A Sleep System

This is an instructional module.

The term SLEEP SYSTEM is one that describes in detail the equipment one uses for sleeping. As you can appreciate there is more than one system that a person can use depending on the season and your personal comfort level.

This is a system for BASE CAMP, meaning a stationary camp residence lasting more than one week in one place.

A military standard camp cot
taking the weight of not less than 500 pounds.
[Recommended for guys more than 150 pounds.]
A slumber board not less that 1/2 inches thick
extended 2 inches each side to make a wider bed.
This is great for the back and it kills any camp cot creaking.
Sleeping pads/mattress [I use two pads - so I can take one and
use for interior camping.] with and insert
cover to keep the two together and prevent sliding.
Next I use an appropriate season sleeping bag
than meets more than the immediate conditions.
I tend to stay with a three season bag assuring that I
am not cold. [Four in winter as you might expect.]
I take a level to assure that the bed is positioned properly.
If not, I have levelling blocks to even the bed out.
I take one good blanket so if it is really hot
I can use it and sleep on top of my sleeping bag.
If it is really cold it adds to the warmth.
I take a hot water bottle and will use it accordingly.
I use a sleeping bag insert to keep my sleeping bad clean.
HINT - I simply use a twin white sheet sown along the bottom
and two feet up one side.
Cheap, easy to wash rather than a sleeping bag
that may require dry cleaning.
I use a white sheet to be able to check for bugs and
creepy crawlers.
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SO...whats worked best for you?

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I thought a hammock would be light and minimal equipment, but by the time i got everything I need for cold weather it really added up.
I'm a novice at this and here is my list of gear I need for cold "0°C, 32°F". Hammock, tree straps, tarp & mosquito net (if needed), under quilt, special pad made for hammocks, pillow, and of course sleeping bag. If you plan on a multi day trip camping with hammock only, you still need to lug some or all of this along. Warm weather you can leave some of the insulation behind, but you may still need something under you. Even in the summer your back can get cold in the middle of the night. There are some great lightweight and small packable equipment out there, but it comes with a price. Sometimes you have to be very creative with how to hang your hammock. Adds always like to show a perfect setup over a creek or rocky area or something where you could never put a tent, but that can lead to complications with exiting and entering your sleep system. I've gotten eat up by ants, mosquitoes, oh and poison ivy, while setting up everything. If you setup in a really cool place like the adds display, be careful jumping out of your cozy sleeping spot in the morning or middle of the night.

 

I don't mean to make hammock camping sound bad or anything, but careful of what is growing on, or living near the base of what you are hugging and tying your stuff to. Hammocks are very comfortable and enjoyable to sleep in.

 

I have a colleague that swears by the Hennessy Hammock. He has the insert too that enables him to ward off the chilly nights. Though I have a hammock - it's only for swinging nearby a lake on a sunny afternoon.

 

I had never experienced sleeping on a foldable cot in my camping days. The most comfortable sleeping system for me is the sleeping bag. But it's not the ordinary sleeping bag which has a cushion. It's an improvised sleeping bag made from an old comforter. I feel safe inside it and the cold seemed to be blocked although I had to cover my head with a bonnet when there is no tent.

 

It seems like the older I get the less I like sleeping bags. I hate being confined in one. I cut up my mummy bag and turned it into a blanket.

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