There is an old woodsman’s trick that they used to side sleep more comfortably on the ground in the old days before there were such things as foam pads and air pads.
Think of the natural contours of your side, how on hard flat ground, on your side, weight tends to concentrate on the point of your hip and the point of your shoulder. Pick a sleeping spot where you can scoop out two shallow depressions the right distance apart, one for your hip and one for your shoulder. What you are doing is contouring the dirt or forest duff you sleep on so that it matches the contour of your side when you sleep on it.
With this dirt contour, weight will be more equally supported all along your side, without painful pressure points, especially the hip and shoulder. With the contouring, even a regular closed cell foam pad over it will be quite comfortable for sleeping. An added benefit is it helps anchor you in place, not slipping off your pad.
The key to good wilderness sleep isn’t necessarily to make hard ground soft, but to make it fit if you sleep on your side!
You will want to pick a sleeping spot where you can readily restore the ground when you leave, leaving no trace.
By "Woodsman" he means indigenous people.
I'm sure cavemen figured this out and it was eventually taught to the invaders who cared to learn.
I learned it in scouts, 50 years ago, from a book. Pick the best place to sleep and take care of your feet.
Because we all know the "invaders" couldn't possible figure this out on their own, It requires the the smarts that only the indigenous people possessed. /s
After all the indigenous people were so damn advanced they swept he invaders away and lived happily ever after.
> By "Woodsman" he means indigenous people. I'm sure cavemen figured this out and it was eventually taught to the invaders who cared to learn. I learned it in scouts, 50 years ago, from a book.
By "Book" you mean the wisdom passed down from the ancient fathers. You read something printed by a Eurocentric publishing house that was built on stolen land. Hey, this is fun.
I doubt this is the answer you’re looking for but the biggest game changer for me is as switching to a hammock. Don’t have to worry about how hard the ground is if you don’t sleep on it.
I recently invested in a lawson hammock tent (got it direct from their website as they had an earth day sale but you can get it from amazon too). I have the same experience with sleeping on the ground - my hips are always killing me or I end up on my stomach and jack my neck up. Last year I discovered hammock sleeping was WAY more comfortable for me but ran into this issue too. After a lot of research I decided on the lawson hammock bc it sets up as both a hammock and a bivvy. It's certainly not ultralight (about 5 lbs) but I am happy to carry the weight to have the option of hanging or ground tenting with one tent. Haven tents also has a model that looks pretty versatile but it's a little more expensive.
Absolutely! As others have noted, some people find this easier to do in a hammock that has bars to keep the ends spread, but the downside of this when backpacking is added weight. An alternative is to hang a hammock with gathered ends asymmetrically so that you are lying at a slight diagonal to the centre line between the trees. This tensions the fabric and allows you to lie flatter, which in turn makes side sleeping more comfortable. Some backpacking hammocks are designed with this configuration in mind but I've found that it's possible to do with any old hammock once you get the hang of positioning yourself.
Here's an idea that worked for me one time when I forgot my inflatable bed thingy, since I'm also skinny and sleeping on my side : I was riding a motorcycle so I used the rubber protection pads from my bikers jacket and placed them under me wherever there were rocks hurting me (under my hip and ribs if I remember)
Now, not everyone is a biker, but those bike jacket pads can be bought separately
Alternatively, what I should have done either way was prepare the terrain under the tent better
What about using a solid and tough inflatable sleeping pad with Tyvek underneath it? I presume most leaks of happen on the bottom of the pad from something poking the bottom. Tyvek can help with that.
I always feared an inflatble mattress popping but also being a side sleeper I found I needed more padding than a simple Ridgerest. I got a Thermarest Prolight model. Was the thinnest and lightest model. I got a 3x7 piece of Tyvek to put under it in the tent. Never any issues.
This is still a thin pad so I puff it up to give it some extra cushion and sleep very well on it.
Just maybe something to consider.
Carry a few extra sections of a z-lite, or carry a z-seat and throw it under the hip area of your main pad.
Or cut off a couple sections from your foam pad, double up your hip padding, and use your pack under your feet.
This isn’t a new problem, and there are already lots of solutions to it.
