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Hey yall, I haven’t really camped before so I’ve been talking to a bunch of people and gathering all the camping info I can before I head my innocent and merry way to the campgrounds at ‘roo. Anyway, I mentioned sleeping in a tent to a friend of mine and she told me I’d be sore as hell (or as my mother says “all stove up”) from sleeping on the ground for four nights unless I brought an air mattress. Now this sounds a little extravagant to me, and even if that is the case I figure I’m young and should be able to suck it up till Monday, but am I being foolhardy? I don’t really expect to be doing all that much sleeping while I’m at Bonnaroo anyway but I think that with the heat, the mud and the sun I don’t really want to add another annoyance to when I do find the time to get some shut eye. Thoughts?
We bring a mattress but the first year ours had a hole. I thought I'd be miserable but actually didn't mind. I got the best night sleep the first night. I think I actually slept 6 hours straight which I hadn't done since having kids (*10and 7 yrs old). BUT... The next year I swear we had friggin boulders under our tent so I was glad we had a mattress. I camp alot so I say you don't need one but you probably would be really happy you brought one after a long day walking in the heat.
i agree with trees, they also make camping "pads" for light packing. wuold suggest getting one of those. It is like a thin air mattress, but take up very little rooom. Try your local sporting goods storeor camping supply.
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Post by spookymonster on Mar 17, 2007 11:53:22 GMT -5
If you're not used to sleeping on the ground, a sleeping bag and air mattress/Therm-a-Rest pad are pretty much mandatory. From what I hear, the ground at the farm ranges from packed dirt grasslands to gravel-strewn slopes. You aren't likely to find many soft spots (matted grass or pine-needle underbrush). A mattress of some sort can make the difference between a restless night of light sleep and a deep, regenerative slumber.
Air mattresses with electric pumps are fairly cheap (about $30) and are a good choice if you're camping by a car (unless it's a battery operated pump). Self-inflating mattress pads can be more expensive (the best are over $100!), but don't require electricity and are a good option if you're trying to go light or do much backpacking.
Given the likelyhood of rain at 'Roo, a tent is a good idea, if not essential. A decent, cheap 2-3 person tent like the Coleman Sundome (about $50) should do the trick. If you do get a tent, you'll want to set it up in your backyard before coming to 'Roo, just to get a feel for it. Sealing the seams to keep the tent dry is a good idea, but not always essential. Or you could just make friends with someone who already has a tent in Tent-Only, just in case .
Hydration is very important, as roo...2007 points out. Unless you like waking up ever 1/2 hour with a charlie-horse and/or stiff limbs. Camelbaks, Nalgeine (sp?) bottles or something similar come in handy, and the well water is free at 'Roo (if a bit stinky). Make sure to drink your fill before going to sleep, and have some handy for the morning after.
Stoves, pans, kettles, plates, cups, coolers are all nice, but not essential. If you don't have a knack for camp cooking, you can always buy food and drink in Centeroo. As another southern belle might say, you could always rely on the kindness of strangers (like the Inforoo Brunch).
If you're not used to sleeping on the ground, a sleeping bag and air mattress/Therm-a-Rest pad are pretty much mandatory. From what I hear, the ground at the farm ranges from packed dirt grasslands to gravel-strewn slopes. You aren't likely to find many soft spots (matted grass or pine-needle underbrush). A mattress of some sort can make the difference between a restless night of light sleep and a deep, regenerative slumber.
Air mattresses with electric pumps are fairly cheap (about $30) and are a good choice if you're camping by a car (unless it's a battery operated pump). Self-inflating mattress pads can be more expensive (the best are over $100!), but don't require electricity and are a good option if you're trying to go light or do much backpacking.
Given the likelyhood of rain at 'Roo, a tent is a good idea, if not essential. A decent, cheap 2-3 person tent like the Coleman Sundome (about $50) should do the trick. If you do get a tent, you'll want to set it up in your backyard before coming to 'Roo, just to get a feel for it. Sealing the seams to keep the tent dry is a good idea, but not always essential. Or you could just make friends with someone who already has a tent in Tent-Only, just in case .
Hydration is very important, as roo...2007 points out. Unless you like waking up ever 1/2 hour with a charlie-horse and/or stiff limbs. Camelbaks, Nalgeine (sp?) bottles or something similar come in handy, and the well water is free at 'Roo (if a bit stinky). Make sure to drink your fill before going to sleep, and have some handy for the morning after.
Stoves, pans, kettles, plates, cups, coolers are all nice, but not essential. If you don't have a knack for camp cooking, you can always buy food and drink in Centeroo. As another southern belle might say, you could always rely on the kindness of strangers (like the Inforoo Brunch).
Hope this helps.
Thanks spookymonster that was really helpful, I hadn't even thought about the possibility that I might be sleeping on gravel
and also karma for the cot tip crazykittensmile I might just try that
I'm in my 40s, and I've camped, on and off, since Girl Scout days. Two years ago, when I last camped (not at Bonnaroo), I used a cot for the first time. It was so incredibly comfortable that I couldn't believe I hadn't used one before! I've used Thermarest pads (which are really good) and cheap air mattresses (the cheap ones are so annoyingly noisy and lurchy that they might not be worth it), and the cot was far superior. I had a sleeping bag as padding and in case I needed it for cold, but I used a sleep-sack as my sheets on top of it all for most of my sleeping needs.
(This year I'm doing a complicated sort of car camping, possibly with a semi-inflatable mattress. Wish me luck.)
A camp pillow can make a huge difference in comfort as well.
The thing that always sneaks up on me about tent camping is how hot the tents get, with trapped moisture, overnight. But stepping out of that tent into a fresh morning is a spectacular feeling.
