Sleepmaxxing on the Appalachian Trail

Sleep is an incredibly important part of any hike. Mental, emotional, and physical challenges can be alleviated with a good night’s sleep. As I fine-tuned my sleep system and discovered new techniques to help me get quality rest on the AT, I thought I’d share my findings with the world.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I am a hammocker. This isn’t going to be more «pro-hammock» propaganda, but maybe you’ll be curious about hammocks in the end 😉

Birthday Sunset Views

1. Stay warm (but not too warm)

It is difficult to build a sleep system that will work perfectly in all the temperatures you will encounter on the AT.

On my second night on the trail, it was so cold that I slept in all my layers, buff, and gloves. I could still feel the wind pass through my tarp and quilts. I’m pretty sure I burned more calories shivering than walking that day. I also had one or two nights where I was so hot that I wore only my shirt and shorts, pushing the quilt aside until midnight.

Go to bed on a cold night

I aimed for a middle ground with my quilts: not too hot and not too cold. I have noticed that my top quilt and my 20 degree inner quilt have been a little cold on the colder nights, although the weather is warming up quickly. I have been very comfortable as it has been warming up.

Go to bed on a comfortable night

Meanwhile, the back panel of my pack also doubles as a torso pad, providing enough additional insulation to keep me comfortable on cooler nights.

Inner quilt and torso pad to insulate the bottom.

2. Choose a good camping site

Where to set up camp is a personal decision. Some people like to sleep with friends, while others prefer solitude. Some people want to see the sunrise, while others prefer to stay hidden in the forest.

Personally, I try to maximize wind protection while also staying away from people I don’t know well enough to trust not to snore. Typically, that means avoiding exposed peaks and campsites whenever possible.

Quiet and protected campsite

I highly recommend camping near streams and streams when possible. The best night’s sleep I’ve had so far was at the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter along Mill Creek. The moving water produced a natural white noise that put me into a deeper sleep than anything else. It was like I was in a trance and getting out of bed was difficult in the morning.

3. Create a bedtime routine

Getting into the right mindset is important if I want to sleep well at night. Before bed, I like to take off my socks and let my feet breathe, eat some dessert, and journal about my day from inside my hammock.

It may go without saying, but brushing your teeth and using the bathroom before bed is especially important on the trail. Some people are so tired that they skip these steps, only to wake up later and have to leave their shelter.

Earplugs are also incredibly useful for blocking out snoring and late-night talking. They can even help you if you are paranoid about animals or bothered by noisy mosquitoes. Out of earshot, out of mind.

I’m guilty of snacking every night in my bed.

Finally, take your hiking vitamins of choice before bed to maximize recovery, and elevate your feet with your pack to help reduce swelling overnight.

4. Sleep the way your body wants

Naturally, people sleep better in certain positions. I sleep on both my side and my back, and I can do both comfortably in my hammock.

It is important to adopt your preferred sleeping position early. If you sleep on your side, don’t spend half the night trying to force yourself to lie on your back. Build a sleep system that works with your body instead of fighting against it.

5. Check the sleep system

This is my first hike using the Dutchware Chameleon. In the past, I’ve used a hammock with horizontal bars which gave it a more bed-like feel. I ditched that setup for something lighter and so far I’ve still been able to sleep comfortably.

Speed ​​up setup

I thought one of the easiest ways to maximize sleep was to spend less time setting up camp. The standard configuration process looks like this:

1. Wrap tree straps
2. hang the hammock
3. Wrap tarp line
4. put the tarp

I wanted to reduce that to three steps, so I tied the tarp line directly to the coiled end of my tree straps. That way I’ll only wrap something around the tree once.

Once the straps are on, I hang the hammock and then attach one end of the tarp to the line, tightening lightly before repeating the process on the other side. Then I pick up the tarp and tighten the ties into place.

The downside is that setting up the tarp first during the rain becomes a little more complicated because you need to set up the hammock to fully tension the tarp. It can still be done with practice, but when it rains a lot, I usually abandon this method and go back to normal by untying the canvas lines from the hammock straps.

The normal way to set up my hammock and tarp. I only do this when it rains

Lighten the load

One way to save weight and time is by leaving out unnecessary comforts.

My hammock is designed for diagonal sleeping and includes head and foot tie-downs. Since I’m only 5’4″, I found that I can sleep comfortably without them and don’t really experience the dreaded banana shape. This means less bets, fewer lines, and less things to play with at the end of the day.

Likewise, I use a short length Loco Libre quilt top and a medium length Warbonnet quilt top. Less weight and bulk to handle while sleeping comfortably.

Short quilt (and delicious macaroni and cheese)

Adapt to the rain

Back in North Carolina, I was packing after a long night of rain and was excited to discover that all my belongings were dry. I put everything in my dry bag and then turned my attention to the tarp, which was soaked.

I stuffed the heavy, wet tarp into its bag and placed it in the outside mesh pocket of my backpack, hoping it would dry during the day. It wasn’t like that. Instead, it wet more of my equipment.

I can fit 4 people under my tarp to cook dinner in the rain.

I realized early on that if I could improve anything, it would be the canvas storage system. I replaced the standard duffel bag with a snakeskin, a double-sided mesh cover that stays attached to the duffel. It makes deployment faster and allows airflow when I have to pack up a wet tarp after a storm.

I bought one at Trail Days and it has already made setups in rainy conditions noticeably easier. I highly recommend this kit to anyone using a tarp.

Final thoughts

There is no perfect sleep setting on the AT.

Some nights you will be cold. Some nights you will be wet. Some nights you will be surrounded by snorers that sound like a lawnmower.

Ultimately, the better your sleep system is, the better you will recover from all the other nonsense the trail throws at you.

How many people can fit in a 1 person tent?

Rose, Thorn, Bud

Pink

One of my friends from college visited me for a few days and it was so much fun! He kept up with the hikers and loved the trail.

Thanks for coming, Lynn!

Thorn

A bold mouse chewed two large holes in my hammock net. I’m trying to repair the holes but may just replace the entire bug net.

Outbreak

Shenandoah, here we come 🙂