how to get in a comfortable reading position

[mad4scrapping]

Now that it gets dark so early, I plan to do more reading at night in my tent. But I can't find a comfortable position that allows me to stay warm in my bag. I can't read lying flat, but I can't figure out how to prop up my back enough to get into a comfortable reading position.

Does anyone have any tips?:confused:

[Megapixel]

what i normally do, is lay on my stomach, in my sleeping bag, on my air mattress, with a bit of a prop under my chest and the book on the floor of the tent to put a bit more space between the eyes and the reading material. it's good for about 45 minutes b4 you become uncomfortable, at least for me. If i'm reading off of my ipod touch, i just lay on my side, and read from the screen.

[Spokes]

Easy!

Get a pair of supine reading glasses like these:

http://www.geekologie.com/2010/02/16/supine-glasses.jpg

[johnnybgood]

Now that it gets dark so early, I plan to do more reading at night in my tent. But I can't find a comfortable position that allows me to stay warm in my bag. I can't read lying flat,[CODE]
but I can't figure out how to prop up my back enough to get into a comfortable reading position.

Does anyone have any tips?:confused:

Using my backpack against my back , I lean backward against it ,as it rests against the top of my Big Agnes pad . Mind you , this works great the larger your pack is.

I then begin to slide down ever so easily until I .....zzzzzzz

[Carbo]

I was out on an overnight last week. It was dark at 5:15, 13 hours until daylight. Wind at 15 mph, temp 38. I should have had more candy bars, more hydration, more pee breaks, fewer layers on in the sleeping bag, more ambient light and more reading material, all good things I learned on a shake down hike...

[Blissful]

That's what I love about my Montbell down hugger. With the elastic in it, one can stretch out sitting or lying down and the bag gives nicely.
I also listened to my radio more. One night I learned all about bed bugs from a guest on NPR... :)

[Carbo]

Now that it gets dark so early, I plan to do more reading at night in my tent. But I can't find a comfortable position that allows me to stay warm in my bag. I can't read lying flat, but I can't figure out how to prop up my back enough to get into a comfortable reading position.

Does anyone have any tips?:confused:
Same question here. Almost 13 hours of darkness is not fun. Tried proping my back on my pack, but with everything in the tent it gets uncomfortable. Just keeping arms outside of sleeping bag to hold up the book is really cold, and reading becomes difficult. Any suggestions?

[Trailweaver]

I'm realllly interested in the solution for this, as I've often thought "O.K., what now?" when I've got hours to kill in a tent. I love reading and often take a paperback, but it kills me to try to find a comfortable position without pillows! When camping with the kayak, I can take a small folded canvas "chair" thing, but it just isn't practical to take backpacking. This really is one of the only things that bothers me about backpacking - not having a chair to sit in to eat or read. I can't sit "Indian style" because of back problems, especially after a day of hiking.

[Rocket Jones]

How about an audio book or podcasts on your mp3 player? Many of them are free and if your player uses a AAA then that's even better since you don't have to worry about recharging the wee beastie.

[4eyedbuzzard]

How about a Big Agnes Cyclone SL chair kit (works with 20" wide sleeping pads)? Weighs 6 oz, I've used it with closed cell and inflatables. Helps to put a pole or stick under the front to keep it from pinching legs together. Pretty comfortable for 6 oz.

[Pedaling Fool]

Learn to absorb the book while sleeping -- the Edgar Cayce method. This will also solve the lighting issue.

[Tipi Walter]

The solution to this is pretty simple, and it comes with a few in-tent suggestions. First, you need somesort of "pillow" like an unworn fleece jacket wadded up or whatever else works. I use a water bottle upside down behind my head where it sits up and props up the head for reading. The bottle cap rests on the fleece "pillow" and the bottom of the bottle rests against the back of the head, giving the elevation needed for long periods of reading or journal keeping. It helps to be wearing a watch cap for added cushioning. Of course in the winter you'd be wearing a balaclava and a watch cap, a "tuke". This works great with Nalgenes and Sigg bottles. And I usually cover the bottle with a thick Smartwool sock for more padding. Cutting and forming a foam pad for the bottom of the bottle would even work better, a sort of short cup to cap the end of your water bottle to pad your head.