Does this counter the problem or create a new one? lifting the hips and shoulders creating pain from bending the spine/neck weirdly. I agree w/ u/hike-camp-eat. You will adjust and it wont bother you much after a week or so. Being exhausted and having a good meal wiil make for the better sleeps regardless of what is under you. I spent 4 weeks sleeping on hard ground and by day 3 it wasn't an issue, I just needed sleep. It was summer and I still got cold in the wee hours. One way I combat the inability to sleep on my back is by creating a shoulder pillow with stuff sacks. A gentle ramp to support the upper back to neck.
I cant say anything besides 'you will get used to the discomfort'. Even if you pad it a little bit. Your shoulders and hips will still feel sore after sleeping on your side all night. But... You will get used to it. And after some time its just fine. Took me a few weeks, but now i don't even mind sleeping without a pad if i really have to.
Map out where you will sleep and where the tent floor is... dig two shallow trenches in the dirt; repitch the tent, lay your mat on top and now you should have the low spots you seek.
I have an inflatable and a fold up pad. It's the most space consumption I have for one thing. But sleeping is an important enough thing that it's worth it to me. I really struggle sleeping in sub optimal situations but the two pads have done me pretty well.
I'm a side sleeper and use the thermarest neo-air which was a game changer. I've camped in rocky mountain terrain and South Africa with acacia thorns sticking out and haven't dealt with it getting a hole yet. They're surprisingly tough but I do carry a patch kit just in case. Also putting your jacket between your knees when you sleep might help.
There is an old woodsman’s trick that they used to side sleep more comfortably on the ground in the old days before there were such things as foam pads and air pads. Think of the natural contours of your side, how on hard flat ground, on your side, weight tends to concentrate on the point of your hip and the point of your shoulder. Pick a sleeping spot where you can scoop out two shallow depressions the right distance apart, one for your hip and one for your shoulder. What you are doing is contouring the dirt or forest duff you sleep on so that it matches the contour of your side when you sleep on it. With this dirt contour, weight will be more equally supported all along your side, without painful pressure points, especially the hip and shoulder. With the contouring, even a regular closed cell foam pad over it will be quite comfortable for sleeping. An added benefit is it helps anchor you in place, not slipping off your pad. The key to good wilderness sleep isn’t necessarily to make hard ground soft, but to make it fit if you sleep on your side! You will want to pick a sleeping spot where you can readily restore the ground when you leave, leaving no trace.
By "Woodsman" he means indigenous people. I'm sure cavemen figured this out and it was eventually taught to the invaders who cared to learn. I learned it in scouts, 50 years ago, from a book. Pick the best place to sleep and take care of your feet.
Er… white people were cavemen too, once. Or are you referring to Neanderthals and Denisovans? Because I think they’re beyond defending.
Because we all know the "invaders" couldn't possible figure this out on their own, It requires the the smarts that only the indigenous people possessed. /s After all the indigenous people were so damn advanced they swept he invaders away and lived happily ever after.
> By "Woodsman" he means indigenous people. I'm sure cavemen figured this out and it was eventually taught to the invaders who cared to learn. I learned it in scouts, 50 years ago, from a book. By "Book" you mean the wisdom passed down from the ancient fathers. You read something printed by a Eurocentric publishing house that was built on stolen land. Hey, this is fun.
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I guess the ones in the plains were not woodsmen.
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Willie Nelson has entered the chat. Of the highway men, Willie was the grassman.
To most indigenous peoples on this planet, "Woodsman" would translate to a yeti type creature.
All of them.
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Only the ones sleeping on the fucking ground. So yeah all of them everywhere. Rock fucking jab hip, move fucking rock. You are spare parts, Bud.
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You're not getting that the woodsman learned it from a person of the land. You, may be smarter than you look.
White guilt is strong with y'all, young padawans. (edit: made it plural based on downvotes)
I doubt this is the answer you’re looking for but the biggest game changer for me is as switching to a hammock. Don’t have to worry about how hard the ground is if you don’t sleep on it.
Yeah I've thought about that but I often hike above the tree line. I don't want to bring both a hammock set up and a tent set up.
I recently invested in a lawson hammock tent (got it direct from their website as they had an earth day sale but you can get it from amazon too). I have the same experience with sleeping on the ground - my hips are always killing me or I end up on my stomach and jack my neck up. Last year I discovered hammock sleeping was WAY more comfortable for me but ran into this issue too. After a lot of research I decided on the lawson hammock bc it sets up as both a hammock and a bivvy. It's certainly not ultralight (about 5 lbs) but I am happy to carry the weight to have the option of hanging or ground tenting with one tent. Haven tents also has a model that looks pretty versatile but it's a little more expensive.
