I want sticky camping...not slippy camping!

[mattburgess]

Hi all,
Had my second ever solo overnighter in a wood this weekend. Something that bothers me with bushy craft camping, and camping generally, is the fact that most of your sleeping kit (well mine any way) is slippy...you know slippy nylon sleeping bags, thermarest mats, ground sheets etc. This leads to the dreaded 'slipping down to the corner of your tent in the middle of night' syndrome. Level ground is desirable but not always possible and even when it is level I can somehow manage to make my way across the tent! Must be a fidgety sleeper!
Any of you creative people out there have thoughts on this, or come up with solutions? I still want to make my kit as light as possible.
Ta,
Matt

 

[Goatboy]

When the old Therm-A-Rests came out they were incredibly slippy. A way I found to overcome this (though not pretty) was to put little dabs of Shoe-Gue or similar on the mat. Once dry it retains a tacky feel and stopped me sliding all over the tent. Hope this helps.

ATB,
GB.

 

[mattburgess]

nice and simple - like it!

 

[Orchard]

Dabs of silicone sealant's good too mate, dilute and blitz with artist's/odourless white spirit

 

[Goatboy]

nice and simple - like it!

A bit like me then! Doesn't add any noticeable weight either unless you go crazy. I did find over time that a couple of stripes of glue near the hip stopped even more movement. If you want to make them neat make a mask of tape like duct or insulating tape. But remember to remove it carefully when the glue is still soft or it will never come off!

 

[Robbi]

I have a really sticky self inflating sleeping mat, you won't move during the night. I'll try and find the make if your interested.

 

[tom.moran]

tree sap, gives a nice aroma too

 

[mattburgess]

yes pls Robbi - that would be helpful

 

[mattburgess]

Liking the adhesive approaches - no new kit. But will it get silly sticky? I've got a scene in my head of 'carry on camping' with one big mass of tent, pots, mats, sleeping bags etc, with a pair of legs sticking out the bottom!

 

[Goatboy]

Liking the adhesive approaches - no new kit. But will it get silly sticky? I've got a scene in my head of 'carry on camping' with one big mass of tent, pots, mats, sleeping bags etc, with a pair of legs sticking out the bottom!

Nah the glue just feels tacky, a bit like the grips you get on the palms and fingers of some gloves.

 

[Robbi]

http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/camping-equipment/unbranded-artiach-skin-mat-3.asp

Here ya go, brilliant non_slip sleeping mats

 

[nurvware]

Look for a roll of the grip stuff on mini cab dashboards, often found in aldi

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

 

[GGTBod]

You could put away the tent and matts and save them for bleaker times and try other methods, this is my preference, i also have a tarp as part of this setup but it only goes up when the rain comes down badly, i don't like to spoil my view of the night sky



total weight is 7 kilo on that setup inc tarp (sleeping bag is under the bivvy in the pic, i reverse caterpillar in once i'm in the sleeping bag), i've found you just can't beat the night sky being your ceiling, even when the tarp goes up i make sure i can see it from my sleeping position, hate having to use my tents so much it nearly puts me off going out at all

 

[Clouston98]

I'm the one who wakes up the wron way round so their feet poking out from the shelter with bits of stuff on them! I'm a very restless sleeper and my dad said when we were out once he woke up to find me tapping him saying get of my matt! Except he wasn't (or so he said ). These days I use a bivvy inside a tent, quite daft but I've spent nights out when the bottles of water have Ice in the next day so staying on my mat and in the shelter is important!

Hope this helps .

 

[Shewie]

total weight is 7 kilo on that setup inc tarp

How heavy is the cot bed you have, I've been trying to find a lightweight one but they seem to start around 5kg

 

[GGTBod]

4kilo for the bed, 2.2k for the sleeping bag, mossy net, tarp and bivvi the rest, when i bought the cot it was listed at being 6.5kilo but it turned out the seller had listed the gross weight of the postage package, i was ready to be carrying it at the 6.5k

 

[mattburgess]

Wow, I've never thought of taking a bed with me! Looks comfy!

 

[John Fenna]

Leave out the tent - then you cannot slide into a corner of it!
I use a hammock - hard to slide out of - or stretcher bed - equally hard to slide out of - or ground dwell and look for depressions that I cannot slide out of!

 

[GGTBod]

I used one originally to make it easier on my back problems i was having and it is so supportive it helped ease them in general and you can't roll out of it, worth its weight by far to me

 

[Gweedo]

I bought a cheap fleece blanket in the supermarket and stitched up a simple cover for my thermarest with it. Stick your inflated mat inside it and hey presto, no slippage. The added advantage is that on warm nights you can just sleep on the mat with your unzipped bag as a sort of duvet.