According to Bearaby, Research studies show that sleeping with a weighted blanket reduces anxiety and stress while improving sleep. It can help to alleviate pain, lull insomnia, and bring the health benefits of hugging, along with a surprisingly long list of other benefits.
Trust me, a weighted blanket will make your sleep that much deeper.
Other little things that can make your experience more enjoyable, especially if it’s hot, are battery-powered swamp coolers. These will also plug into the power bank and work best if you can put ice cubes and a bit of water in them. Battery or USB-powered fans also work well. You can find any of these items at big box stores or Amazon.
But with a truck with a cover, it’s the only logical thing to do. So I implore you, don’t settle for an air mattress when you can put a real twin mattress in there.
But if you’re like me, it’s usually not as easy getting good sleep while camping as it is when you’re at home. That seems like a given, right? But it doesn’t have to be.
One of the most entertaining things to me is passing by the KOA campgrounds and other RV parks and marveling at how closely together everyone is parked. It’s like a parking lot! To me, that’s not camping.
Get a Real Mattress
Keep in mind that you have wheel wells to consider, so that usually means a twin mattress. That said, I’ve shared it with my boyfriend in the wilderness and friends at festivals, and it’s worked out for us just fine.
Ours is a cheapie. It was one of the least expensive mattresses that they had at the mattress store. The clerk was even trying not to sell us on it, but it’s perfect for the truck.
The best part about it is I didn’t have to set up camp. I already had it ready to go in the bed of my truck.
Get a Weighted Blanket
The only downside of the truck is that usually, you won’t have a screen to keep the bugs out. When I’m in a buggy area, I deal with that by attaching a mosquito net to the top of the cover (easy enough with duct tape) and tuck it around the mattress.
I slept 11 hours that night in the truck. I didn’t even think that was possible!
Let me tell you, it’s a good 10x better than tent camping!
*This post was created in partnership with Bearaby. All thoughts on the blanket’s awesome sleep benefits are my own.
I want to find those secluded spots under the stars, on public land, where I can be the only one out there for miles.
Lights, Coolers, and More
I love road trips and off the grid camping too much to end them before I’m done having adventures just because my sleep is suffering. So I went on a mission to make my truck bed as comfy as possible.
The hardest thing about backcountry camping for me is always sleeping. When I have to carry everything on my back, it’s not possible to luxuriate with a real mattress. It’s usually impossible when car camping, too, because who can fit an oblong mattress into their back seat?
If possible, I park so that the sun will rise behind me. That way, if I get warm in the morning but am not done sleeping, I can push a window open without the sun radiating down on me. It also helps me to stay cooler for longer in the mornings, as the sun will be at the hood of the car rather than the back where you’re sleeping.
Get out in the Middle of Nowhere
I also love having cute little unicorn lights. They’re squishy rather than glass, so they can handle some jostling. The longer strand also plugs into a USB outlet, which works perfectly with my rechargeable power bank. I just charge the power bank during the day with my solar charger and let the whole system run off of renewable energy. Even if you’re not in one spot to use the solar charger, I find it works perfectly on the car dashboard while I’m in transit.
Here are my best tips to make your truck bed camping experience a cozy one:
Park facing west
I pulled into the secluded campsite in the National Forest. It was even better than what I expected – silent, down a dirt road most cars can’t make it down (but my 4WD truck had no problem!), and surrounded by giant sugar pines.
Bearaby (the sponsor of this post) gave me a napper to try and I couldn’t believe how much it made me feel swaddled like a baby. There were a couple times when the wind or random forest sounds kept me awake, but as soon as I put the weighted blanket on it was like a grown-up pacifier, calming me down instantly and helping me sleep. It’s amazing how well it works. I wouldn’t have thought it was possible if I hadn’t tried it. It feels like a natural anxiolytic.
The Travel Napper is made from open weave, plant-based, organic cotton fabric. This makes it significantly less sweaty than most weighted blankets, and minimizes the environmental impact, too.
