# Sleeping Through the Grand Canyon?



## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi,

Some people wet down the sand in their sleeping area, or wet down a sheet to get the evaporative effect, which doesn't last all night, but apparently does help. Sleeping on a cot helps, because it gets you off direct contact with the heated ground, and lets air circulate under you. It also has the benefit of letting blowing sand go under you. Some folks set their cot up at shoreline, which can be OK, but also can be problematic if the tide comes in.

Best solution I've found is sleeping on my boat, to get the benefit of the water's cooling effect on the ambient air. Depending on how their boats are configured and sized, some folks find rigging a cot on board is a simple way to get the horizontal surface they need. 

FWIW.

Rich Phillips


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

A wet flannel sheet will stay cool all night.


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## mrkyak (Jul 11, 2005)

Sleep on your boat if possible, two cotton sheets dipped in the river and wrung
out. One for the bottom sheet one for the top sheet. You'll soon become an expert on exactly how much ringing out is best for a comfortable sleep.
We launch sept 1. Have fun


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## gwheyduke (Jul 3, 2008)

Nipple Beers before bed!

Everyone grabs a beverage, wades into the water up to their nipples and enjoys one last beer before bed. No Chugging, just a nice relaxing end to the day. By the time you get out, you'll be cold enough to fall a sleep easily.


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## agunnoe (May 22, 2008)

Jack Daniels works for me...


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## crispy (May 20, 2004)

X2 on the wet sand

set up cot / paco near river if you can

avoid sleeping near cliffs that get afternoon sun as they will radiate heat all night like an oven


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## marko (Feb 25, 2004)

I'll second the nipple beer tactic. I resisted this the first few nights while others did it and slept like crap because it was so hot. Then I finally soaked in the river for about 5 minutes before bed, would air dry for another minute, and then fall asleep on top of my dry cotton sheet within minutes. Usually slept through the night, but a few times I woke up hot again. But since you have your own boat I would create a set up to sleep on that. There were a few in our group who swore it was the coolest way to sleep on a hot night.


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## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

I slept through mexico once. Nevermind how. But the dirty bastards I was with wrote ****** on my back in sunscreen and then told me about it a year later.


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## Schutzie (Feb 5, 2013)

Huh.
Can't say I noticed the heat on my August trip.
Course, I ended up sleeping on the boat a lot of nights.........OK, passed out on the boat..........and the rest I slept (OK! Passed out) on the beach.

The tide issue never occurred to me as a problem, but would explain the mornings I woke up with wet...............tennis shoes. I kept thinking I'd gone to the beach to pee before sleeping, and just had an issue with aim.
Huh.

Anyway, have a good trip; I mean, it's the Grand Canyon, the hell does your sleeping comfort have to do with enjoying yourself?


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## Eddy Groover (Mar 25, 2005)

I have one of those tent fans. It helps create a slight breeze all night. I've attached it to my boat shade for when I sleep on the boat. It even has a little light and a red nightlight for the boogyman.


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## chepora (Feb 6, 2008)

Sleep on the raft. It's the only way Ive found to stay cool enough to be comfortable. It is possible to wet down sand/sleep on a cot, etc and you can get through...but not comfortably. Also try lots of tequila


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## TriBri1 (Nov 15, 2011)

If you can sleep in the boat, this is the way to go. I personally can't. At some of the camps there is way too much rocking, I'd end up ralphing in the drain holes.

I slept on a cot, each night I dumped water on the cot right before going to bed. I kept my sleeping bag in my drybag next to me. At some point through the night I would get cold and pull my sleeping bag over me. If you are sleeping on the ground or in a tent, don't setup your tent or your lay out your pad until you are almost ready for bed. This will give the sand some time to dissipate.

Speaking of sleeping, each night I had very lucid dreams that the river would flood in around my cot. A few times i would sit up and put my feet on the ground just to break the dream. Anyone else have this kind of (nondrug induced) experience?


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## tony (Apr 19, 2004)

I went on a cat trip (with lots of drugs) when I got off of the river I had dreams/sleepwalking issues for three weeks. I would wake up convinced I was on a party barge raft floating through the nite in the flatwater, except that I knew we had passed the confluence and were heading for the rapids. I could see my surroundings (living room, cars when I slept in my truck etc) but could not end the dream untill I stood up. Was the most interesting dream experience I have had.


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## tmacc (Sep 6, 2009)

We sleep on the boat when we can. We have two Roll-a-cots and they span across the walk boards on our cat. So far we've been lucky with the rain, but I'd like to rig something to handle that too. Thanks for the reminder that I need to work on that before our Sept launch.


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi,

Get a big enough cat, and you can just pitch your tent there and not have to worry about long spells of rain.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips


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## kayakingphotog (May 25, 2007)

TriBri1 said:


> Speaking of sleeping, each night I had very lucid dreams that the river would flood in around my cot. A few times i would sit up and put my feet on the ground just to break the dream. Anyone else have this kind of (nondrug induced) experience?


I always have lurid dreams after a multi-week trip. Usually along the lines of the river is rising. 

