Sleeping under the stars

[kastles]

Anyone out there sleep under the stars? I cannot do it. I tried on the weekend with a tent set up just in case and when the coyotes started in, I moved into the tent. Also had a small worry about my sleeping bag catching on fire. Nylon and all that. Would wool be a good alternative?

[doubled]

Not sure but will find out soon. Guy from work wants to take me to his honey hole but it is a good walk in and apparently we walk in that afternoon, sleep in our ground blinds and wake up shooting the next morn. Excited as hell but also wondering a bit about it as well.

[elkdom]

anything that can harm ya' outside your tent,,,
can harm ya' even if your inside your tent,,,

once inside your tent you more resemble a "BURRITO" or one of those "CHICKEN" wraps from McDonalds,,, kinda like a "Packaged Lunch" :shock:

[Gateholio]

I try to avoid it if I am going to get wet, other than that,I am fine with it and have spent many nights sleeping under the stars. I prefer a ligth tarp to keep off dew and in case it does shower during the night, though.

On a clear night the stars/moon can be too bright and keep you up late, too!:-P

[landphil]

anything that can harm ya' outside your tent,,,
can harm ya' even if your inside your tent,,,

once inside your tent you more resemble a "BURRITO" or one of those "CHICKEN" wraps from McDonalds,,, kinda like a "Packaged Lunch" :shock:

I'm sure the confidence level just went WAY up! I feel much safer inside a tent since I won't see what is eating me!

[coyotejoe]

I love it! Quite often I have slept under the stars. Sleeping near a stream is nice. But most importantly, on a personal level, I usually like to pick a spot near large douglas firs, and fallen trees in the close background; I imagine it helps me know if something is close, or stalking me. I have usually only encountered rodents, raccoons, and skunks that sculk around. Coyotes, you no reason to fear them, they're just small dogs...lol...
Oh yeah, and sleep with a loaded rifle close by, and a dependable blade under your pillow...and lastly I dont recommend going comando...lol

[MikeH]

I've slept many nights under the stars .A down feathered bag that's rated to at least -20 and a gortex liner to keep dry also thin foam mattress (ones you buy from MEC) to put space between you and the ground.Insulation from the ground and comfy there's no need for fire or be so close that your worried about going up! My rifle is ready and right beside me for that special something.:twisted:

[Ramshot]

Don't let it bother you! You got the gun use it if you have too. I shot a mountain goat an hour before dark about half a day hike from the truck and we had to finish caping and deboning meat with headlamps on a shale slide. Got down into the main valley about an hour after dark. Figured we better stick out the night in a small pasture below some avalanche slides. Too dangerous sidehilling in the dark with a pack load of goat meat, head and cape. We built a fire u could see with google earth and stuck it out( October 20th in the Beaverfoot river country!) Had every bit of clothes on in our packs. Our water bottles were froze solid next morning and rifle stocks had thick layer of frost on them. All night we would turn with front to fire then our backs. Lots of burn holes in camo but when I look at that 9 inch billy with full cape I think of the night we spent out under the stars:smile:. Ramshot. Oh yeah, I had my pack about twenty feet behind me with goat meat and my Sako 7mm STW pointed at it all night!

[thecoug]

I'm sure the confidence level just went WAY up! I feel much safer inside a tent since I won't see what is eating me!

Guess nobody saw the bear special on Discovery Channel the other night.. Showed a griz taking a tent and the human dummy (mannaquin) off into the bush and then chowing down on the dummy... Motels are looking a lot more appealing in my senior years!!! I spend a lot of time in bear territory and have had a few interesting up close experiences (other than stalk and shooting them) This documentary was a bit disturbing..but informative nonetheless..

[RBH]

Do you know Don?? Don Worry! My dog (God rest his soul) didn't like sleeping out either. Always liked to be under cover. So maybe it is instinct. Same with our gerbil. You're in good company. :smile:

[landphil]

and lastly I dont recommend going comando...lol

That statement is pure gold especially in mosquito or black fly season:!::!:

[kastles]

I keep my Dominion Arm Grizzley right next to me. I know in my head I have nothing to worry from coyotes but when I hear them way up the valley I got no problem. When I'm closing my eyes and they start singing down the valley and a heck of a lot closer(like they were warming themselves by my fire) then I moved into the tent. Just in case.

[denali]

This summer I had a chance to sleep next to a fire for three days on the West Coast Trail. Nothing beats having beach sand under your back, watching the starlit sky in awe, and hearing the waves crash while toasting next to burning cedar. Had the best sleep since I can remember. Fortunately, the only predator I had to worry about was a weasel that was getting a little bit too frisky with my leather boots.

