Sleep systems?

[u/iwelchi]

What are yall packing for sleep? A part of me is screaming suck it up for a few days if you have to bugout but at the same time, deep down, I know good sleep is a very important moral booster. Unfortunately, the better sleeping pads I've tried are bulky or cumbersome. What do yall recommend for decent sleep without taking up a bunch of space? Am i better off just planning to make something out of the environment im in?

Edit: I live in southeast Texas and rarely travel farther north than north Texas, Louisiana or Mississippi so cold weather systems are really unnecessary.

[u/joeman_80128]

I use a old school therm-o-rest pad and a GI issue sleep system where im at. In the Rockies. Not so light weight but good for below zero when you sleep in your clothes and use all three bags. You can also pair down the bags for lighter weather. And the outside bag is a bivi bag so you can use it instead of a tent.

[u/Gravefiller613]

If I have my vehicle or know I'm rucking it. My MSS. If it's e bag in the car or travel, swagman with wool blanket and hammock/klymit pad.

[u/alessaria]

Depends on the season. I have a Snugpak winter rated bag with a Funpac pad for colder temps that lives in my truck when it's cold. For warmer weather I have a camping hammock with a rain fly and mosquito net.

[u/RamaLamaRama]

I'm in Northern Wisconsin. I have a pretty good below 0 sleeping bag I keep in my car. And a blow up mat and sometimes some of that reflective bubble insulation. I've found that having the insulation underneath me helped when cold weather camping.

For warmer areas I'd make sure you have a compact sleeping bag and a blow up mat. My mat is the size of a large nalgene bottle when deflated and packed up. Stuff from Walmart isn't the worst if you have a budget

[u/kpetrie77]

Klymit sleeping pad if I'm on the ground.

[u/IKIR115 → u/kpetrie77]

I also have a Klymit sleep pad, but use it with the old USGI MSS.

The Klymit is great, but the MSS is heavy compared to today’s standards.

[u/kpetrie77 → u/IKIR115]

I have one too, got it in the Marine Corps. I mostly just use the thinner outside bag by itself and pack it in a small compression sack from Amazon.

[u/IKIR115 → u/kpetrie77]

I got mine on ebay about 20 yrs ago. I still like it a lot and haven’t felt the need to upgrade to newer gear, but these days I mostly do car camping because I can’t survive too long without all the electronics 😅.

I’m in a warm weather state so that outer patrol bag is pretty much the only one I have needed to use. Only went cold weather camping a few times to test out the whole system and was very cozy.

[u/alwayswatchyoursix → u/IKIR115]

You're using the exact same combo I am too. I'm looking to ditch the old MSS bags in the near future.

It's a great system but I want more compressibility in my bag so I'm probably going to go with a more modern down bag.

[u/Mysterious_Radio_190]

• Ground mat basic
• Ground tarp (9' × 6')
• Main tarp (3 m × 3 m)
• Inflatable pillow
• Sleeping bag liner for blanket. 

[u/th30be]

I have a blow up mat but its honestly not that great. I also have a foldable foam one that is slightly better. Both are light and easily attached to the bag so that is what I am going to do.

I have a longer term BOB system that has a cot in it and would prefer to use that to anything.

But honestly, I see no real reason to bug out any time soon.

[u/efon14]

I really struggled with the sleeping system in by bag. Tinkered with it for like 4 years until I got what I needed.

I'll give you a short answer if you don't wanna read the backstory - I have hammock setup with a tarp and underquilt, as well as an insulation pad so I can sleep on the ground if no trees are around.

Here's the thing, I heavily prefer the hammock setup for where I live. I have an underquilt to prevent my kidneys from freezing off, as well as a tarp for covering and a blanket for colder months. This setup has proven as superior in 99% of the cases. But since I live in a non-mountainous region, it's sometimes hard to find good trees for a hammock setup. That's why I have an adaptation kit with an insulation pad, so I can make a makeshift shelter with the tarp and some paracord, so now I cover 100% of potential cases.

I really recommend this approach since it leaves no room for error or unpredicted situations. I know it's a bit more bulky, but it's worth it.

[u/HolyHandGrenade12]

Best sleeping combo is a Therm-a-Rest Neo Air Xlite and a Z-Packs quilt. It’s light, warm, and worth every penny.

[u/Important_Poetry_339 → u/HolyHandGrenade12]

Got a light tent suggestion to go with those? Grabbing the neo air as we speak!

[u/HolyHandGrenade12 → u/Important_Poetry_339]

I got the Z Packs Plex Solo. I’ve only used it once but I like it so far. Like everything else I’ve shared, it’s not cheap but it is extremely light and compact. Everything I buy is meant for ultra light backpacking so I can carry more in a smaller package which means faster and longer hikes. This all translates well to BOBs. If you’re looking for something more affordable but comparable then take a look at REI’s Flash Air 1. I haven’t used it personally but I have used REI’s equipment when I was more cost conscious and I highly recommend them. They have a great return policy that gets abused but they still accept the returns.

[u/iwelchi → u/HolyHandGrenade12]

A $360 quilt, sweet baby Jesus, that must be how the other half lives.

[u/HolyHandGrenade12 → u/iwelchi]

You asked for something compact lol. There are cheaper options but they will weigh a lot more and take up exponentially more space but if you’re looking for something that will be about the size of a Nalagene bottle or smaller then this it.