Sleeping At Glasto

[Madyaker]

My dog won't even piss where it sleeps. Get up and go to the jacks ffs.

[Ayrshire Chris]

10 minutes ago, Madyaker said:

My dog won't even piss where it sleeps. Get up and go to the jacks ffs.

Very true, these ain’t so bad!

[Crazyfool01]

Walking home from a rare night out ... so I’m testing the 5 pint effect on sleep patterns 

Edited January 18, 2020 by crazyfool1

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

35 minutes ago, Madyaker said:

My dog won't even piss where it sleeps. Get up and go to the jacks ffs.

Yes, but your dog probably can't unscrew off a Lenor bottle top, piss in to the bottle, screw the top back on, and just fall straight back to sleep content that there will be no spillage or aroma leaking from the bottle. 

I really can't see what's wrong with the old Lenor bottle. Anything else, to my mind, is actually highly inefficient. 

[Spindles]

As long as the spout is wide enough to comfortably drop the old fella in and the container deep enough that you aren't going to be risking spillage in disembarking and putting the lid in, it seems like a fine solution to me.  

 

It never used to be an issue, but as middle age has given way to decrepitude I have to accept that the first thing I do when I get out of the tent in the morning is sprint to the loo.  Ah, how I miss the bygone days of youth.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

5 hours ago, Spindles said:

I have to accept that the first thing I do when I get out of the tent in the morning is sprint to the loo. 

Why sprint to the loo? Just take two Lenor bottles with you if you find you are bursting first thing in the morning, and have used one up during the night. 

This reminds me - I once left my tent early one morning to go to the loo because I needed a number 2.  Anyway, I'd not gone far when I realised that I had a problem. The problem was that the afor mentioned number 2 was more eager to see the world than I had anticipated. It was at that point that a sense of fear came over me, and I got goose bumps on my arms / hair raising on my arms. There was very little I could do other than to carry on walking towards the loo. However, this time I had to walk like I was on the chain gang. Each step had to be taken gingerly. I got there in the end, but that seemed like the longest walk I've ever taken. I should imagine that my gait would have looked extremely odd to the casual observer. Then again, maybe not at Glastonbury, where the walking wounded wander around freely.

[Zoo Music Girl]

9 hours ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

I know all about the reluctance to take a 'normal' pillow, but I'd advise taking one. I never used to bother with a pillow, then I bothered but only brought a cheap crap one, and then I thought 'bollocks to it' and brought a deluxe one. Needless to say, the deluxe is the way forward. I found taking one to be a more spiritual experience than my insane exposure to Roman Catholicism. Mind you, I fully understand that that doesn't exactly say much.

People may find this hard to believe / accept, but there was one stage where both me and my girlfriend (at that time) used to carry in (in a one'er) on our backs and in our hands, a double blow up air bed, a double 13.5 tog quilt, two pillows, my own body weight in alcohol (or thereabouts), the tent, and a few clothes and bits and bob's. Then again i was in my youth then, and the only trolley that registered with me, was my need to get off that very same thing. I mention all this because I fully understand what you say about the weight of a blow up double air bed. I'm not sure, but I think that beneath that outer skin of waxed canvas on them, is a hidden thicker skin of lead sheeting. How else can they be that heavy? It's the only conclusion to draw.

Yeah I do take an actual pillow, what I meant by it not being my normal pillow was that it's not the one I usually sleep with at home but one reserved pretty much just for festivals. It's thinner than I'd like but very easy to squash into my bag and I find it does the trick.

I used to always take a single air bed when sleeping solo, but you're right that the double ones are so much more bulky. No idea why. It's a shame because I don't think inflatable mats are as comfy, but they are a lot easier to carry so worth it.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

5 minutes ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

Yeah I do take an actual pillow, what I meant by it not being my normal pillow was that it's not the one I usually sleep with at home but one reserved pretty much just for festivals. It's thinner than I'd like but very easy to squash into my bag and I find it does the trick.

I used to always take a single air bed when sleeping solo, but you're right that the double ones are so much more bulky. No idea why. It's a shame because I don't think inflatable mats are as comfy, but they are a lot easier to carry so worth it.

Not sure if you know, but if you have a self inflating mat, then once it's self inflated you can blow more air in to it via the inlet / outlet valve. It doesn't sound like it would improve matters, but I believe that it does, and that the difference is more than noticeable.

[Zoo Music Girl]

1 hour ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Not sure if you know, but if you have a self inflating mat, then once it's self inflated you can blow more air in to it via the inlet / outlet valve. It doesn't sound like it would improve matters, but I believe that it does, and that the difference is more than noticeable.

I think I did know that actually, but I think we rarely do. May try it next time. As I say, I do prefer a proper airbed but I generally sleep alright these days due to the other modifications I've made (biggest one being choice of campsite). 