I used a cot my first B-roo and it's very comfy. They are fairly cheap too. On the cooler nights you need to be sure and put a blanket or sleeping bag beneath you for insulation.
One good thing about a nylon cot is you can wet it down in the afternoon and lay on it and the water evaporates so quickly that it actually gets cold. I great way to cool off. At least it works very well on an army cot.
cot or air mattress are both great ideas. though in all honesty, i probably could've slept on a bed of hot coals by the time i got around to laying my little head down most evenings/mornings.
Maybe I'll throw myself to the dogs, but my back's not to the wall Maybe I'll lay some bricks for the man, but the days just aren't that long So if I settle back and chill will I see far enough to feel the angel's dream? I thought it was the Story of the World!
First year....tent ground...sucked Rained like a mother on saturday night. Ground was cold. Second year....Air mattress....leaked air and was still not that great. Third year last year....Cot...works great..bought a larger one and it worked great.
Post by ziggyandthemonkeys on Mar 17, 2007 20:22:03 GMT -5
Depending on where you get put, you should be able to sleep fine without anything. I slept fine without anything, but this year im bringing an air matress, just because its easy, so why no improve my comfort.
I had always used a foam pad when campin but this past year I brought an air matress, amazinly comforatable, took about 10 miutes to pump up with hand pump, only problem was it was a little too big for a two man tent.
I always sleep in a hammock at B-roo. You have to bring a frame too but it's cool and comfortable. Nothing else compares.
I saw a guy last year with a fabulous minimalist set-up. He drove two 2x4s into the ground, hung a hammock from them, then draped it with a tarp. Beautiful in it's simplicity!
how the hell did he get those 2x4s into that ground? I was bending tent stakes in half hammering them into the ground last year.
Must have lucked out and gotten some soft ground. Would suck if you didnt, there goes that plan.
Yeah...I didn't see it go up. I can only assume pointed ends on the 2x4s and a big sledgehammer were involved. I was bending tent stakes on one side of my tent while on the other side it was like sliding them into butter. ???
I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. Hunter S. Thompson
No man is so foolish but he may sometimes give another good counsel, and no man so wise that he may not easily err if he takes no other counsel than his own. He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master. Hunter S. Thompson
I've been camping my whole life and I have never used an air mattress...unless you count the time I drove across the country and bought an air mattress only to wake up in the middle of the night in the Badlands freezing cold only to find out my trusty air bed had deflated. A sleeping bad on the bottom and a sheet and sleeping bag on the top is the way i go...definitely buy yourself a camping pillow, I have this one and it stuffs in a tiny bag you can clip onto the rest of your gear: www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2262493&cp=2367824.2277089.2280720.2280725&parentPage=family&searchId=2280725
If this is your first time camping I wouldn't buy too much in case it just isn't your thing. We are talking a few days here so a cheap camping pad might be a good idea.
Make sure like everyone else has said...bring LOTS of water-more than you think you will need..guarantee you will drink it. A camelbak or something like it is always a good idea.
I was very grateful for the air mattress we brought last year. After a long day (and a long walk) in the heat, it was nice to be able to come back to a comfortable bed and snuggle in. It made our sleep more restful, and we were plenty rejuvinated in the morning. And also, it never deflated.
If you have the money to spend, I would recommend investing in an air mattress of better quality. There are some that actually do not deflate or puncture easiliy. That is, of course, if it is really that important to you. An air mattress is NOT necessary. But I personally sleep better when I'm more comfortable, and for me, it helps me have a better Bonnaroo experience.
In '05 we had a new Coleman inflatable bed. It is just a single layer, and very lurchy to share between two people. It was also brown. It got hot as heck for whatever reason during the day, making it impossible to nap after our all-night drive to get there.
We're thinking about cots (as un-romantic as that is ), for the obvious comfort part of it. The air mattress didn't work for us. But buying 2 cots may be a little bit pricey.
If I got an airmattress that was double-chambered and white would that help the heat situation?
I would love to sleep in a hammock. That has to be heavenly.
We treat mishaps like sinking ships and I know that I don't want to be out to drift Well I can see it in your eyes like I taste your lips and They both tell me that we're better than this
I have never had a problem sleeping on the ground in a tent in the woods, camping at shows, or at Bonnaroo. But I have a great tent and a great sleeping bag that are extra-snug and enjoy I camping. I think you are right, the "soreness" issue is something that effects the elder generation to a much larger degree than someone of your age. I wouldn't worry about it too much, or if you are worried about it, buy an air mattress.
The over-riding issue with Tent Camping at Bonnaroo, as I see it, is the fact that you CAN NOT sleep in a tent past 7 AM at Bonnaroo. Due to lack of shaded areas, the sun hits the tent and immediately heats the tent up like an oven until you are sweating profusely. The 2 times I have tent-camped at Bonnaroo that was my biggest problem. I went to bed too late, then I couldn't sleep past 7 AM. As A Result I was really tired during the day, and spent most of the day sitting until nightfall. I now take an RV mostly b/c of this problem.
However, there is another fix to this (besides an RV) that I see used alot at Bonnaroo. What you need to do is buy a Shade Canopy (or Screen tent,) and set your tent up UNDER the Canopy. The tarp of the canopy absorbs and reflects most of the sunlight, allowing your tent to heat up at a much slower pace.
You will notice alot of people asleep under the few Trees in and around Centeroo during the day. During the daylight it is actually easier to sleep in the open under a tree, than in a tent.
I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to...
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), for the obvious comfort part of it. The air mattress didn't work for us. But buying 2 cots may be a little bit pricey.
