Sleeping problems on the trail

[August West]

This is a very random question, but one that plagues me often. Whenver sleeping with my bag on a hard surface (trail shelters) my appendages, mostly arms, tend to lose circulation very easily and I wake up alot. I use a cheap foam pad 3/4 length. Im wondering if anyone else has experienced such problems and has some tips. In my bed this is rarely a problem.

Laydaaa!

[TDale]

You need more pad. See if you can borrow or rent thicker (foam or air) pads to find the right thickness.

[FatMan]

You might want to get a self inflating pad like a thermarest.

But, I had not had a great night sleep on the trail for twenty years until the past couple of months when I bought a Hennessey Hammock. I am a changed man on the trail. I wake up feeling great.

[steve hiker]

You need a hammock. Don't sleep on the ground like some dawg, move UP!

[weary]

This is a very random question, but one that plagues me often. Whenver sleeping with my bag on a hard surface (trail shelters) my appendages, mostly arms, tend to lose circulation very easily and I wake up alot. I use a cheap foam pad 3/4 length. Im wondering if anyone else has experienced such problems and has some tips. In my bed this is rarely a problem. Laydaaa!

All of us who sleep on cheap foam pads -- or expensive foam pads for that matter -- at first experience sleep problems.

For those of us with perserverence, a weak back and/or a low budget solve the problem with practice and time. Humans evolved sleeping on the hard earth, and as our minds developed, on pads of straw.

Throw away your soft comfy home mattress and get a good solid, hard mattress and the problem will, partially at least, go away.

Hard bed problems on the trail gradually go away in my experience, especially for those of us who have aclimiated ourselves over the years to a hard mattress at home. Believe me, it's simply a matter of training. Once you achieve the ability to sleep on a hard surface, you will find it equally difficult to go back to a soft mushy mattress.

Weary

[fatmatt]

I had some problems on the trail with a pad too, and was thinking about maybe getting a hammock. I was wondering if there is anyway to keep your pack of the ground and dry though.

[Lucinda]

I use a Hennessy Hammock ultralight backpacker. It has a loop at the foot end along the ridge line that you can hang your pack from with a carabiner. I keep mine inside, but my boyfriend lets his pack hang outside the hammock bottom with no problem.

[FatMan]

I had some problems on the trail with a pad too, and was thinking about maybe getting a hammock. I was wondering if there is anyway to keep your pack of the ground and dry though.

I use my small tyvek footprint from my Eureka Zeus 2EXO as a ground cloth for under my hammock. Weighs about 3-4 oz. It gives me a working area for cooking when raining, give me a clean surface for my feet so I don't bring mud into the hammock and it covers my pack for the night in case of heavy rain. Your pack will stay dry for the most part if left under the hammock but will need to be covered in a downpour.

[steve hiker]

I use a Hennessy Hammock ultralight backpacker. It has a loop at the foot end along the ridge line that you can hang your pack from with a carabiner. I keep mine inside, but my boyfriend lets his pack hang outside the hammock bottom with no problem.

You can fit your pack inside your hammock?

[August West]

Has anyone thru-hiked with the hennessey hammock??

[FatMan]

Has anyone thru-hiked with the hennessey hammock??

Not me, But I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express Last Night. Seriously, I have only done about 15 nights as I bought mine in July. Go to the Hammock Camping Forum here on Whiteblaze to find out everything you need to know on the topic.

[Flash Hand]

My therm a rest punctured and having problem sleeping after that til I got it fixed at Damascus's outfitter. I need to know how to prevent from getting air inflated therm a rest from punctured?

Flash Hand

[Peaks]

My therm a rest punctured and having problem sleeping after that til I got it fixed at Damascus's outfitter. I need to know how to prevent from getting air inflated therm a rest from punctured?

Flash Hand

How do you keep a Thermarest from getting punctured? You treat it with a little respect. First, always use a ground cloth under it. Never roll it out on the bare ground or bare shelter. Don't sit on it during the day. Mime is still gettting used and still going strong after the AT.

