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Wild camping can be an absolute dream. The silence. The peace. The sunset and sunrise. Not another soul in sight. It's everything you could want and more. But despite this, wild camping isn't always conducive to a good night's sleep.
There's a whole bunch of things conspiring against you, such as cold temperatures, early sunrises, weak bladders, slippery sleeping mats and so on.
So to help you thrive on a wild camp, rather than just survive, here are some of our top tried-and-tested tips on how to get a good night sleep.
Just remember to stick to the wild camping code...
1. Do pre-bed exercises
Get your heart rate going by doing a set of star jumps or sit-ups. Heat radiating from your body will help warm up your sleeping bag quicker, too.
2. Load calories before bedtime
Munch on a calorific treat, like some chocolate, a handful of nuts or some of our favourite hiking snacks, to give your body some fuel for warmth through the night.
3. Make a makeshift hot water bottle
Fill a basic drinks bottle with hot water, then wrap it in an insulating layer or stuff it in a sock and give it a cuddle. Just triple check that you've sealed that thing up properly so you can avoid any accidents.
4. Line your sleeping bag
Sleeping bag liners weigh little, take up minimal space in your rucksack and are a quick way to add up to 10°C in warmth.
Plus, they'll keep your sleeping bag protected from all of the dirt, sweat and suncream that you've been coating yourself with throughout the day. This will extend the lifespan of your sleeping bag, but it also makes washing much easier, too, as you can just wash the liner rather than your down-filled cocoon.
Check out our list of the best sleeping bag liners for some shopping inspiration.
5. Warm up your extremities
Before you go to sleep, pull on a fresh pair of hiking socks, a woolly hat or beanie and pop on a pair of warm gloves, because your hands and feet get cold the fastest. A neck tube like a Buff can also be useful to wrap around your head and neck.
6. Get clever with mats
Some sleeping bags have elastic straps to slide around your sleeping mat so you don't slide off. But if you don't have this, and your sleeping bag is large enough, put your sleeping mat inside your sleeping bag to stop yourself rolling off onto the cold, hard floor.
And while we're on this topic, here's our list of the best sleeping mats on the market right now.
7. Fill empty space in your sleeping bag
If you really want to maximise your warm, stuff your spare clothes into the bottom of your sleeping bag. Less empty space means more warmth.
8. Pee prior to bed
There’s nothing worse than having to crawl out of a warm and cosy embrace in the middle of the night to relieve yourself outside the tent. Make sure you hydrate well through the day and early evening so the fluids can pass through you before you bed down – the last thing you want to do is down loads of water before settling down.
9. Get clever with your pillow
Having some sort of pillow can help transform your wild night out and help you get a solid eight hours. We know some people will stuff clothes into a dry bag, fold up a fleece jacket or use a packed up insulated jacket – and if that works, then great.
But the best camping pillows weigh so little these days (the lightest we've used is 56g) that you can pack one without it weighing you down or taking up much space. And if you do, here's a trick to help you keep it in place.
While you could slide it inside the hood of your sleeping bag if it's small enough, a better tactic is to slide a fleece over the top of your sleeping mat, slip the pillow between the fleece and your mat, and then tighten the fleece up to keep everything in place.
10. Take an eye mask
If you're camping in the height of summer you'll be dealing with bright evenings and very early sunrises. Pack an eye mask to help you protect those valuable eight hours of sleep, rather than waking up at the crack of dawn.
Just don't lie in for too long – you're meant to decamp early doors so other hikers or dog walkers don't stumble across you.
