Sleep is a necessity
The biggest secret I have found to a successful camping trip is making sure you can sleep comfortably. Really, if Mama doesn’t sleep then nobody is going to have a good day. I know some people can sleep anywhere they close their eyes. People like that are probably fine with one of those thin sleeping pads. I get the feeling that those pads are primarily for insulation so that the ground doesn’t suck away your body heat. Other people are more like the Princess and the Pea. I was miserable on the floor at sleepovers when I was 14. It has only gotten worse over the last 30 years.
Sleep
- Cot, Air Mattress, or Sleeping Pad
- Sleeping Bag
- Pillow, Blanket, and Sheet
Only you can know how far you need to go to get the right level of comfort. No matter how careful you are to clear your tent site of rocks and pinecones, there are always lumps and bumps under the floor. If you go ahead with the area rug, that helps for sleeping straight on the floor, but most adults end up needing something more. Air mattresses are very popular. Bring a pump or be prepared to do crazy things to get your kids to inflate the thing. And be prepared to patch it at some point because I guarantee it will spring a leak. I have given up on air mattresses because I hate waking up with the sensation of being eaten by the thing while laying on the ground. Others I know swear by them.
I have traveled with a twin mattress in the back of my truck. A friend brings the memory foam topper from her bed. Covered with a double layer of fitted sheets and folded in half it did a pretty good job of letting her get her rest.
Nowadays I use a folding cot. It’s TwinXL and works beautifully. I sleep well, it gives me storage space underneath, and I can make my bed in the morning so that my tent doesn’t look like a disaster zone. One drawback is that cots are not the best for couples. And although they do make cot/air mattress combos in a queen size they are squeaky enough to wake the dead.
I bring my own pillow from home. Even if it gets kicked to the floor it smells right and makes me comfortable. Same with the big fuzzy blanket. On cold nights having the fuzzy next to my skin makes me feel warmer. The sheet may seem odd, but if you camp someplace really hot it’s nice to have something to cover up with that doesn’t roast you. And then the other bedding is there for when it gets cold.
Yes, something to remember: camping exposes you to the elements. It gets surprisingly cold at night. It can be gloriously hot during the day. There is no heating or AC to regulate your environment and that is good for your body. You do need to prepare. For myself, I bought a sleeping bag that is good for freezing temperatures. If it is too hot, that is what the blanket and sheet are for. By 3am you will likely appreciate the heaviness of a good sleeping bag, unless you are one of those people who needs a window open and a fan on in the middle of an ice storm. I’ve bundled up and still shivered through the night.
But here’s the thing, when you’re camping you don’t have to worry about alarms. The sun will come up. Your bladder will drag you out of bed if the kids don’t. Somebody will need to make the coffee. Maybe you drag your blanket out to wrap up in your chair so you can sip that first cup by the fire while the world wakes up. Who cares if breakfast isn’t on schedule? The entire point of getting away is to let your body and soul rest and reset. Let it happen.