Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

I got out of sync after surgery and couldn’t sleep at night. Benadryl worked great for me. Meditation may help quiet your mind.

 

Naaaah...

Just cobble together a bunch of disjointed info from the internet, brew up some half ambien / half gear oil and figure one of the most important elements to living (sleep) handled and all your cares dissappeared in a deep breath OMMMMMM...

 

Jack Daniels works good for me!

 

I did the JMT in my Lone Peaks. No issues at all with the soles on rocky terrain, and I'm 230 lbs. I'm still using them on the Arizona Trail and I did the Black Canyon trail, plus I use them on all of my AZ training hikes. So, this pair has seen over 600 miles of rocky crap and they still feel like pillows. The soles are noticeably compressed a bit, but they still support my fat ass.

You know, this used to really bother me as well. Whether in a ground tent or even the rooftop tent, I had/have issues falling asleep or with waking up intermittently and having a hard time falling back to sleep. On my 2 weeks on the JMT, I finally conquered it. I realized that even when I got broken sleep, as long as I was resting comfortably, I still felt very rested the next day. I guess I gave up on expecting to have unbroken sleep when I'm outdoors, and once I "let go", I realize I get plenty of rest overall. I try to give myself 9-10 hours of lay-down time and I never feel tired the next day. One day, I stayed in my tent laying down for 12.5 hours and got a total of 8 hours of sleep and felt like I could run a marathon the next day.

I do have one trick that always helps my eyes get tired. I lay in the tent and get comfortable, then I play very brainless games on my phone like solitaire, Mah Jong, etc. I also dim my screen very dark so I can still see it but I'm not exposing my eyes to excess light. Light exposure to the eyes when trying to sleep is a stimulus that keeps the brain awake. Noises do the same, of course, but I also found that total silence keeps me from falling asleep, too. Playing stupid games that don't make me think too hard forces me to look downwards to my screen which naturally closes my eyes 75%. Before I know it, I'm yawning and start falling asleep with the phone on my chest. Nighttime is also when I recharge devices, so if I DO fall asleep, my phone is charging anyways.

Another strategy that works for me is that I really enjoy the false sense of security in my tents. I get in the mindset that "this is my own little private piece of the universe" and I feel comfortable in my little space. Something about being in my favorite tent brings me peace of mind and mental comfort. I know I'll stay warm and dry in it because it's set up to provide me with that comfort. I know my quilt will keep me warm because I've put it to the test in extremes. I know I have repair tape in case my sleeping pad gets a leak. I wipe out all of the worries from my mind.

Obviously, having a lot of activity that day will naturally make your body shut down and sleep. Make yourself tired physically, and the brain will follow. I also pop 400mg of Ibuprofen when I go to bed, especially after hiking 10+ miles. It keeps any overnight swelling to a minimum and it's possible that it helps me fall asleep. The only issue is that it does make me a pee a little more frequently since it is an anti-inflammatory. I'd rather get up and pee twice at night than to wake up swollen and sore in the morning though.

Lastly, get as many chores done before bed as possible. Leave yourself with very little morning work except to get some calories in your stomach and break down camp. Collect/filter water and have it ready for the next morning, hang things to dry overnight (weather permitting), keep gear in your tent organized, put the morning's food/coffee makings at the top of your food bag/canister, etc. It takes the stress out of thinking about the next morning's routine.

I now get at least a good 4-5 hour chunk of solid sleep after I first fall asleep, sometimes more. Usually my bladder is what wakes me up the first time. Get up and go pee as soon as you feel the urge. Get it over with so you can get back to peaceful rest. Then I average at least another 2 hour block after that, on average.

I just finally stopped worrying about it, knowing that even if I have broken sleep, I know I can crush miles the next day.

 

Read a book about Woody Guthrie once...

He was planning to visit his brother after a long time, so his brother's new bride had the guest bedroom re-done... new bed, wallpaper, lamps the whole shebang. They were aspiring 'city folk' of the time. She came to check on him the second night and found he had rolled up the rug and was sleeping on the hardwood floor under his jacket. He had gotten so used to being on the road and sleeping in box cars that it was the only way he could sleep. She was so miffed she made his brother kick him out the next day...

 

Word, dude. Thanks!

I did notice that I wasn’t really feeling tired the next day, so I guess I was at least getting some solid rest time in.

Also, I used my EE quilt for the first time on this trip. That thing is awesome.

 

In guiding, we've found clients very restless the nights before summit attempts or long bc travel days. We always advised them to try and lie as still as possible, avoid thrashing about, and they'd get enough rest for the adventure, even if they didn't sleep much. In the end, many of them slept ok after being still for awhile. Don't worry, your body knows what needs if you let it be.

 

I should have been a bit more specific. I mean that the counting and the images seem to take up left and right sides of the brain. You cannot 'think' during that process. It works for me 90% of the time.

Yeah, what they said. When climbing we would try to go to sleep at 5-6 to wake at 11. Ha, until I was told that resting was enough. And altitude always did bother me. Someone wise said "Climb high, sleep low".

 

Thanks again everyone for the advice!

I’ll share a photo and some info from my trip. I was able to knock out two more National Parks this past weekend; Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns. Both of these parks are actually part of the same exposed ancient limestone reef that was called the Capitan Reef. Carlsbad Caverns was also fantastic and is only about 40 minutes away from GUMO.

Guadalupe Peak isn’t massive, but at 8,751 feet, it’s the tallest we’ve got.

The Chisos in Big Bend to me are more scenic, but it was cool to finally make it up here. El Capitan (the Texas version), is in the foreground).

 

Did you do the tour at Carlsbad Caverns, and did you sit at the mouth of the big cave at sunset to watch the tornado of bats fly out to go on their nightly rounds? That place was one of my favorite stops as a kid when we were traveling the country.

 

I did not do a guided tour, no. No bats either unfortunately since it was a stopover on the way home. Went down the natural entrance and then did the Big Room route and then rode up the elevator.

I think this one was the final boss.

 

Glad you got to at least peek inside. I was probably 10 years old when I went on a tour of it and it's got some really cool stuff. Each room has completely different shaped growths, pools and pits in it, and the bat show at sundown was pretty impressive. I encourage anyone to take the time to experience both parts.

 

I still was able to see everything except for the King's Palace and Left Hand Tunnel (those are the only guided tours until March 11), just as a self guided tour.

I have some photos here for those interested.

 

Very cool photos. Love that last one, DEMON FACE lol

 

REI Dividends are in!! I don't see the 20% off coupon that they usually give when dividends come in.

 

I saw someone in one of the FB groups I follow mention the 28th.

 

Got my dividend email today, too. I'll wait for the 20% coupon though, as it always follows shortly after.

 

I got a whole $17 this year. Most of my purchases were already discounted so they didn't count.

 

Same here. Mine is $36. I spent much more on discounted items that didn't qualify. Now I can't even find anything left at REI that I need anymore. Gear room is complete.

 

That is an awesome room!! I got back a lot! $140. But that's most likely because I bought RTT from them. I have been doing a lot of car camping recently. I cant think of anything else that I need for backpacking do I might just get things for gifts for people or wait until july and cash out. I use my backpacking stoves when car camping and it works great!