h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm going to sleep outside in the garden tonight. I've got a sleeping bag and a roll mat. Its not cold. And I think it might be good for these out of control energies

Right off out into the garden now. Sleeping under the Hawthorn tree.

Hopefully I'll return here with some kind of sanity tomorrow.

Just briefly coming back indoors to say its magical beyond belief. Fuller report tomorrow.

Well that was just brilliant. Not sure its cured me of much though..

Fell asleep to the clouds slowly moving across the sky and ocassional bit of breeze gently blowing on me..I was very warm and threw off the sleeping bag.

Then woke quite chilly as the aeroplanes started coming in at first light. That was so excellent. They still had their lights on. they were coming from three different directions but all came to a point just near the hawthorn tree under which I was sleeping. They appeared to be flying through it as I looked up. I mean they weren't all coming at the same time but one after another. And I realised that their shapes vary quite a bit.

Not much of a dawn chorus from birds this time of year..but the odd bit of bird song.

No visits from foxes or cats...but maybe they were a bit surprised and nervous that I was there suddenly

I'm so glad I did that.

I'm thinking I'll sleep out again tonight. When I did my 3 month trip of Australia..I did nearly every night for the last 2 months. The others all stuck to their tents.

Rain forecast for tonight..so I'll give it a miss. But its incredibly nice outside at present with a warm gentle breeze.

Tarp and 4 bungees!!!

Knock up a Basha!

Yes we did a tarp when I went to the rainforest in French Guiana. Two hammocks beneath a tarp..and it was always bloody raining.

I need to send off for a proper Aussie swag. I quite fancy sleeping out over the winter to really test myself. My Russian Siberian rabbit skin/fur hat should help.

army surpluss shop

gore-tex Bivvy bag

waterproof sleeping bag cover

get in, zip up, pull draw cord, sleep out in any weather

I once slept outside, with a friend, during December, when we were, about 16 I think...

Just on mill mats, each with a sleeping bag... it snowed... moisture leaving the body kinda froze between the layers of the sleeping bags, and it was fablulus doing it

The funniest bit was when we woke, and having to break free of the ground, as the bags we were in were more or less frozen to it, via the mill mats, and the snow that had laid ontop of us, having kind of melted a bit from our heat, and then refroze, sort of freezing us solid to the ground highly recommended though so long as the sleeping bag is warm enough
Another time we slept out on top of the cliff, right by the most easterly point in britten (only a bit higher up on the cliff), and woke in time to see the sun rising over the sea in front/below of us, can't quite rmember, but I think that would have been in spring/summer time Its been far too long since I last went camping I may have to get a tent adn a new sleeping bag

Okay that sounds like a British version of a swag. I'll go for that as you recommended it

What a cool winter its going to be.

I want to sleep out and wake up covered in snow.

I think I may make some Art to do with this.

back in the day

we pulled up at a location in the pitch black poring rain

had to wait for dawn to enter the location

"some way over there....in one of those woods....sort of thing"

so it was, fart-sack out, get your head down!!!

woke up at dawn and looked around, all these bivvy bags!!!

looked like a nest of giant green maggots

Taff what do you think to this thing

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180706271087#ht_1632wt_907

Or this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Sporting-Goods-/382/i.html?_nkw=army+goretex+bivi+bag&_catref=1&_dmpt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&_fln=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282

I think the first thing looks best. Or maybe both?

at work now

will try tomorrow and get back to you

I've slept out in tents many times (sometimes on top of a mountain, which is the best), but only once or twice actually under the sky, and only on mild nights. It can be magic, yes. I must do it again. It does tend to get cold around 4 a.m., though, however mild it is, even in Cyprus (where I spent a couple of nights on a beach, and more on my cousins' porch), so do keep blankets handy.

Fresh air is wonderful.

TRiG.

Taff

This is what is so good about these swag things. When I was in Oz we finally got to Adeilade (sp) in the far south as the Aussie winter was starting to hit..after being in the north which is always hot...and I had got so used to sleeping out under the stars that I carried on, even though it was freezing cold. And it was still brilliant so long as you dressed for it and had a warm hat.

You didn't get back to Taff. I'm going for both though I decided.

sorry

last day and i was a bit zombiefied, got a phone call 1 hour into my sleep asking about a quote for a door and it threw me off kilter for the whole day, couldn't even find my elbow with both hands behind my back

No worries. But I would appreciate you having a look. If not I reckon I'll go for both.

I really am big into this idea of sleeping out.

I like its ridiculousness. Especially doing it in winter.

My sleeping bag is quite old though..so I may need to get a new one of those as well. I'll go for a top of the range one designed for polar areas....goose down or something.