except that you don't want the knee "support" too bulky because if you want to turn over it impedes laying on your pad on your side or stomach. You also want it placed underneath the pad so it doesn't slide out of place. I have to play around with the "system" each night, and you will need to find what works best for you. I recommend it - I have had fewer aches the next morning. -- Deb