How to Sleep Comfortably in a Tent: Site, Pad, Bag and Bedtime Routine

Pick a level, sheltered spot, away from fire and falling hazards, on a durable surface

The National Park Service (NPS) says “An ideal location for your tent is on level ground, but not a low place, and a safe distance from your fire ring and cooking area. Sparks from your fire could melt holes in your tent (or ignite it altogether)”. Its list of places to avoid: “Sheltered and away from the middle of a field if there is a lightning storm and from the edge of cliffs.”, “Away from dead trees that might fall.” and “Away from ravines that might flood.” It also says “Look up; if you see dead branches overhead, you should not camp under them.” NPS’s Leave No Trace principles add “Durable surfaces include maintained trails and designated campsites, rock, gravel, sand, dry grasses or snow” and “Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.” (200 feet is about 61 m).

Clear the ground and point your head uphill

NPS says “Find a large, flat place to put your tent, and remove any sticks, rocks, pinecones, or other debris from the area.” It warns against low spots, because “they can become extremely wet when it rains”, and says “Orient the tent so that your head will be on the uphill side while you are sleeping.” Kristen Bor of Bearfoot Theory, an outdoor blog, checks a spot with a transparent water bottle: “Place the mostly-filled water bottle on your desired camping spot horizontally.” If the bubble stays mostly in the middle, she says the spot is flat; that is her method, not an agency test.

Choose a pad with enough R-value for the night

R-value is a measure of how well the pad resists heat flowing from you to the ground. NEMO, a tent and pad maker, puts the rule this way: “The lower the temperature, choose a higher R-Value. The higher the temperature, choose a lower R-Value.” The table below gives Big Agnes’s bands. Check that the number comes from the ASTM F3340-18 test: Therm-a-Rest says that standard lets campers “directly compare the R-value of each” pad, and says most air pads made before 2000 had R-values below 2. Our sleeping pad vs air mattress comparison covers the trade-offs, and for a car-camping bed see our roundup of the best air mattresses for camping.

Stack a foam pad under it if the pad alone is not enough

NEMO says “R-Value is additive, which means that you can use two pads and add their R-Values together.” Therm-a-Rest’s example puts an air pad rated R-Value of 4.2 on a foam pad rated R-Value 2.6, giving a “cumulative R-Value of 6.8”. Big Agnes pairs its three-season air pads with a foam pad for a combined R-value of 5 or more. NEMO says “even with a very warm bag, you can still be cold if your pad is not warm enough”.

Pick a bag rated for the night, and the right length

Many makers rate bags with a lab test. Rab says “We use the EN ISO 23537 standard to rate most of our sleeping bags”, and the test uses a thermal mannequin: “A thermal mannequin is placed into the sleeping bag being tested, on a standard foam roll mat.” So the rating assumes a pad under you. Bearfoot Theory’s Bor adds “the temperature rating of a sleeping bag is an estimate” and suggests a bag “rated at least 10-20 degrees lower than you expect the outside temperatures to reach”. If you toss and turn, she says “A quilt is just as warm and gives you more freedom to move around.” Rab says its quilts “fall outside the scope of the EN standard”, so a quilt’s rating may be the maker’s own method. Size matters too: “Too long and your feet will be cold.”

Use a real pillow

Big Agnes says “resting your head on a comfortable pillow as opposed to a balled-up jacket, your arm, or nothing at all, can make a big difference in your sleep quality”. Bor describes inflatable pillows as “super packable, ultralight, and easily adjustable”, and says “compressible camping pillows are usually soft, cozy, and supportive”, though they are bulkier.

Dress for bed, not for the day

Bor’s advice is “Designate a set of clothes solely for sleeping.” NEMO says “Clothes are layers, too.” If your feet run cold, Bor says to “stash your down jacket down by your feet inside your sleeping bag”, and “Beanies work double duty by keeping you warm and drowning out some of the stimuli.” For colder nights add insulation, not heat: see the winter guide linked above and our roundup of tents for winter.

Never heat the tent with fuel

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says: “People die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning from the use of portable camping heaters, lanterns, or stoves inside tents, campers, and vehicles.” Its rules: “Do not use portable heaters or lanterns while sleeping in enclosed areas such as tents, campers, and other vehicles. This is especially important at high altitudes, where the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning is increased.” Its safety guide adds “Never use fuel-burning portable heaters or lanterns while sleeping in enclosed areas such as tents, campers and vehicles.” The symptoms are “headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, and confusion”. CPSC also says: “See a doctor if you or a member of your family develops cold or flu-like symptoms while camping. Carbon monoxide poisoning, which can easily be mistaken for a cold or flu, is often detected too late.”

Keep the vents open to limit condensation

MSR, a tent maker, says “While no tent design can eliminate condensation, the key to reducing it is ventilation.” Its advice is “Make sure to leave at least two vents open if possible”, and it lists “Wet ground or wet gear stored inside the tent.” as one of the three sources of moisture. MSR puts the moisture you add at “about 1 – 2 pints of moisture per night through breathing and skin evaporation” (roughly 0.5 to 0.9 L, our conversion); Terra Nova, another tent maker, says “A person can produce more than one litre of perspiration in a single night”. The two figures differ, so treat both as rough.

Plan for noise and light

NPS notes you can choose to be “farther away, where it’s quieter and darker” from the bathroom or shower house. Bor suggests “try finding a nice quiet dispersed site” if big campgrounds are loud. For light, she recommends a headlamp that “emits softer light, like yellow, orange, or red wavelengths.” If you use white noise, she suggests “keeping the volume low” so you can still hear anything you need to.

Drink enough, and use the bathroom before you lie down

Bor writes “Before you settle in your tent for the night, make sure you go to the bathroom.” and says “Dehydration can contribute to poor sleep” (a single-practitioner source). If you camp in bear country, NPS says “Always store food at least 200 feet from your sleeping space.” and “Keep 200 feet between a cooking space and sleeping space.” (200 feet is about 61 m), and “Check park regulations for proper food storage; many parks require a bear box or bag.” It also says “Do not sleep in clothes used during cooking.” For toilets, NPS’s Leave No Trace principles say “Utilize toilet facilities whenever possible”, and for solid waste, “catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails” (15 to 20 cm; 61 m).

Set up for the night trip before dark

NPS says “Make camp before dark.” and “If you have to leave camp after dark, stay in areas you have seen in daylight, go with a companion, and use a headlamp.” Bor says her usual spot for a night bathroom trip is “within eyeshot of my tent”, and “Holding it will only disrupt your sleep in the long run.” Her list for a smooth night is “getting organized before dark with all of your essentials in reach”: headlamp, extra layers, water and toilet paper.