Touring - Sleeping during those hot and humid summer nights

I tend to sweat a lot when it's hot... and these days are quite hot and humid in Ontario and Quebec where I usualy cycle. My partner and I went on a short trip this weekend in the Gatineau Park near the place where we live and i had the impression i had to sleep in a swimming pool... the nylon used in making my sleeping bag, matress and tent seemed to collect all the water we emited through breath and sweat and we had a particularly sticky night.

Do any of you know a good way to sleep more comfortably in these conditions?

Use a silk liner sheet in your sleeping bag. Don't even use the sleeping bag if its warm.

Don't use the fly layer of the tent to improve breathability.

Use a hammock instead of a tent so you get air circulation under your body.

If the bugs aren't bad & there's little risk of rain, don't use the tent. Otherwise use equipment designed for maximum breathability. As womble says, skip the rain fly (again, assuming good weather). I'm a big fan of tents made with lots of mesh, in place of nylon walls.

Swimming before going to sleep can help cool you down. Where I live, you can't go without the anti-bug mesh layer, but it would be great! The middle of the woods tend to get less breeze than open areas. Also, ridge tops have more air circulation than hillsides or valleys.

Good luck!

The conditions you describe are definately ones where a Hennessy Hammock has an advantage. You have great air flow under the hammock and you can vary the distance between the bug netting and the fly above you. You can also sleep using the sleeping bag as a blanket so you start the night with it piled up near your feet and then if the night gets cooler you simply pull it on top.

Cold conditions are harder with a hammock then a tent IMHO.

~Jamie N
www.bicycletouring101.com