I have a hennessy hammock that I use for backpacking, but lately I've been getting the creeps thinking what would happen if a g-bear actually wondered into camp during the night while I hung there like an oversized rump-roast :shock:

[endtimerwithabow]

my oldest (11 yrs) likes survivorman alot and wants to sleep in a leanto or a stick tent this fall. im planing on bringing a tent just incase "he":wink: gets spoked.

[Foxtail]

This summer I had a chance to sleep next to a fire for three days on the West Coast Trail. Nothing beats having beach sand under your back, watching the starlit sky in awe, and hearing the waves crash while toasting next to burning cedar. Had the best sleep since I can remember. Fortunately, the only predator I had to worry about was a weasel that was getting a little bit too frisky with my leather boots.

I have a hennessy hammock that I use for backpacking, but lately I've been getting the creeps thinking what would happen if a g-bear actually wondered into camp during the night while I hung there like an oversized rump-roast :shock:


I've done the west coast trail twice. The first time I slept in a tent. the second time I just brought a tarp and a lot of twine. Just laying the tarp over the sleeping bag does nothing to keep the dew off. Got pretty creative with the tarp over the next few days. There are some predators, 2 people were stalked by a cougar on the second day. Seen a lot of cougar tracks on the beach. The mice were a bit of a pain trying to get into the sleeping bag at night too... crawled up onto my face a couple times. The first night the 2 guys that maintained the trail brought us a load of crab for dinner. When we got to the narrows the guy running the boat said that the 2 fellows died in the cabin that same night after their propane heater went out and filled the cabin with propane and suffocated them. I kind of felt wierd about that ever since.

[Amphibious]

hide inside your tent! nylon is a rabid zombie yote's kryptonite!

I'll sleep inside a tent if the weather or insects demand it, otherwise, under the stars it is.

[frenchbar]

Under the stars ..in a tent ..i dont worry about animals tearing me a new asshole,if thats the way i go out ,then so be it, i rest easy at night...

[835]

Just watch out for the rabid field mice....Their brutal

[wolverine]

I used to do it in the summer months but I can't in the winter. Now especially since getting older it's too hard on the joints. The biggest problem for me is a sleeping bag. I use an XL bag because of the width of my shoulders. Regular size bags are too restrictive for me and make me crazy and it seems the best bags for sleeping under the stars are mummy bags. No way in hell I could even get into one of those things. I used to enjoy it though. There is something intensely spiritual about gazing into the universe and falling asleep. Sure makes you feel small and insignificant. That's probably a good thing from time to time.

[M.Dean]

In my younger days I slept on my Land Rover, in my Land Rover and under it, I've slept on picnic tables, under picnic tables, beside the fire, in the fire and a few times on fire! I've slept in a tarp, under a tarp and trapped by a tarp!!! If your sleeping outside, sleep in a rubber raft, dam comfortable! I have a real old down sleeping bag my step father gave me, you need a truck to get it into the bush, but it's good for about 25 below, and my rifle go's in the bag with me! The only thing worst than bears or beening eaten alive is getting out of the toasty warm bag before daylight and getting the fire going!!! Ramshot, were you with G.S. on that goat hunt?

[Chuck]

I also just love sleeping under the stars. It's the things that make strange unidentifiable sounds that make star-gazing an all night experience. But come daylight then sleep comes easy.

[Scottish Warrior]

Every time I sleep under the stars I wish I was in a tent; I know it's no protection from bears...that's what guns are for.

I just find the dew, rodents, moisture and dirt/mud really annoying. A good quality one-man tent and sleeping pad are pretty damn compact and well worth the trouble for me.

TIP. If its cold/damp leave your doors flaps open a little and leave a candle lantern with a 12 hour beeswax candle burning all night. Candle lanterns are safe and your only fear is a little dripped wax if you tip it on it's side. Provides a little heat and keeps a lot (all sometimes) of the condensation at bay

[Nimrod]

For years I've slept on the ground in a gore-tex bivy sack... very very comfortable. I have a -20 down bag I've slept in -18 inside the bivy totally snug...getting out to get dressed and put your boots on is not very fun and keeping your boots and clothing dry is a pain in a torrential rain, but in the bivy no problems. Except when it's time for a piss...I always wait till the last minute until it's critical then almost rip the bag trying to get out.
One year Steel Head fishing on the Copper river I was awoken from a deep sleep when I thought something was on me !!! was a bit dazed and confused from the sleep, it was totally dark so I listened and after a bit heard some rustling...quickly got the head lamp and looked around, off the the side there was a Red Fox sitting looking at me, I tosses a rock over at him and he took off. I looked at the top of the Bivy and there was muddy paw prints on the top of the bag...little bugger jumped on my chest.
A few times I've heard foot steps around me in the dark, but never been touched, and never a problem getting back to sleep.

