How do you sleep out on the trail?

I've found that a nice plush sleeping pad, a comfy pillow with enough neck support does it for me.  Obviously, prices and weights vary wildly, but the NeoAir has worked for me.  Never slept well on the Prolite.  I use an REI basecamp pillow, it's worth the extra space it takes up.  I know plenty of hikers who slide their pack under the head of their airpad, but I'm a bit fussy about my sleeping comfort.  

If you have to change your sleeping style on the trail, then you probably won't sleep as well.  So that just means finding what you need to make that happen.

Also, changing from a bag to a quilt meant a lot to me, since I tend to sprawl all over the place and don't do well confined.

People are creatures of habit. Try to mimic everything you do at home at the same time in the same order. Such as : brushing teeth, using bathroom, drinking a glass of water, reading, thinking about tomorrow. You may not be fully aware of your pattern but you might have.
I also agree on the pillow it is a crucial part of my gear. Tryed the balled up clothes and that didn't cut it

In The Tent:

-Thermarest Pro-Lite (Womens Model): Its wider in the middle, nice if you move around a bit.
-Pillow- I stuff my trail clothes, rain gear as needed in my sleeping bag stuff sack. It has always worked perfect for me.!
- 45°F down bag; 20°F down bag; 0°F down bag.

The Hammock:

I have recently begun to experiment with the asymmetrical hammock way of life, and my Hilleberg Staika (as well as two other tents) is giving me a dirty look. I have been a skeptic of hammock sleeping for a very long time, but it is pretty amazing once you get past the geometry of it. And the science of heat loss.
-Hennesssey Hammock Deep Jungle.
-HH Poly Hex Rain Fly: Better wind & rain coverage than the included fly.
- Same Thermarest Pro-Lite as above.
-Same sleeping bags.


If your pains are really bothering you, I recommend giving a hammock a try. I regret being a neigh-sayer for such a long time.

I sympathize. Here's what works for me:

-Sleeping pad: I switched to thicker pads. This has made a huge difference. For summer, I use a Big Agnes Air Core, full length. Without checking, I don't think this weighs any more than my old 3/4 inch inflatable. For winter, I use an Exped Downmat 7, full length. I can't begin to explain how much I love that pad. It is definitely heavier than my old thermarest, but not by much and worth every ounce.

-sleeping bags: I use a 35 degree in the summer and a 20 degree in the winter. Both are down. If it is going to be below about 20 degrees, I combine them (my winter bag is roomy enough to accommodate the summer bag without much compression).

-pillow: I put my down jacket or clothes in a stuff sack. I haven't found a small pillow that is any more comfortable for me than just spending a few minutes shaping the stuff sack.

-I am a really cold sleeper and I have a hard time warming up a cold sleeping bag so I can fall asleep. If it is below about 30 degrees, I will fill a nalgene with hot water and put it in my sleeping bag before I go to bed. This has done wonders for my ability to sleep when we are camping in the cold. I used to lay awake for what felt like hours waiting for the bag to warm up.

I still wake up in the night, often to use the bathroom, but it is better than before.

rpcv

arf,

Backpacking hammocks aren't your regular yard hammock. Backpacking hammocks are based on the Mayan hammock design and you lay diagonally across the fabric resulting in a fairly flat lie. Not the saggy, banana lie that most people think. Don't knock it till you've tried it - it could change your complete outdoors experience.

How do i sleep out on the trail?? Not very well, just like you arf