span,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-submit:hover > span,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-button:focus > span,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-submit:focus > span{background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1);}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-button > span,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-submit > span{display:block;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;padding:12px 24px;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-input{background:#ffffff;font-size:15px;padding:12px;border:1px solid #e3e3e3;-webkit-flex:1 0 auto;-ms-flex:1 0 auto;flex:1 0 auto;line-height:1.4;margin:0;-webkit-transition:border-color ease-out 300ms;transition:border-color ease-out 300ms;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-input:focus{outline:none;border-color:#1677be;-webkit-transition:border-color ease 300ms;transition:border-color ease 300ms;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-input::-webkit-input-placeholder{color:inherit;opacity:0.8;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-input::-moz-placeholder{color:inherit;opacity:0.8;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-input:-ms-input-placeholder{color:inherit;opacity:0.8;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-input::placeholder{color:inherit;opacity:0.8;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”dropdown”]{position:relative;display:inline-block;width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”dropdown”]::before{content:””;top:calc(50% – 2.5px);right:10px;position:absolute;pointer-events:none;border-color:#4f4f4f transparent transparent transparent;border-style:solid;border-width:6px 6px 0 6px;height:0;width:0;z-index:999;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”dropdown”] select{height:auto;width:100%;cursor:pointer;color:#333333;line-height:1.4;margin-bottom:0;padding:0 6px;-webkit-appearance:none;-moz-appearance:none;appearance:none;font-size:15px;padding:12px;padding-right:25px;border:1px solid #e3e3e3;background:#ffffff;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”dropdown”] select:focus{outline:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”]{text-align:left;margin:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”]{margin-bottom:10px;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”] *{cursor:pointer;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”]:last-of-type{margin-bottom:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”] input[type=”checkbox”]{display:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”] input[type=”checkbox”] + label::after{content:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”] input[type=”checkbox”]:checked + label::after{border-color:#ffffff;content:””;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”] input[type=”checkbox”]:checked + label::before{background:#10bf7a;border-color:#10bf7a;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”] label{position:relative;display:inline-block;padding-left:28px;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”] label::before,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”] label::after{position:absolute;content:””;display:inline-block;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”] label::before{height:16px;width:16px;border:1px solid #e3e3e3;background:#ffffff;left:0px;top:3px;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-group=”checkboxes”] [data-group=”checkbox”] label::after{height:4px;width:8px;border-left:2px solid #4d4d4d;border-bottom:2px solid #4d4d4d;-webkit-transform:rotate(-45deg);-ms-transform:rotate(-45deg);transform:rotate(-45deg);left:4px;top:8px;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-alert{background:#f9fafb;border:1px solid #e3e3e3;border-radius:5px;-webkit-flex:1 0 auto;-ms-flex:1 0 auto;flex:1 0 auto;list-style:none;margin:25px auto;padding:12px;text-align:center;width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-alert:empty{display:none;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-alert-success{background:#d3fbeb;border-color:#10bf7a;color:#0c905c;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-alert-error{background:#fde8e2;border-color:#f2643b;color:#ea4110;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-spinner{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:0px;width:0px;margin:0 auto;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;right:0;width:0px;overflow:hidden;text-align:center;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-spinner > div{margin:auto;width:12px;height:12px;background-color:#fff;opacity:0.3;border-radius:100%;display:inline-block;-webkit-animation:formkit-bouncedelay-formkit-form-data-uid-ff60a8d270- 1.4s infinite ease-in-out both;animation:formkit-bouncedelay-formkit-form-data-uid-ff60a8d270- 1.4s infinite ease-in-out both;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-spinner > div:nth-child(1){-webkit-animation-delay:-0.32s;animation-delay:-0.32s;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-spinner > div:nth-child(2){-webkit-animation-delay:-0.16s;animation-delay:-0.16s;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-submit[data-active] .formkit-spinner{opacity:1;height:100%;width:50px;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-submit[data-active] .formkit-spinner ~ span{opacity:0;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-powered-by[data-active=”false”]{opacity:0.35;}@-webkit-keyframes formkit-bouncedelay-formkit-form-data-uid-ff60a8d270-{0%,80%,100%{-webkit-transform:scale(0);-ms-transform:scale(0);transform:scale(0);}40%{-webkit-transform:scale(1);-ms-transform:scale(1);transform:scale(1);}}@keyframes formkit-bouncedelay-formkit-form-data-uid-ff60a8d270-{0%,80%,100%{-webkit-transform:scale(0);-ms-transform:scale(0);transform:scale(0);}40%{-webkit-transform:scale(1);-ms-transform:scale(1);transform:scale(1);}}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] blockquote{padding:10px 20px;margin:0 0 20px;border-left:5px solid #e1e1e1;} .formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″]{max-width:700px;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] [data-style=”clean”]{width:100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-fields{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;margin:0 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-submit{margin:0 0 15px 0;-webkit-flex:1 0 100%;-ms-flex:1 0 100%;flex:1 0 100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″] .formkit-powered-by{color:#7d7d7d;display:block;font-size:12px;margin:0;text-align:center;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”700″] [data-style=”clean”],.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”800″] [data-style=”clean”]{padding:10px;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”700″] .formkit-fields[data-stacked=”false”],.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”800″] .formkit-fields[data-stacked=”false”]{margin-left:-5px;margin-right:-5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”700″] .formkit-fields[data-stacked=”false”] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”800″] .formkit-fields[data-stacked=”false”] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”700″] .formkit-fields[data-stacked=”false”] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”800″] .formkit-fields[data-stacked=”false”] .formkit-submit{margin:0 5px 15px 5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”700″] .formkit-fields[data-stacked=”false”] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”800″] .formkit-fields[data-stacked=”false”] .formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”700″] .formkit-fields[data-stacked=”false”] .formkit-submit,.formkit-form[data-uid=”ff60a8d270″][min-width~=”800″] .formkit-fields[data-stacked=”false”] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} ]]>
Travel Resources
