First of all, it’s not as hard-core as it sounds. If I couldn’t find a way to stay warm and dry, I wouldn’t be sleeping outdoors. As long as you’re prepared, most “wilderness” situations (in this case, a backyard) can be quite comfortable.
So I prepare by putting on my pajamas: long underwear, sweatpants, fleece shirt, sweater, fleece jacket, legwarmers, 2 pairs of socks, and a balaclava. In my (mostly) waterproof tent, I have a 20 degree sleeping bag, 2 blankets, and a pillow on an old foam mattress. As long as I don’t forget anything, I am indeed quite comfortable.
Even though my situation is luxurious compared to backcountry and many homesteading situations, people still ask why I go through all the effort to sleep outside when moving back in could cut my bedtime routine by half. Well, here are some perks of my wet, cold bedroom:
The stars. Yes, you can see stars in Brooklyn on a clear night. The milky way is too much to ask, but I can count on Orion.
When there’s cloud cover, the sky glows yellow, and there’s actually more light. Reflection of the city’s electricity, perhaps.
The rustle of my neighbor’s bamboo forest in the wind.
The moon. The moonshine on snow. The moon behind wisps of clouds.
The air- cool, cold, windy, still, or icy. When the air has a certain nip, it’s like I can feel my blood freezing. Sometimes the airs feels wet and heavy, and I know it will rain.
And in the morning, sometimes it’s gray. But when the sun is out, light travels slowly down the face of the brownstones opposite me.
First, pink. Then, gold. If I sleep really late, it changes to white.
Also, birdsong, and windchimes.
January 13, 2010 at 9:29 am |
Dodd – this is inspiring. What makes me doubt that I could ever do this kind of thing is that I pretty much sleep in the same outfit you do. Inside.
February 15, 2010 at 5:42 am |
woweeee!!!!cheka cant get enough…now i cant wait for your next blog article ….youve made my day!!