I remember when I was a boy, my dad would take my brothers and I camping. We would all wake up in one big ball at the bottom of the tent. And again when I first started camping as an adult this was one of the biggest issues I had that would stop me from having a good night sleep. I used to slide off the sleeping mat and to the bottom of my tent as I slept. This was all down to lack of knowledge and I quickly came up with ways to overcome this problem.
Some of the most popular ways are to use something like SeamGrip to create a rubbery texture to your mat. I have also used a rolled up sweater and tucked it under your sleeping mat, just below my hips. You could also fit the sweater over the sleeping mat. This would also stop your sleeping bag from sliding off your mat. There are a few other lesser used idea below. I will discuss how to do these tricks and also why they work.
Why does your sleeping bag/pad slip?
Sometimes we have no choice but to camp on a slope. In these cases you will most likely end up sliding to the bottom of your tent while you sleep.
But why does this happen? The floor of your tent is designed to keep water out. For this reason, they are predominately made from a plastic type material. This means that the floor of most tent will be quite slippery to start with. You may not notice this at first as our clothing may be made of softer materials but if you add an air mattress that is also made from plastic materials then there will be very little friction between them, resulting in slippage.
Same goes for sleeping bags. A lot of them are made from a polyester material. This will also slide easily on inflatable sleeping mattresses and tent floors.
So the first thing you need to determine is if it is your sleeping pad or your sleeping bag or both. Once you know what the problem is, you can fix it.
How to stop it
The easiest thing to do, and what I have for my car camping trips, is to get a cotton or rubbery material mat. Yoga or exercise mats are great for this. It won’t slide on the tent floor and your sleeping bag won’t slide on it. Instant fix. I also like this as it feels more like a regular bed clothes.
However, if you want to save weight and space then you may still want to use an air mattress. In these cases, buying a new sleeping bag may be the answer. Make sure it is cotton type material on the outside of the bag. I have outlined further considerations when choosing sleeping bag here.
Using what you already have
But what if your sleeping pad / bag combo is just right and you have good sleep when you are on level ground. You aren’t going to want to change your equipment.
The Sweater Trick
Before you start modifying your stuff first try the sweater trick.
- Position your tent so that you will be sleeping with you feet pointing downhill. Set up camp as normal but have a spare sweater handy for when you go the sleep.
- After getting into you sleeping bag and are ready to go to sleep, roll up your sweater into a ball and tuck it in under the sleeping mat. You want to place it just below your butt. This creates a ramp which you will slide into and the stop.
Another sweater method is to put it on the sleeping pad as if it was wearing it. This will stop the pad from sliding on the tent and the bag from sliding off the mat. There is an added bonus of having your sweater fabric were your head is instead of a plastic material. Try not to drool too much though.
Non-Slip Mats
I’ve also seen none slip mats being used to great effect. The type used for the bottoms of drawers to stop stuff sliding around. It is very cheap to buy.
Simple roll out a layer under your sleeping mat and it is going nowhere. You could also use it between the mat and the bag. Again, this will suit car campers as you won’t need to worry about carrying too much stuff. If you are hiking, just use the sweater trick.
Permanent Solutions
Right, so you’re having a slippage problem every time and you want something permanent.
Velcro Tape
If it is your sleeping mat that is slipping then you could use Velcro tape between your mat and tent floor. It won’t take much. A strip at the top and bottom of the mat will be enough.
Stick to soft side to the tent and the hook side to the mat. The reason for this is to stop dirt and clothing from getting stuck when your mat is not in place. The soft side is easier to clean.
- When you are placing them, don’t try to line them up separately. You will never get it right this way.
- First stick it to the sleeping mat with the two sides of the Velcro together.
- Then peel of the paper to expose the sticky tape of the soft side of the Velcro.
- Now all you have to do is place your mat where you want it. Remember, you will only get one shoot at this. If you place down the mat in the wrong place accidentally, then you will have to start over.
- Also make sure your tent floor is clean.
Whenever you packing up pull the mat off the tent. Leave the Velcro tape there for your next camp.
Sealant method
Next is the using something like SeamGrip or silicon. When these dry they leave a rubbery finish. Don’t just plaster it anywhere though. It can get quite messy and dirt can stick to it.
- The best way is to apply a small golf ball size circle about 6-8 inches apart to the sleeping pad.
- Apply it to boths side of you sleeping pad.
- Use a small pea size amount to where you want the grip.
- Then wet your finger and spread the silicon out to the size of a golf ball. Using a wet finger will prevent the silicon from sticking to you.
- Do one side, wait until it dries, then flip it over and to the other. This should stop any slippage.
- Make sure to do all of the above in a well ventilated area.
What about the rollers?
Having a non-slip tent is great but there are some of us that are rollers. Meaning you roll in your sleep.
- The first thing you could do is to always pitch your tent so that your feet and pointing downhill.
- Next place your mat close to the edge of the tent.
- Then place your backpack, or cushion if you’re car camping, next to your torso. This will stop you rolling off your mat.
- And finally you could use two mats, or as many as it takes to cover the entire floor of your tent. Place them side by side and roll all you want.
Having a good night sleep is important if you want to fully enjoy your camping experience. Like most thing about camping, it only takes a little know-how to stop a very annoying thing like slippage. Sweet dreams….
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