Author Topic: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?  (Read 6472 times)

gunwharfman

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I am one of those people who is always awake at dawn. I try to go back to sleep but just can't manage it. When I'm ready to get up, its usually chilly to cold, lots of condensation on and sometimes in my tent and nowadays because of my age I'm not as flexible as I used to be.

My usual routine (which I practice to do smoothly) is to open my inner side door, unzip the outer tent, count from ten to one, grit my teeth, throw off my sleeping quilt, quickly put on put on my trousers, socks and warm jacket, swivel to the opened side door and put my boots on. I do it as quickly as I can with no messing about and then get out of the tent completely, hoping that I don't get a splash of condensation over me as I make my move! At this point I will have a cup of water, may eat a choccy bar, sometimes I just don't bother.

My routine to feeling good in the morning is, get my gear packed, again I do it as fast as possible and I then start walking! Within one to two hours later, hopefully when its warmer, I'll then look for a nice spot to have breakfast and attend to my hygiene needs and have a shave. By then job done and I'm all ready to face the rest of the day in a happy and contented frame of mind!

beefy

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #1 on: 13:19:27, 28/01/19 »
Why not get dressed before you open the doors letting the cold air in :)
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fernman

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #2 on: 14:05:46, 28/01/19 »
My answer to the OP's question is I never feel good in the morning, wherever I sleep!

I agree with Beefy, put your clothes on first. Comfort comes first. And what if there happens to be some poor innocent soul nearby who sees you? Not a pretty sight, I'll bet.
The hoop-over-the-middle design of tents like my Zephyros and others makes it relatively straightforward to sit up and put a top layer on, followed by laying back with your knees in the air while you get your trousers on. You're going to get a few drips of condensation on you, it's inevitable.
The worst bit is getting your boots on, but I've always managed to do them before I wet myself, although there have been one or two occasions when I've dashed out for a pee without lacing them up.
Unless it is very warm I sleep in my baselayers, and on cold mornings I keep them on under my outer clothes until I've had breakfast and packed things so they're ready to put in my rucksack. The baselayers don't come off till I wash and then it's quickly down with the tent and start walking.

zuludog

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #3 on: 14:14:29, 28/01/19 »
How uncivilised!

My usual morning routine is to have a pee in my pee bottle, then lie my sleeping bag and make as many cups of coffee as possible, and breakfast, usually muesli.
Only then do I get dressed and emerge
This means, of course, tying back the inner tent and either peering briefly out of the flysheet if the weather's dull & wet, or tying it back on a sunny morning

This has influenced my choice of gear
I got tired of trying to focus or concentrate on an increasingly leaky & tempremental paraffin stove, or waiting not very patiently for a cartridge top gas stove to boil water on chilly mornings, so now I use a hose connected gas stove
I also have 2 X 2l water bladders and a 0,75l water bottle. That means that after I've filled them in the evening when I pitch my tent I don't need to go out for more water

Years ago when I was younger & fitter, and we'd planned epic things like 65 miles or 17 Munros in a day I could get packed up quickly enough, but now I'm retired I have the luxury of being able to take my time
« Last Edit: 14:17:30, 28/01/19 by zuludog »

forgotmyoldpassword

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #4 on: 16:39:06, 28/01/19 »
Usually I feel absolutely fking terrible in the mornings when I'm camping - probably as I tend to overdo it and find myself taking ages to fall asleep the previous night, which means waking at dawn always seems to leave me wanting an extra hour or two.  Quite partial to sleeping under a tarp in most UK conditions (Trailstar) which lets you open your eyes, roll over and see the outdoors, which is pleasant.  Most importantly, get yourself wrapped up, preserve as much warmth whilst you're in your bag as possible and get a brew going.  I realise lots of people are a fan of 'cold soaking' and tend to leave a stove, but for me I'm pretty miserable doing this. 


Worst bit as fernman said is putting your freezing boots on!  I'd recommend doing some basic stretches when you wake up after camping, a lot of people set off at a huge rate of knots to warm up after a heavy previous day, and just end up causing themselves problems before their body has really warmed up.  Sure, it won't happen every time, but the times it does you've just ruined your day out. 

richardh1905

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #5 on: 16:57:24, 28/01/19 »

I always enjoy waking up in a tent, even if it has been a foul night. There's just something very special about it that I can't out my finger on.


One thing guaranteed to get me in a bad mood though, is getting freezing hands handling tent poles etc whilst breaking camp.
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April

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #6 on: 18:36:56, 28/01/19 »
I always enjoy waking up in a tent …….. There's just something very special about it that I can't out my finger on.

 O0

I love being out in the tent, something special about all of it as you say, pitching the tent, getting your gear sorted, making your dinner, watching the sunset, glass of wine, being in my sleeping bag, roll on warmer weather. I'm not keen on the really cold temps, the limit for me is down to 3 or 4 degrees but I have camped below zero quite a few times, I now avoid this, I don't enjoy it.

