Sleeping outside - camp beds? mattresses? tents?

RainbowsInTheSpray

It's become unbearable in the house at nights with the heat lately, I'm sure many will agree.

I've been thinking of some solution involving our back garden. Has anyone got further along this path and maybe now able to recommend some way of doing this in comfort.

JGB1955

I've taken to dozing in my hammock (slung under a pergola) until the early hours. Bliss!

teaselMay

Tents tend to get very hot during the day unless it's one that can be opened on both sides so that there's a good through flow of air.

Sleeping in the open would be coolest, although you'll likely end up covered in dew, not overly unpleasant at the moment! A reflective tarp slung between poles/trees/the washing line would work well as a shelter still allowing air flow or a gazebo or event shelter if you have one.

I spent a lovely few hours in the dogs' bed under the parasol in the small hours

Bettie

Bit wary about going in my garden at night since I saw a badger on my trailcam rooting around. He must have climbed a fence to get in. plus foxes, squirrels, rats and every cat in the neighbourhood.

Emmia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82066876#Comment_82066876

And the slugs and snails...

QrizB

I've been thinking of some solution involving our back garden. Has anyone got further along this path and maybe now able to recommend some way of doing this in comfort.

Are you new to camping in general?

I've camped, on and off, since I was five years old or so, we've camped as a family intermittently for the past 29 years, and I've probably got enough kit for a small jamboree.

My patio faces a bit west of south and is shaded in the morning. If I was to try sleeping outside I'd probably try putting a camp bed on the patio. The advantages include:

• Easy access to the house via the patio doors
• A hard standing, so fewer worms, slugs and insects
• Shaded in the morning so you're not woken up by full sunshine at 5am.

If you don't have a convenient patio, a well-ventilated tent (or as has been previously suggested, a hammock under a pergola) would be my next choice. I'd prefer a camp bed over an air mattress over a foam pad. If you're sleeping on the ground, try to choose a level patch with few lumps, holes or rocks; you'll feel them through a foam pad but even an air mattress or camping bed is better when not on a slope!

I'd use a sleeping bag or blankets as (at least around here) temperatures drop to the mid teens overnight and it's not nice to wake up shivering at 2am. Been there, done that.

Even on the shady side of a building, it gets light early outside. You might want to think about one of those eye shades you see airline passengers using on overnight flights.

Outdoors is also surprisingly noisy. You'll hear sounds you wouldn't expect; voices from up the street, traffic from a mile away. We're quite rural and I sometimes hear trains at night but the closest active rail line is at least five miles as the crow flies. Consider earplugs.

daveyjp

Just back from camping. No problem sleeping on an airbed, slept in baselayer clothing and a sleeping bag used like a duvet. Far cooler temperatures than being inside, but you will get dawn chorus at about 4am, so earplugs are a good idea if tpyou aren't used to it.

A more comfortable bed option is a carp fishing bed. We have had so many useless camping chairs, but carp fishing ones have been a much better option and after trying a bed briefly in store it was just as comfortable, but not very MSE!

elsien

I was camping last weekend and there was a lot of dew early morning on the tent so you would potentially wake up slightly damp as well.

gwynlas

It is a bit drastic to be sleeping outside unless you have camping gear already.

Why not consider ground floor kitchen or lounge with doors open using duvets/cushions for comfort with a light layer over you?

itsthelittlethings

A nice yurt will be expensive. Otherwise agree with a hammock although they are uncomfortable.