Call me soft, but the thing I appreciate most about Airstreaming over tent camping is a proper bed. I have a great ultralight camping setup, and I use听it plenty for backpacking, bikepacking,听and hunting. But the truth is, when camping on hard ground, I sleep fitfully and wake up feeling stiff as an old man.听When we鈥檙e in our Airstream, Artemis, however, I know that a hot shower and a sound night鈥檚 sleep await听no matter how big a day I鈥檝e had in the hills.
So last summer, when I began suffering听bouts of trailer insomnia and frequently rose with a sore back and achy hips, I was flummoxed. I鈥檇 always slept better in Artemis than at home. I think it was partly because small spaces are cozy and protective, and partly because, when camping, there are听fewer distractions to keep you up. Something was clearly not right, and I was determined to find out what tht was鈥攁nd fix it.
Eye Mask
Because of ambient light, Jen, my wife,听and I always bed down听with eye masks. I鈥檓 a light sleeper and have tried tons of these over the years, from the rag-thin airline听variety to pricey ones with gel inserts and aromatherapy pods. I鈥檝e found that the $15 听works dependably.
Earplugs
We also sometimes plug up our ears, especially in campgrounds, which can be chaotic. I use cheap foam ones, but Jen swears by her ($117). They definitely work. With her mask on and ears sealed, she sleeps through any听alarm until I wake her. Unfortunately, even with a brand-new mask and plugs, I was still sleeping poorly.
Window Covering
One niggle we鈥檝e had with Artemis over the years is how much light seeps in, even with curtains and shades battened down听for the night. Some of the best sleep we鈥檝e had in a trailer was while听testing the new Airstream听Basecamp, which includes blackout shades that are so effective,听it鈥檚 almost distressing when you wake up in the morning. Jen and I have been meaning to emulate those curtains in our bedroom for a while, but it鈥檚 an expensive project and听always gets pushed off. Instead, Jen used some 听to craft听makeshift window covers. Yet听even听in near blackout conditions, I was听tossing and turning.
A Good Mattress
About the time I started having trouble sleeping, Jen and I went on an overseas work trip听and stayed in a hotel with luxe bedding.听I slept like I was drugged. When we got back to Artemis and my listlessness returned, I realized that we needed a new mattress. It might seem like an easy fix, but the Airstream鈥檚听round-shell profile听requires a custom solution. The simplest route is to , but we wanted something plusher.
Research led to a couple of companies that craft custom mattresses for Airstreams and other RVs听and sell direct online. The thought of buying sight unseen (as well as the听) made me hesitant. But when we called , I regretted dithering. The sales rep, Matthew, spent half an hour on the phone with us going over our sleep preferences. He eventually recommended a memory-foam model, using a firmer layup than usual. The price was nearly 50 percent less than an听Airstream mattress, but I was听concerned about听not being able to test-drive it first. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l love it, I promise,鈥 Matthew said. 鈥淏ut if for some reason you don鈥檛, call us back and we鈥檒l work it out.鈥
When the mattress arrived, it came听wrapped in a zip-off organic-cotton mattress cover and fit the oddball dimensions of the trailer like the bespoke design that it is. I couldn鈥檛 wait to try it out, and we actually turned in early that night from sheer anticipation. As promised, the mattress felt both firm and yielding; I was out in minutes and听slept through the night. The next morning, I awoke well rested and not even slightly sore or achy.
Buying something so big and expensive online was intimidating, but with such drastic improvement, I only regret not doing听it sooner. Jen says I鈥檓 the princess and the pea, though she, too, has been sleeping better. Sleep hard to play hard, I keep telling her. But I鈥檓 pretty sure she just thinks I鈥檓 getting soft.