I sleep in my clothes so I don't have to get dressed in the morning. I sit up, still in my sleeping bag while I get the brews on and get the breakfast sorted. The tent doors (except the inner door, the stove is in the porch) aren't normally opened unless it is warm enough or light enough. I keep my boots inside the tent so they aren't quite as cold as leaving them in the porch.

I love waking up in the tent unless the weather is awful and you have getting soaked and wind blasted to look forward to.
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Owen

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #7 on: 20:17:42, 28/01/19 »
I've never worked a 9 to 5 type job, except when I was in the Army and worked at anytime of the day or night I've always started early. So, I normally wake up early - around 5am - out of habit. Breakfast is porridge in the bag so just add boiling water and brew some tea. While that cooks itself I'll get out of the sleeping bag wash etc and dress. Once I've finished breakfast I pack up and go, I'm not one for hanging around in the morning I do that in the afternoon.


It's always nice to wake to the sounds of nature and the smell of the earth unless it's a howling gale of course. The first morning on a long trip is especially good. The absence of traffic noise and fumes is very important to me as I spend so much time driving. That's why I like going away for two weeks at a time to some remote wilderness where I can walk for the entire holiday without seeing or crossing any roads or hearing any engines. Two weeks because that's about the limit of what I can carry.

fit old bird

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #8 on: 20:31:57, 28/01/19 »
O0

I sleep in my clothes so I don't have to get dressed in the morning. I sit up, still in my sleeping bag while I get the brews on and get the breakfast sorted. The tent doors (except the inner door, the stove is in the porch) aren't normally opened unless it is warm enough or light enough. I keep my boots inside the tent so they aren't quite as cold as leaving them in the porch.



Pretty much what I do, but I don't camp very often. It has to be nice weather, and I have to be in the car so I can take the fold up sunlounger bed and a real duvet. Take boots off and snuggle under it.


ilona

astaman

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #9 on: 06:33:10, 29/01/19 »
I like sleeping in a tent and I tend to sleep very well there, especially if I've walked a long way (for me) the day before. I get dressed straight away. If it's not raining heavily I put the small sit mat that I carry in front of the entrance with my shoes in front of it and put my knees on the sit mat and then stand up and put my feet in my shoes. If it's dry I'll open up my tent to try to dry off as much condensation as possible. Mornings are made of such little rituals for me. I immediately put water on the stove for a brew and while that is boiling I pack the things I need to keep dry into dry bags and seal them to make sure they don't accidentally get wet. By this time I usually have a cuppa ready to drink while I make breakfast: generally some kind of oatmeal or dried meal from a foil bag. When my breakfast is ready I put on another mug of water for a second brew to drink while I pack up. If it's raining I adapt this but the routine is similar but with a lot more profanity and cussing.

richardh1905

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #10 on: 07:47:09, 29/01/19 »

If I'm wild camping on my own, I'm generally keen to get on my way, sometimes skipping breakfast and a brew altogether. Good to get some miles under my feet!
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Nomad32

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #11 on: 22:56:45, 29/01/19 »
Morning can be a total nightmare. I sleep in running leggins and a thermal top so need to change into my tech tee and craghoppers. Then do breakfast of either granola or porridge with mnms an tea all before the mrs get up

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #12 on: 15:07:35, 30/01/19 »
Some friends of mine, like recounting their epic adventure, when they went on one of their lavish guided safari trips in the Kruger National Park in Africa some years ago.


The small group of travellers had to camp out overnight, in a specially chosen location, to get the full wildlife experience in the morning.


After what may have been a restless nights kip, there were numerous fresh paw prints a few yards from the tent.


The noises of the night in darkest Africa must have been exciting to say the least. :o


There had been several visits by a number of Hyenas throughout the night, curious to see if any food had been left out.

If i had been bursting for a pee, i recon i would have staid put.

Getting close to the wildlife is one thing, having them sniffing around your tent at night, is something else.

Thankfully camping out in the British wilderness does not pose such risk. OR DOES IT ?

ninthace

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #13 on: 16:51:20, 30/01/19 »
Had a mole surface under my groundsheet once - does that count?
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Stube

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Re: After a night in a tent do you feel good in the morning?
« Reply #14 on: 17:46:07, 30/01/19 »
I had a horse step on my foot (and tent) once while camping on a farm. He moved his foot sharply when I objected & looked very questioningly into my tent :o No damage to either me or my tent.

Generally the biggest risk in southern England are wild boar which are getting quite common.

I get up leisurely in a morning with warm milk on my cereal followed by one or two boiled eggs. I brew tea for b'fast and coffee in a flask for the day's walk. If it's cold I may cook still in my bag, but usuallyI'll get get dressed first having kept my clothes warm in the bag overnight.

 

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