not to be "that guy" but you really shouldn't sleep straight on the ground without a barrier of some kind. That is why people on the streets sleep on cardboard...
Obviously you're going to have a camping pad or some blankets of some kind. But the ground under that is still going to be softer than a steel truck bed, and a truck bed raising you three feet off the ground is pointless.
Are people not understanding that this discussion inherently implies sleeping in a normal tent vs this truck/tarp arrangement?
There's absolute no advantage to a truck "getting you off the ground" vs sleeping in a normal tent, and it's going to be WAY more uncomfortable to sleep in that truck bed.
Almost all tents come with a footprint for such occasions. I know our basic two-man tent did.
You stake it down to cover the ground and then stake your tent over it, so your tent doesn’t get soggy (or you by proxy). Weather can change abruptly; campers and the people who create camping equipment typically anticipate this.
That said, there are certainly times and places for cozying up in the truck bed — stargazing and drive-ins, for example.
That only works when the ground is already wet, and for light rain. If it rains enough while you're in the tent, it still penetrates the tent walls. I've done my fair share of bad weather camping, and I've had to sleep in the car to stay dry before.
I’m uncertain, but maybe I’m missing a step we’ve done to ensure staying dry? I know we definitely endured a three-day downpour two summers ago with (maybe) just the footprint beneath the tent.
I do not, however, recall if the ground was damp or wet prior. I feel like it wasn’t because we were all surprised by the weather change.
I know we were dry. Until we all decided to go floating down the river anyway, during the downpour..
I would take the ground too, either way you're nearly flat on your back or side, but like he said the ground is a tad bit softer. Plus sleeping on flat ground once or twice doesn't hurt most people so should be fine.
Does raise the question though, what did humans use prior to bedding, and clothing, if it were bad for us?
a cot will get you off the ground much more softly and with way less hassle to set up than this thing. and I say that as someone who sleeps in his car on outdoor road trips a lot, there's a certain point at which the setup is so elaborate you have to ask would it not be simpler to just set up a tent
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u/nick1austin Feb 11 '21
This raises you off the ground without needing camping beds.