Long dark hours in a tent can be alleviated with a small radio, a book(burn it page by page to lessen pack weight, so you can take 3 or 4 books---I usually do), a small lit candle carefully situated so when sitting up you can use it to warm frozen fingers---the only thing cold when inside a winter tent---keeping a journal, looking thru your camera pictures, eating or brewing up hot tea, oh---and sleeping. When partially inside the bag and laying down to read, you can keep your arms warm by wearing your down parka or jacket until you're ready to actually turn off the lights and go to sleep. Take off your parka and bring your boots inside and place your full water bottle(s) inside the boots and carefully cover the boots and bottles with your down parka(also put your camera and spare batteries in the pocket of your parka).

[TheYoungOne]

Using my backpack against my back , I lean backward against it ,as it rests against the top of my Big Agnes pad . Mind you , this works great the larger your pack is.

I then begin to slide down ever so easily until I .....zzzzzzz

I have a smallish 2 man tent. One side is for me, the other side is for my pack and other stuff. If I go on a diagonal I can lean on my pack, just use your sitting pad or extra clothing if you need extra cushion.

[bigcranky]

With 13+ hours of darkness, I really hate getting in my bag at 5pm. I'd much rather have a nice fire, and sit around talking with my hiking partner until 8 or 9pm, or until it's so freaking cold that I HAVE to get in my bag. But a fire helps with that.

[kayak karl]

get a hammock.

[Hikes in Rain]

If you still use an older external frame pack, propping it up with a hiking pole, staff or similar makes a very nice backrest. Even has pockets to put your glasses and such.

[C Seeker]

You know if you have a good backpack if you can lean against it and have it be super comfortable. I normally just my boots right behind my backpack to support my backpack as I lean against it. To keep warm have the sleeping bag up to your hips and then a jacket on so you are warm.

[Alligator]

Thermarest chair.

[TheTwanger]

With 13+ hours of darkness, I really hate getting in my bag at 5pm. I'd much rather have a nice fire, and sit around talking with my hiking partner until 8 or 9pm, or until it's so freaking cold that I HAVE to get in my bag. But a fire helps with that.

Yup, nightly campfire is the best part of camping...

[kyhiker610]

thermarest makes a turn-your-thermarest-into-a-chair product.
lightest option shown here: http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/seating/fast-and-light-seating/compack-chair/product

[Nathan428]

Resurrecting an old thread. Does anyone have any new thoughts on this problem? I've been testing my gear on a few shakedowns recently, and this has been the only issue that's really been bugging me. I just got a Crazy Creek chair, but I think it's too heavy to justify and will be returning it, since I find it too thin to double as a sleeping pad and replace my thermarest z lite.

Thermarest's chair kits seem to be designed only for inflatable pads. Big Agnes has the Cyclone SL Chair Kit, but that seems to have a lot of negative reviews/durability issues.

I'd love to be able to sit upright in my tent! Open to thoughts. Thanks in advance (and, by the way, this is for an attempted thru-hike, so weight is big a concern).

[reppans]

Might take a look at the ~3oz Lightsmith Qwikback sling chair (+ 1oz with small 1/8" CCF butt pad and piece of Tyvek for outside). Has feet which might be a problem inside if you have a fixed tent floor though - I use a mid w/ inner tent so my floor is variable.

But to the subject of this thread, my favorite warm reading position is lying on my side on a pillow with a quilt, or bag used as a quilt, to cover extended arms.

[Leo L.]

True, the long evenings in winter, and even more a full day tied to camp in bad weather, are tough.
Reading is about the best one can do, given you have enough books downloaded to your Kindle or smartphone.

