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you are too hot, simply uncover your leg or chest. If you're too cold, you should have brought a heavier blanket.

The other question with your bag is its insulation. Down is by far the most comfortable, but it is also the hardest to take care of. Synthetic fillers, while somewhat colder, are much, much easier to handle.

Temperature can also be regulated by tent location. If it is hot outside, you will want to set up your tent in the shade. A plastic tent can become a solar oven in very short order; don't add to it by setting it up in direct sunlight. In winter, the point is moot; sunlight might only warm a tent slightly. Don't forget that any heat accumulated during the day will take a long time to dissipate: Extreme heat at noontime will mean a hot tent at three in the morning.

The final temperature point to consider is your clothing at night: The best suggestion is as little as possible. Your camp buddies will want you to wear something to bed, but keep the clothing light, meaning boxers and a t-shirt at most. Then, if you get chilly, you can bulk up your clothing, but once you start sweating you and the bag will be a cold, moist torture sack (even in summertime).

If all of this wasn't enough of a problem, you will likely encounter bugs, at least in summer. The two best ways to keep bugs out is to not let them in at all, and to keep the smelly things out of your tent. Don't bring soda, deodorant, or anything else sweet or perfumed into your accommodations, and zip the door shut when you come or go. I suggested using your backpack as a pillow; take these things out before bringing your backpack inside. If you are on a long backpacking trip, you should bring a trash bag or small tarp for covering your stuff outside anyway, and if you are near your car, stow these items inside of it.

Moisture is the final consideration. The best suggestion is pay attention. Set up your tent far from any lakes or streams, don't set up your tent underneath a snow-laden branch, and make sure you set up the rain fly (the part of your tent that looks like a plastic sheet stretched over the top of the tent) correctly. Other than that, simply watch for holes in the tent floor and zip the doors completely shut in a rainstorm.

A good night's sleep is not impossible to have by any means. The best solution, as said above, is to "be prepared." Create a checklist, make sure you have all of the items stated above, and get ready to have fun!

Learn more about this author, Ronald C Stewart Iii.
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