The best night under the stars was the day I shot the sheep in my avatar, I was solo hunting and slept in the bivy on a alpine ridge in one of those grassy sheep beds, it was Sept. it was super warm and the sky was clear, had the top of the bivy open and watched one of the best displays of northern lights for hours. I was pretty wired and was in heaven watching the display with the sweet odor of sheep fat still on me.

[ratherbefishin]

slept out in a tent lots,and with moose quarters hanging in a tree, but I got a camper this year,saves on the cleaning bills for taking your sleeping bags in after you hear something moving outside and a piece of canvass all of a sudden doesn't sound like much of a barrier...

[Brambles]

I prefer a Tent, easier to keep dry, good place to put gear, and the grizzly proof Nylon shell is hard to beat

[bsa30-06]

I prefer a Tent, easier to keep dry, good place to put gear, and the grizzly proof Nylon shell is hard to beat

Oh i see you spent extra and bought one made from that new space age grizzly proof material....let us know how that works out for ya!lol:lol:

[canucks6]

sometimes sleeping under the stars is safer. set up camp one mornin and hiked up a shute to a basin with a lake. spotted a nice buck close to dark, so not wanting to make that hike again spent the night on the hill. returned to camp the next night to find my cooler drug out from under my truck, my tent tore to hell, air mattress without air, and no food left, looked like a war zone. hungry old bear cost me alot of money. oh yeah i didnt see that buck again and i never found my carton of milk.
i still like to hunt alone and i still sleep like a baby.

[granpa's_303]

I just got back from a solo 2 day, under the stars. I hike in (I drive a beat up Saab, not reccommended for forestry roads) so I figure saving as much of my load limit for packin' meat is best. I sleep in a Canadian military parka with a huge hood, better than most sleeping bags I've tried. I also love Surviorman, and build ridiculous shelters. Next time I won't sweat up all my clothes and waste precious hunting hours, a 1 man pop tent is small, light, and inexpensive. Tent or no tent i'll be spooning with my 30-06, Sasquatch is frisky this time of year but my farts scare away everything else. Last winter I camped near a water resevoir way the f* out in Alberta, every morning there were fresh wolf tracks around the camp, that was freaky, but again... farts. (you know you do it too).

[whitetailsheds]

I prefer a Tent, easier to keep dry, good place to put gear, and the grizzly proof Nylon shell is hard to beat

Must be that "rip stop" nylon. Could never figure out why they called it that. Never knew it was grizz proof. Thanks, Brambles! Man...I'm gonna sleep better now....

[Brambles]

I usually hang my socks, old undies or poly pro shirt on the tent at night if that makes any difference. I pitty the animal that takes a whiff.

Definitly adds to the factory installed grizzly proofing

[GoatGuy]

Put the ear plugs in and go to sleep. If you're worried about bears take a dog.

[TIKA 300]

One of the last times i slept under the stars was out Harrison East,well past the turn off to Nahatlach.Went there on purpose,it was a full moon on a summer night.After a few pops i couldnt stay awake anymore,so into the back of the truck i crawl.Woke up around 1-1:30ish to the moon in the wide open,laying there in awe of seeing trees a couple hundred yards away, being able to count the branches from the light,brightest ive ever seen the moon.....

Tents
Last fall waiting for my mom and step dad to show up,i had 2 flat spots for the wall tent.One was a larger area,but needed to be open for their truck,trailer,quad,etc.This left me the second option," the base of the hill,so of course this is spot with THE ONLY game trail moving thru this area......
Set up the tent and at night was expecting to at least here something trip over the ropes,but fortunately never did....I would still be cleaning my shorts....:oops::oops:

[Squamch]

I've spent a couple nights prepared under the stars with canadian forces issue shelter half/bivy bag, that was allright, even when it rained. I prefer to bring a 10x12 tarp and have enough space to make a little Aframe, way more comfy under that than in a bivy bag.
I did spend a night under the stars without anything but dirtbike gear early this year. Was not a comfortable night, but it wasn't a terrible one either thanks to knowing how to prepare for a night in the bush with nothing, shelter, water, etc.