Sleeping alone in the backcountry

[jkthomps]

[ghosthunter]

I sleep a lot better in my tent now ,since some of my hearing is gone.

The best sleep I get is in a tent hunting.

[WAnoob]

My wife and I's bedroom is like a tomb compared to the nighttime noise level in the backcountry.  It's a little annoying to have to listen to ants hiccupping far off in the distance the first night or two before everything normalizes. 

Seriously though, you might think about bringing a good dog with you.  It used to take me a while to doze off on solo trips, but I sleep like a baby on my scouting trips with the four legged perimeter alarm...except for the rare occasion where he rudely charges off into the dark of night with hackles raised and teeth gnashing.  Then the G20 with TLR3 close to hand is mighty comforting.

  I used to bring my golden retriever scouting for sheep in Alaska in heavy bear country. Definitely put my mind at ease, more than a few times he detected bears well before we encountered them, most likely saved me from a bad encounter.  I used tylenol PM religiously when I hunted with my dad as his snoring would collapse the tent walls.

[Shawn Ryan]

Not an issue for me. Had a racoon crawl across my head one night I chose to sleep near a small stream with no tent. Howling wolves on a kill about 1/2 mile away didn't keep me awake, but they did shut up the elk. Spoiled the fun of that hunt.

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[DTaylor86]

I have to be in a tent so there is at least something between me and whatever else and I sleep much better on trips where I have packed a side arm along.

[REHJWA]

I woke up 2 summers ago to a damn mouse running across my face. That was my first and last floorless shelter.

Squirrel!  Was as big as a bear! He must have tight-roped the hammock line at my foot end. Then he decided to get to the tree at my head end via the bridge. No slowing down to pay the toll. Bastage rain right across my face. I've got scars to prove it!
 

Listening to Wolves near and far have kept me awake for hours.

I don't use plastic tent pegs anymore.. Mice like to chew on them. In the dead of night, that's quite noisy.

Oh... Hint to everyone.  If you hike in in the dark and find a nice flat spot to lay out your mat, bivy and bag,  DO NOT lay yourself down to sleep IN a Deer Trail!  Did you know that at 4:am waking to several mule deer does, stomping, coughing, jumping can nearly give a guy a heart attack?

I've heard large animals right outside my tent.  So, yeah.. I could be tired as heck but I sleep pretty light in the back country. I may nap during the day.   

-Steve

I can sleep through helicopters landing 50 yards away, C5s and C17s with in 300 yards but a mouse chewing on a tent stake wakes me every time....

Last trip had three get stuck in an empty 5 gal bucket and had to get up each time because they would jump up and land with a THUMP until I tossed them out....finally just turned the bucket over around midnight to get some sleep....

[Magnum_Willys]

Put water in bucket !

[REHJWA]

Put water in bucket !

It was late...

[zike]

Mice, had one get in the walls of my Motor home. He started chewing on the wall above the bed. It sounded like Bugs bunny chewing on a carrot, pound on the wall and he'd stop til I almost fell asleep. Then start up again, I had my .44 cocked, but couldn't put a hole in the wall. Loaded the place with decon and ended his rain of terror.

[Utah]

I do better sleeping alone in the mountains then I do hiking through the brush in the dark. Via headlamp.  My favorite nights in the backcountry are heavy thunder storms and heavy rain.   Drown's out the sound of zombie's.  Just wait until you know your alone and start hearing voices!   

[Magnum_Willys]

I do better sleeping alone in the mountains then I do hiking through the brush in the dark. Via headlamp.  My favorite nights in the backcountry are heavy thunder storms and heavy rain.   Drown's out the sound of zombie's.  Just wait until you know your alone and start hearing voices!   

now that would freak me worse than any bear.........

[RadSav]

Statistically I am safer in my tent in the back country than I am behind the wheel in my truck.  I sleep great.  I do worry about mice chewing holes in my expensive sleeping bag and pad, but beyond that no worries.

[GoldenOscar]

The Bivy sack 6 inches in front of my face for some reason gives me the willies, like being blindfolded. I got a nice lite one man tent and being able to see and move my arms makes me feel a little safer against the things that go bump in the night. I always have the flashlight and pistol close at hand I do still get creeped out on occasion... If I am not hunting big game I always have my dog and that is the best alarm ever.

[7mmfan]

I used to bring my golden retriever scouting for sheep in Alaska in heavy bear country. Definitely put my mind at ease, more than a few times he detected bears well before we encountered them, most likely saved me from a bad encounter.  I used tylenol PM religiously when I hunted with my dad as his snoring would collapse the tent walls.

This is my deal. My dad snores so flippin loud! When I was kid I just passed out and that was that. As I've gotten older, its tougher to fall asleep. Dad doesn't seem to have any problem falling asleep, he does it mid sentence. Going to try ear plugs and Tylenol PM this year I guess.

[bradslam]

One time in Wyoming, I woke up to a black bear's snout pushing on my leg through the tent.  Let me tell you, it is not a good way to wake up.