I always get cold when idling for longer time, no matter what the true temperatures are.
Thats what the sleeping bag is made for - covering up.
Usually I make a pillow out of the fleece jacket, stuffed into the empty Thermarest bag.
Then I start stretched on the belly, the pillow stuck under the lower chest, the whole body covered up with the sleeping bag.
Later I crouch to a packet-shape to release the aching back a bit.
Then I turn to the side, the pillow propped under the armpit.
Then the same on the other side.
Just to start over again.
This way I'm changing position every hour or so - until the whole body is aching, and I either go to sleep, or take a short nap (if its daytime).
It greatly helps if the sleeping bag is of wide cut and provides a full-length zip (which most of the modern UL bags don't, unfortunately), and it helps even more if the book is gripping so you hardly can put it down.

[Rain Man]

I'm seeing a common thread in this ... thread: tents.

As Karl said: get a hammock. ;)

[rocketsocks]

Books on tape

[MtDoraDave]

I just wad up my clothes as a pillow.
Only time it's a problem is when it's below about 20 degrees, my hand holding the book gets cold.

[Nathan428]

For what it's worth, for me at least, I'm more concerned about the back pain than the cold. The cold drives me into the tent, but once I'm in the tent I'm comfortable temperature wise. But especially after a day of hiking, the back pain gets to me, and I'd love to lean back. I basically do the rotisserie-rotation that Leo L. described, but was hoping for some other solution.

Thanks for the suggestion reppans - the Lightsmith Qwikback sling chair looks intriguing. Anyone else have experience with it?

[Alligator]

Resurrecting an old thread. Does anyone have any new thoughts on this problem? I've been testing my gear on a few shakedowns recently, and this has been the only issue that's really been bugging me. I just got a Crazy Creek chair, but I think it's too heavy to justify and will be returning it, since I find it too thin to double as a sleeping pad and replace my thermarest z lite.

Thermarest's chair kits seem to be designed only for inflatable pads. Big Agnes has the Cyclone SL Chair Kit, but that seems to have a lot of negative reviews/durability issues.

I'd love to be able to sit upright in my tent! Open to thoughts. Thanks in advance (and, by the way, this is for an attempted thru-hike, so weight is big a concern).Nope. I thought this was a new thread as I was reading and I kept thinking "Thermarest chair" until I got to my post. I don't like the new ones though they are kind of floppy, they don't have a pocket at the top. I've never tried a foam pad in mine, I will give it a go to see how it works. I've read many books in mine.

I generally have enough clothes to sit outside my bag and I have in the past used my sleeping bag still rolled up as a back prop up against a log or a tree.

[blw2]

Might take a look at the ~3oz Lightsmith Qwikback sling chair (+ 1oz with small 1/8" CCF butt pad and piece of Tyvek for outside). Has feet which might be a problem inside if you have a fixed tent floor though - I use a mid w/ inner tent so my floor is variable.
.....
Now that looks like a cool idea....close, but not quite there though. Looks like it forces you into a slouch, C shape.

I have one of the big agnes helinox chairs. I bought it several years back when there was only the one design. I like it but not exactly ultralight. I more recently saw someone on youtube, follow bigfoot maybe, that pointed to an almost exact copy of it by some other company, much cheaper. Bought one for my son & in many ways I like it better than my BA. It's a Wolfwise. Still very heavy though.

[Rain Man]

Books on tape

Now, now, Rocketsocks, who takes a tape-player along these days???!!!!

LOL ... the devil made me do it!

[rocketsocks]

Now, now, Rocketsocks, who takes a tape-player along these days???!!!!

LOL ... the devil made me do it!sorry forgot “take-away’s” :D

[rocketsocks]

...available at your locals libraries! :)

[Rain Man]

sorry forgot “take-away’s” :D


...available at your locals libraries! :)

Still? I switched to the OverDrive smartphone app years ago! Well, some time after we hiked in PA together. :) LOVE OverDrive.

[Jayne]

get a hammock.

Oh yeah - no problem at all reading in my hammock.

[rocketsocks]

Still? I switched to the OverDrive smartphone app years ago! Well, some time after we hiked in PA together. :) LOVE OverDrive.Nope smart phone also.