By: Blonde Two
I love to read – all sorts of books – but as a nice lady pointed out on Twitter the other day, I don’t have much time for it at the moment. With work, Ten Tors, D of E, Blonde Expeditions and blog writing – my eyes tend to shut as soon as they hit the pillow and Mr Blonde Two often ends up putting my book away for me.
In an tent, it is all different. If my eyes ever shut as I hit the pillow, I would probably think that I was dead. Camp sleep is an illusive beast and I don’t really feel that my jumper stuffed under the end of my Thermarest counts as a pillow.
All this would make you think that my tent would make the perfect place for me to get some reading done. I don’t have any interruptions as there is only room for one in my green and orange coffin and there is plenty of lying awake time available. What better opportunity could there be for a few pages of literary mirth and merriment?
If only this were true but in reality, I find reading in a tent just as difficult as keeping warm. The torch is my first issue. A head torch works well in bed when one is trying not to disturb ones partner (wouldn’t work with new Silva super torch) but try getting one to point in the right direction on top of two hats and underneath one down jacket hood and you will soon become frustrated and give up.
Another problem is the cold, having to put both arms out of the sleeping bag is a bit of a no no when you are fighting for every bit of heat you can get. There are two possible solutions to this problem – one is the sleeping bag suit which has arms built in (recently christened the “Jelly Baby” suit by one of our Blondees) http://www.sleepingbagsuits.co.uk. The other is a Kindle – I have recently found that you can hold a Kindle in one hand, it is not so easy to change page with one hand but I am working on my dexterity.
I have decided to try out solution two this weekend and will let you know how I get on. I don’t have a light for the Kindle but Big Orange (new sleeping bag) should ensure that my need for a hat diminishes (this is the last thing that I remove if a night warms up) and that I can keep a head torch in pointing in the right direction. Any suggestions for suitable stories to read?
How about ” The hound of the Baskervilles.” ” Gone with the wind ” ” Teach yourself Bog Snorkelling ” ” The Good Hotel Guide ”
Have a great night in your super thermal orange snugglebag! We will be thinking about you and look forward to hearing all about it!
Don’t forget your Jelly Baby companoins!
Not come across the sleeping bag suits before and wondered just show effective they really are?
The idea of down is that it acts as an insulating layer preventing heat escaping. So, if you’re in a down sleeping bag that uses your body heat to warm up, wearing a sleeping bag suit will prevent that from happening. Bit like having 2 sets of double glazing.
I personally find it warmer to remove any insulating layer I have on before I go to bed in a tent and let my inner and mid layers do their work with the sleeping bag providing the insulating cocoon and, if necessary, a warm hat to stop the heat escaping through my bonce.
Another little trick I do which I find works well, is sleep with the sleeping bag hood on top of me rather than underneath. This gives 2 advantages. 1, you lose less heat through your head and shoulders and 2, acts as a pretty effective light blind meaning I don’t get woken up too early by the rising of the sun …. Or lightening of the cloud!
So perhaps the subject of a future blonde post could be some scientific experiments to see if the theory works in practice!
Also ” How to get a good nights sleep ” by I P Knightley
I bet he doesn’t recommend camping!
Did you look closely at that authors name?
Say it out loud
I have similar problems sleeping anywhere thats not home. So camping or vamping basically!!! I always go for the headtorch method but this annoys Mr F as it keeps him awake although I swear another reason I can’t sleep is down to his persistent snoring which always seems worse in an enclosed space!!
So this Christmas Mr F bought me a Nook Glowlight (basically a kindle with a backlight!!!). Firstly this stops me taking half a rucksack of reading materials on hols with us and secondly stops the light issue. It does work well and since I’m having pain induced sleeping problems at the moment I have read sooooooo many books well into the night! Hoping to test it out in the vamping environment soon!
Suggested reading????? Mmmmm……maybe not the James Herbet I just read – freaky! Maybe not the myths and legends of Dartmoor either!!! Maybe the classic “White Spider” battling survival on the North Face of the Eiger – will make you realise just how cushty (???Spelling) you have it camped out on the comfort of a bog on Dartmoor!!
The 100 year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson is very good fun and easy to read in chilly and damp environments… We have got over this problem by using a bunkhouse for this Saturday!
Don’t tell me which bunkhouse – I might come and invade. Was thinking about that book so will give it a go.
“I Heard The Owl Call My Name” by Margaret Craven. You won’t sleep until you’ve finished it, but what a setting!
Now that does sound interesting! Am going to have take some time off to do all this reading!