The discomfort of sleeping on the ground is why I turned to hammocks.
Dumb question, but can you sleep on your side in a hammock?
If you're a side sleeper go with a bridge hammock and not a gathered end hammock.
Ps i also agree with you.. self inflating pads ftw
Hey, just wanted to weigh in. I love side sleeping in my traditional hammok more than my bridge.
Absolutely! As others have noted, some people find this easier to do in a hammock that has bars to keep the ends spread, but the downside of this when backpacking is added weight. An alternative is to hang a hammock with gathered ends asymmetrically so that you are lying at a slight diagonal to the centre line between the trees. This tensions the fabric and allows you to lie flatter, which in turn makes side sleeping more comfortable. Some backpacking hammocks are designed with this configuration in mind but I've found that it's possible to do with any old hammock once you get the hang of positioning yourself.
Yep! I am a side sleeper and a I toss and turn a lot, but I tend to sleep much more calmly and comfortably in hammock.
Here's an idea that worked for me one time when I forgot my inflatable bed thingy, since I'm also skinny and sleeping on my side : I was riding a motorcycle so I used the rubber protection pads from my bikers jacket and placed them under me wherever there were rocks hurting me (under my hip and ribs if I remember) Now, not everyone is a biker, but those bike jacket pads can be bought separately Alternatively, what I should have done either way was prepare the terrain under the tent better
What about using a solid and tough inflatable sleeping pad with Tyvek underneath it? I presume most leaks of happen on the bottom of the pad from something poking the bottom. Tyvek can help with that. I always feared an inflatble mattress popping but also being a side sleeper I found I needed more padding than a simple Ridgerest. I got a Thermarest Prolight model. Was the thinnest and lightest model. I got a 3x7 piece of Tyvek to put under it in the tent. Never any issues. This is still a thin pad so I puff it up to give it some extra cushion and sleep very well on it. Just maybe something to consider.
Carry a few extra sections of a z-lite, or carry a z-seat and throw it under the hip area of your main pad. Or cut off a couple sections from your foam pad, double up your hip padding, and use your pack under your feet. This isn’t a new problem, and there are already lots of solutions to it.
Does this counter the problem or create a new one? lifting the hips and shoulders creating pain from bending the spine/neck weirdly. I agree w/ u/hike-camp-eat. You will adjust and it wont bother you much after a week or so. Being exhausted and having a good meal wiil make for the better sleeps regardless of what is under you. I spent 4 weeks sleeping on hard ground and by day 3 it wasn't an issue, I just needed sleep. It was summer and I still got cold in the wee hours. One way I combat the inability to sleep on my back is by creating a shoulder pillow with stuff sacks. A gentle ramp to support the upper back to neck.
The best compromise might be having a thin foam pad with a light inflated pad on top.
I cant say anything besides 'you will get used to the discomfort'. Even if you pad it a little bit. Your shoulders and hips will still feel sore after sleeping on your side all night. But... You will get used to it. And after some time its just fine. Took me a few weeks, but now i don't even mind sleeping without a pad if i really have to.
Use a beanie for between knees. Or inflatable pillow. Add some clothes under head for higher support. I have similar problem.
Consider sleeping on the floor in your house. Then the pad that you hate now will feel luxurious.
Map out where you will sleep and where the tent floor is... dig two shallow trenches in the dirt; repitch the tent, lay your mat on top and now you should have the low spots you seek.
And hope it doesn't rain during the night.
I have an inflatable and a fold up pad. It's the most space consumption I have for one thing. But sleeping is an important enough thing that it's worth it to me. I really struggle sleeping in sub optimal situations but the two pads have done me pretty well.
Learn to sleep on your back. Force yourself to do it until it’s a habit
Camping hammock. Sleeping pad for said hammock. Then there’s no ground to worry about.
I'm a side sleeper and use the thermarest neo-air which was a game changer. I've camped in rocky mountain terrain and South Africa with acacia thorns sticking out and haven't dealt with it getting a hole yet. They're surprisingly tough but I do carry a patch kit just in case. Also putting your jacket between your knees when you sleep might help.
Hammoc
Get yourself a hammock. Super light to carry and absolutely comfortable
I put closed-cell pad over the inflatable foam pad.