Outdoor Sleeping - Sleeping without a Tent

Another alternative to not sleeping in your own house, hotel, or cabin is of course to simply sleep without any roof above your head. Most people who do this still bring a Sleeping Pad and a Sleeping Bag. Just lying down on the bare floor with your clothes as your only cover is not recommended even under the best of conditions.

People enjoy sleeping in the open air for the following reasons:

• First of all, it saves the hassle of carrying a Tent and setting it up at the end of the day. Although Tents are becoming lighter and smaller in pack sizes, having one is still a considerable load to carry with you.


• Having no roof above your head gives a unique sense of freedom and makes you part of nature at night. Especially the change from evening to night to dawn is something that is best witnessed without any roof. Many people who have had this experience will be able to tell you about its magic.


• Staying outside all night could bring you close into contact with the nocturnal wildlife that might just give you some (pleasant or unpleasant) late night surprises.


• Staying outside and hearing every single sound and seeing everything around you makes sleeping outside a more impressive experience than if you were covered by a Tent.

Of course, not using a Tent gives you the least protection from the elements so make sure to check the Weather Forecast and the night temperatures before considering a night in the open air. Also, check with the local experts for the presence of possibly threatening wildlife or swarms of mosquitoes. Even though they provide the best views, it would be better to avoid mountain tops. The increased wind and unreliability of the weather make them too unpredictable.

If there is any doubt then just take a Tent. If conditions seem to be great, you can also just sleep outside the Tent. This will at least give you the option of going inside your Tent should the weather changes.


In the next sections, we are going to look at Makeshift Tents & Shelters which could be a solution if you do not have a proper Tent with you but require shelter. After that section, we are going to look at 'real' Tents and we will start out with the Tent Types.

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