However way back in my dim past, after a 20 day trip on the grand, back in the comfort of my humble abode, my future ex-wife rudely woke me as I was pleasantly peeing off the side of our bed. I always set up my cot near the river line for cooling affects in the summer....guess I still thought I was on the river. sigh


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## jpwinc (Sep 19, 2008)

I sleep on the boat with just a sheet. If you sew it into the shape of a sleeping bag. that works too. Cacoon makes a cotton liner that works real well. I tried that but here is my rig with the deck up so you can see the produce in the bottom. Hope you can do something like that with your Jag cat. it really works and takes a lot of stress off the cooler. 
http://www.jpwinc.com/pages/images/eltigreproduce1em.JPG
here is the web address for cocoon cool max material. http://www.cocoon.at/eng/show.php?doc=cocoon_ckat1&kat=2&prod=8&fab=0


That is what I would do. 

By the way one year we left in mid august, and were wearing jackets in the furnace flats area because of the monsoon weather. You should have so good. better than clear water and hotter than hell.


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## teleman73 (Apr 11, 2010)

Mid-August is Monsoon season so you should hopefully have consistent afternoon downpours (not light drizzles- downpours). These usually start around 3ish and should help to cool the rock a little in the afternoon reducing the nighttime temps, but the rains will usually never happen a night because monsoons are a product of heat so it is unlikely that you will actually need to set up your tent. It will still be hot, but you can leave a water bottle of two in the river and then sleep with that like an awkward plastic teddybear. this will stay cool throughout the night and is a good alternative if you find that wet cotton makes you too cold even on hot nights.


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

Cheeba Chew: Indica Best night of sleep in a long time.


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## DocDC (Aug 18, 2010)

*sleep on the boat.*

all the advice you need is already here. Paco pad across the boat, sheet or towel to pull over me around 3 a.m., tent fly handy if the rain came up. Some of the best sleep I've ever had, even with the patter of water against the boat. I did not like then other boats rubbing against mine, the sound was unnatural and kept me awake til I set up a preventative barrier.


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

TriBri1 said:


> If you can sleep in the boat, this is the way to go. I personally can't. At some of the camps there is way too much rocking, I'd end up ralphing in the drain holes.
> 
> I slept on a cot, each night I dumped water on the cot right before going to bed. I kept my sleeping bag in my drybag next to me. At some point through the night I would get cold and pull my sleeping bag over me. If you are sleeping on the ground or in a tent, don't setup your tent or your lay out your pad until you are almost ready for bed. This will give the sand some time to dissipate.
> 
> Speaking of sleeping, each night I had very lucid dreams that the river would flood in around my cot. A few times i would sit up and put my feet on the ground just to break the dream. Anyone else have this kind of (nondrug induced) experience?


Always enjoy water and boating dreams after a trip...extends the experience a bit.


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## AirEms (Jan 16, 2011)

Hey All,
Thanks for beta,data and all around good ideas. That's what I came looking for and it was well provided. My cats frame is 72" wide and 120" long and with a little work should be able to handle a cot sleeping arrangement. The dampened sheet trick also sounds like it might need a try. Possibly with enough beer and rum I will not even have to dip it in the water, I can just use the trickle down and wick method I developed as a small child. But that's another thread all together.
Thanks again for the replies!
LONG


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## jpwinc (Sep 19, 2008)

There is a company that makes a product called Cocoon, http://www.cocoon.at/eng/show.php?doc=cocoon_ckat1&kat=2&prod=8&fab=0

I have not tried the cool max. I just purchased one of their Egyptian Cotton liners. It was fine. 

and it is the best for the hot nites on the Grand Canyon. Second best is just two sheets on top of a paco pad.

Of course the very best is sleeping on your boat. I think you said you had a Jag cat. This is what we use for a sleeping and people deck. note it is up in the air so that the produce underneath can be tended to. If you want to read more go to this site. 








http://www.jpwinc.com/pages/photo-eltigre.html

It is the first link at the top of the page.


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## AirEms (Jan 16, 2011)

JPW,
My cat has flat space up front,the 150qt cooler and dry box covered partially by one of your fine Paco Pads, and space behind the rowing seat covered by two backboards. The backboards cover two drop bag compartments and convert to adjustable leg river tables if needed. I should be able to find an easy cot set up on this configuration. I will look into the cocoon as it sounds like it might just be the thing to tie this sleeping in the heat thing up. By the way, here is a shout out to the quality and comfort of your Paco pad that I have. Good stuff and a recommendable product.
Thanks,
LONG


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## kikii875 (Oct 25, 2010)

gwheyduke said:


> Nipple Beers before bed!
> 
> Everyone grabs a beverage, wades into the water up to their nipples and enjoys one last beer before bed. No Chugging, just a nice relaxing end to the day. By the time you get out, you'll be cold enough to fall a sleep easily.


Stay in the water as long as you can stand it, and then dip your head in and you will be able to sleep through the night. Being on the boat helps also.
I have always been a boat sleeper. 40+ years in the canyon.


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## mleachman (Jul 21, 2006)

Try some cots that you can set up down close to the river.


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## canton (Oct 12, 2007)

It's all about how close you can sleep to the water without getting wet when the river comes up. Sleeping on the boat is by far your first choice. If you're not sleeping on the boat bring a cot. It'll make life SO much better. Not only does it get you off the hot sand but it keeps you above the red ants that are everywhere on Grand camp sites. Last forget your normal sleeping bag. Just get a silk sleep sack. $25-30 of well spent cash.


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