[The Old Fhart]

Flash Hand, In 1987 in Georgia my Thermarest started leaking. The first time I thought I hadn't tightened the valve but the next night I was sure. I couldn't see any problem area and it was fairly new. At lunch break I aired it up and put it under water in a stream to find the leak. Apparently there was a coating problem on the inside and I could see air bubbles and marked the spot with my pen. What I used was this adhesive nylon repair material that I always carry. I made sure the area of the leak was dry and clean and put two layers of the repair material on, just to make sure. The second layer was slightly smaller than the first and I cut the pieces round so there would be no corners to catch and start the patches peeling. The same patches are still on there today and the Thermarest hasn't leaked since.

Accidents can happen so it is best to be prepaired and carry repair materials for all your own gear. (When I was doing the John Muir Trail in 1996, the stitching on one of my boots failed 75 miles from nowhere. I had to use a large needle with heavy nylon thread and the pliers on my multi-tool to restitch the boot and continue.) I also carry my Thermarest inside a stuff sack I made for it and carried it inside my rather large pack so it doesn't get the abuse it would get on the outside. I also rarely sleep in shelters but when I do I always put something under my Thermarest so it doesn't get snagged on any slivers or whatever. However, no matter how well prepared you are, something will always fail in a way you can't predict.

[Kerosene]

You wake up because of pressure points that force you to move around in your sleep. A Therm-a-Rest inflatable mattress will certainly help matters, but the only way I have ever been able to sleep on my back all night is in my Hennessey Hammock. It is by far the most comfy backwoods sleeping I have done, as long as you're well insulated.

[tlbj6142]

HH is definately my most comfortable sleeping systems. Though (IMO), it is rather heavy.

Back on the ground....

I find that sleeping on my side is the most uncomfortable position. The lower shoulder becomes quite painful after an hour or so. Sleeping on my back is rather comfortable (and the warmest), but I still have a tendency to move around quite a bit at night.

At home I sleep on my stomach with my arms over my head. Which isn't really an option in the backcountry, as your arms get cold and you get drafts around your shoulders. Maybe with an extra long down quilt, I might be able to rig something.

I do find, with proper setup (prop up lower legs, etc.), I become less restless sleeping on my back the longer the trip. Maybe you just need to "practice" a bit more?!?!

[rocket04]

Has anyone thru-hiked with the hennessey hammock??

I didn't, but I saw a number of thru-hikers using it during my thru-hike this year.

I need to know how to prevent from getting air inflated therm a rest from punctured?

I got my mattress punctured somewhere in North Carolina and wasn't able to fix it (couldn't find the damn hole in the thing, even after putting it under water in the pool at Fontana Dam). They fixed it for me in Damascus, and I went the rest of the way with no problem. I used mostly shelters and didn't put a groundcloth underneath it, at my own risk.

[Gonzo!]

I have had problems with back pains and have found that a thicker pad will help. However, I think some of the problem comes from actually ending up laying with your body either totally flat, or in some instances, actually slightly cured backwards! I have found that if I use all of my extra clothing, and even my boots to build a "ramp" that puts my body in a more reclined position, it helps a lot. with everyone using 3/4 length pads this problem really exists as your feet drop "below the plane of your spine. I use a half length, 2 inch thick pad, and as you can imagine, this really puts my feet below - I have to build a ramp.

[August West]

I cruised around the Hennessy hammock site, it looks like the Ultralight Backpacker weighs only 1lb 15 oz.....that doesnt seem very heavy at all

[treetrunks]

I have the same problem. It seems that I have to sleep on my side and wake-up often to change sides becuse my arm falls asleep. The first night out is the worst, but I either get used to it or I'm so tired that I sleep through it after a day or so. I may look at the hammok idea, but wonder if that would force me to only sleep in one position, on my back. I used to have a Mayan style hammok bolted to my walls in the living room. It was great for watching a football game and taking a nap in, (usually at the same time); but all night it might get old.