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Ah, the great outdoors. Warm sun, fresh air, the wind at your back-and extreme crankiness because you spent the previous night staring at the peak of your tent! Waking up groggy with sore joints and a stiff neck can take away from all of the fun experiences to be had in the wilderness, but how does one successfully sleep through the night?

First of all, don't expect to have a perfect night. Unless your name is Grizzly Adams or Jeremiah Johnson, you haven't spent the last several years of your life sleeping under the stars night after night; the environment is foreign to you. This is not to say that you can't have the best rest you've had in years (I do), but to warn that you might not pull off eight straight restful hours.

The most common complaints when camping are an uncomfortable sleep surface, severe temperatures, bugs sharing your sleep sack, and a wet bed. These are all problems that can be tackled.

The Boy Scout Motto is "be prepared," and that's the easiest way to accomplish a good night's rest. For the best sleep surface possible, prepare. Before you set up your tent (or bedding if sleeping under the stars), clear away all manner of rocks, sticks, or anything else that can poke and prod you when you just want to sleep. However, leave behind the leaves, grass, moss, and other super soft material; there's no reason to eliminate free cushioning between you and the ground. If your tent does not come with a ground cloth, or again for just bedding, place a tarp under your tent and tuck the edges inside the tent to keep out water.

Your bedding, with a tent or not, should come in three parts: a ground pad, a sleeping bag or blanket, and a pillow. The pillow is the easiest: Use your backpack, or bring a small one. The ground pad can be commercial or improvised, but it has to accomplish two things-place a nice, soft cushion between you and the hard ground and insulate you from its heat or cold. If there is any moisture under your sleeping bag, the ground pad can also insulate you from it.

The sleeping bag is a crucial choice for your sleeping. Be careful not to use an arctic bag during summer or a sheet-thin one for winter. Trust me; nothing is worse than shivering or sweating through the night. All sleeping bags have a temperature rating, and choose the one appropriate for your campsite. Better yet, buy a bag with a couple of layers, so that you can choose your insulation when you set up camp. If you are using blankets, temperature regulation is much easier: If

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