Is your sleep based on temperature or light?

[cabbagehead]

When you're on a long distance hike, do you alter your sleep schedule so that you hike with the most (or least) hours of daylight (for hiking), or the most hours of what you consider to be a hiking temperature?

[Spirit Walker]

I go to bed with the sun, wake up with the sun.

[kayak karl]

i see no reason to hike in the dark. no reason to sleep in the daylight (hiking or not). temperature is of no concern.

[Edie]

i see no reason to hike in the dark. no reason to sleep in the daylight (hiking or not). temperature is of no concern.

What he said

[4shot]

same as the above. when it's dark, I'm in the sack.Cold temps can keep my in my bag for awhile but I'm usually awake at dawn. never did hike in the dark...I fell enough when I could see the trail. That's why winter camping locally is tough for me...it can get dark in the woods here at about 4:30 - 5 PM in December/january, makes for a long night in the tent.

[ChinMusic]

i see no reason to hike in the dark. no reason to sleep in the daylight (hiking or not). temperature is of no concern.

Pretty much this. I am a night owl at home but often one of the first to hit the bag on backpacking trips. Temps are really not much of an issue.

[Jim Adams]

I can't take the heat...if it is too hot, I rest or camp....cool and I hike. Day or night doesn't matter much.

geek

[Bootbanger]

I hike during the day. I hike whether it is cold or hot. I go to sleep when the sky is dark and I am up before it is light.

[theoilman]

Is your sleep based on temperature or light?

Neither. . . . . . Exhaustion!

[Malto]

Normally I will hike in all the daylight hours, early morning and late evening are my favorite. If its really hot I may nap off the hottest hours of the day and push for earlier predawn hiking hours if I need the hours to make the miles.

[rocketsocks]

Why yes, yes it is based on temp and light, thank you for asking.hehe.I seem to remember reading something about sleep disturbances a few years back, it included just about any and everything, Coffee to soup to nuts...I didn't know about the nuts, I guess they can keep you up too.

[Maddog]

i see no reason to hike in the dark. no reason to sleep in the daylight (hiking or not). temperature is of no concern.

+1 I agree with KK! Maddog

[Maddog]

Is your sleep based on temperature or light?

Neither. . . . . . Exhaustion!

+1 Again! LOL! That's more like it! Maddog

[Miner]

I get up at first light because I care about temperature. I hike fast with less energy while its cool in the morning, not so much once it gets hot mid-day. Once again, it cools off in the late afternoon which is great hiking time again. So I hike the entire day, but not because of sunlight. If that makes sense.

[Tim Causa]

I really enjoy hiking at night as it's cooler. My base weight is sub 11 pounds and I hammock so I'm not too worried about a heavy pack on rocks and when ever I feel like stopping, I just have to find two trees and sling up the Hennessy. I typically eat dinner right before bed, but if I eat on the trail, I can go from pack on back to ass in sack in like ten minutes.

[Lyle]

Of the two factors you mentioned light plays a bigger part , but other things obviously factor in as well. The ideal is to be comfortable at all temps, and to have a light source capable of expanding your day if other factors take precedence. Sometimes I just feel like continuing for another several miles after a full day of planned hike.

[cabbagehead]

Light is a slight factor for me. I don't like getting tan. Usually there are enough trees, or it isn't sunny enough to get a major tan. I also like to be warmest in the morning, and coldest when I finish walking. On long hikes, I often tend to walk past 12 AM. It's just what naturally seems to happen. Maybe it hast to do with me being antisocial right before I go to sleep. It would make more sense to be on an early schedule though (to save batteries). Also, in the morning I need the most light to make sure I didn't forget anything. At night I just need to see enough to know where my tent is with respect to the trail.

[Drybones]

Might should have a third choice...alcohol consumption.

[theinfamousj]

So, I interpreted this question entirely differently than the rest of you ... I thought about what I cannot sleep through. I absolutely cannot sleep if it is too hot and the air is too still. I can sleep through pretty much all else. I've been on the occasional weekend trek near the coast where night temperatures just don't drop enough until very late, and though I am exhausted, I find myself tossing, turning, and begging sleep to befall me, but it won't until the temperature drops. Then, I'm up with the sun (which generally sets about heating the air).

[Hairbear]

both taken into account really i like the up before the sun and munch breakfast as i moving thing i get to see more animals as the sun is just climbing into the sky,but if its real cold sometimes i will linger till the sun warms thing a little and eat a warm breakfast