[Ayrshire Chris]

17 hours ago, crazyfool1 said:

Walking home from a rare night out ... so I’m testing the 5 pint effect on sleep patterns 

Have you woke up yet? 

[Crazyfool01]

1 hour ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

Have you woke up yet? 

yep , I had my Christmas Day with the family today  .... I did wake up next to a lenor bottle which was rather odd !!! 

[offmytrolley]

Keep an eye out on MoneySavingExpert, Hot UK Deals etc for the 'Tempur challenge' – it's an easy way to get a free travel sized memory foam pillow which I compress and roll up with a bit of string around it for festivals. It's small but really comfy.

I'm not sure if it happens every year, I think I got mine in 2016 or something like that, and here's a blog post from 2018 about it: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/deals-hunter/2018/02/get-free-tempur-travel-pillow-lying-norm-50/

 

[MrZigster]

Had my worst ever experiences with sleep deprivation last year.

Was volunteering and the crew site was right next to The SE Corner. The bass stopped pumping at around 06:00 and then at 06:15 the portaloo vacuum tanker lorries would turn up and start doing their hoovery thing for about an hour. Just no way to get any peace at night. With bars opening at 11:00 I was beyond knackered and fucked and functioning. Partly my own fault. Not my first time in that site so I knew what to expect. Forgot to take my Zopiclone with me.

I've just found them and the prescription date is July '16. 28 of them and there are only 5 gone, and I'm sure I dropped at least one of them sometime (on the floor that is, rather than "dropped" dropped ).

That's an indication of how much I hate taking sleeping pills. They generally leave me a bit zonked the next day. Better that though than the completely mental, just about managing to stand up tiredness I felt last year. As others have stated though, sleeping pills are notoriously a little bit dangerous (especially if they're out of date). Only at Glastonbury, generally.

It can be hard to sleep at Glastonbury wherever you are though. Not just the noise but the massive FOMO.

Take your usual quilt (way better than sleeping bags imo) and favourite pillow is a great suggestion. Hey, you can buy a quilts and pillows for a few quid these days if you don't want to risk taking your favourite mega tog duck down filled duvet to a potential mudfest. Take them home or dispose of them properly obvs.

A good mat/inflatable thing! I've never got lucky with these. I'm on my third one. The first was a self inflating mat. Which inflated itself into a shape that meant you rolled off. And then a couple of blow up yourself mattress things. First wouldn't stay inflated and the latest suffers from the same "roll off" issues as the mat. Pisses me off this, as I have come across, and flopped out on, plenty of abandoned inflatable airbed mattresses on The Monday that obviously work, feel really comfortable, and don't have these issues.

How about a tent where the whole ground sheet is just a layer of memory foam? With heating? (I would like a royalty on this idea if it's workable).

Earplugs. Earphones. Eyemasks. Each to their own.

I'm oldish and like to camp near the conveniences for already mentioned reasons (I also find it convenient). This generally necessitates camping near a path. I have had many an entertaining night falling asleep while listening to rando discussions emanating from said paths. Plenty of ammo for the "Overheard Funnies" threads. It' can be strangely cathartic and peaceful.

As a funny thought : Four pint milk bottles are probably easier to come by than Lenor bottles. I'd rather have a Lenor bottle though. Less chance of contracting cow herpes or something and obviously a better fragrance.

 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

32 minutes ago, MrZigster said:

 

As a funny thought : Four pint milk bottles are probably easier to come by than Lenor bottles.

 

Yep, done the 4 pint milk bottles too. There not as reassuring as a large Lenor bottle, or similar though. 

[incident]

6 hours ago, MrZigster said:

As a funny thought : Four pint milk bottles are probably easier to come by than Lenor bottles. I'd rather have a Lenor bottle though. Less chance of contracting cow herpes or something and obviously a better fragrance.

Milk bottles are also a bad idea because of narrower openings, less secure caps, thinner plastic, all leading to a higher chance of a deeply unpleasant accident. I'd definitely say to only stick with laundry detergent, ideally one with a handle built in.

I might as well throw in my recommendations. I agree with those saying to take a pillow, but if size and weight is at a premium, I recommend the ones made by Sea To Summit, specifically the Aeros Premium. Feels nearly as good as a real pillow, fits the hood of a sleeping bag exactly, and packs down to a tiny size/weight. Pricey though.

I'd also strongly recommend trying out a camp bed rather than air beds that deflate in the night. Switched about 5 years ago and my back loves me for it. Don't need anything fancy, just the most basic 15 to 20 quid type as sold at Argos and Go Outdoors.

A fresh & black tent as well, but that's obvious by the point.

Edited January 20, 2020 by incident