CARINTHIA: PREMIER DEFENSE
Choosing the right sleep system
Getting away from everyday life comes in many forms,
and camping is one of those great adventure activities many of us do, to escape. Even though you are
camping with the intention of getting back to nature
in the outback, the bush, or by the beach, it doesn’t
mean you need to sacrifice a good night’s sleep. The
options for sleep systems are endless, and choosing
the right one for you is not something you need to
“lose sleep” over.
Damien Ewin from Premier Defence Agencies (Carinthia distributor) has a few pointers:
WHY YOU NEED THE RIGHT “SLEEP SYSTEM” WHEN ADVENTURING
Oddly enough, it’s the same reason that you have a good bed and coverings at home in order to
be rested for our best performance. Sleep recharges us and it requires being physically comfortable and temperature stable so that there is no disturbance or waking during the sleep period. Yes,
you can get by on four hours of rough sleep, but every day will get worse and your performance
and enjoyment will suffer, until you crash.
Getting your full period of undisturbed rest is the key to how you enjoy your adventure and this is
where your choice of sleep system comes into play. If you can get the quality rest you require, you
can run yourself ragged all day and be ready to do it again the next day, without much of a penalty. This is where your choice of sleeping bag, insulation mat and shelter come into play, and this
system can vary depending on the activity you’re engaged in. Whatever you’re doing, your system
still needs to get you you’re required rest.
THE TOP 5 THINGS YOU SHOULD TAKE WHEN CAMPING FOR A
GREAT NIGHT’S SLEEP
The easy ones are a quality insulating sleeping mat, and a well-designed
tent or bivouac bag. You can’t put your bag directly onto the ground or a
tent floor as where your body flattens the insulation; it stops working, so
you need some form of effective insulation. An external shelter allows for
more insulation and creates a microclimate around you.
Food is a must as it provides the energy to heat your body and the sleeping bag. Remember that the bag only traps your body heat, it can’t generate heat, and food, hot or cold, is what generates your body heat.
If you are going somewhere cold, and insulation jacket and trousers can
keep you out of your bag for longer as well as boost your bag rating if you
wear then to bed. They can also act as a pillow if you’re not wearing them.
Lastly, take a book. The paperback is not dead and it’s nice to escape into
a good story while you wait for sleep to overcome you!
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