Sleeping time: what to wear?

[Anamya]

Hi there!

It may seem stupid, but I'd like to ask: what did you usually wear to sleep, at the camino?
You already wear the clothing you're going to walk the next day?
Or is it better have a different t-shirt for sleeping?

There was a great 'pillow topic' at the forum, so i'd like to hear more complete explanations about what you all did when you went to sleep ^^

 

[sillydoll]

Some women take a nightshirt. I've even seen some with nighties and nightgowns!
I just wear the clothes I'm going to wear tomorrow.

 

[lynnejohn]

I'm with Sil - once you've had your shower, washed your clothes, you're all clean - just put them on, sleep and get up with no fuss. Alternatively, if you bring long silk underwear (weight neglible) for wearing on chilly days, they double as comfy sleepwear as well.

lynne

 

[Tia Valeria]

I prefer not to wear next day's clothes to sleep in so I am taking Trekmate longjohns and long sleeved T-shirt. Lightweight, quick drying and wicking - not wool type. They will make pyjamas or warmer underwear - total weight 230gms. I also have a Rohan dress for evening wear, or nightwear if it is warm. Again lightweight - 185gms, crease proof and quick drying. Happy to carry both as both sets are dual purpose.
Buen Camino,
Tia Valeria

 

[Anniesantiago]

I also wear tomorrow's clothes.
If it's hot, I wear panties and bra, taking my clothing off after lights out.
If it's cold, I might wear my longjohns.
But I don't take anything extra for nights.

 

[annakappa]

First and second year, I took an old threadbare nightdress, last year I took a very lightweight t-shirt. However, I ended up most of the time wearing the shirt that I would use for the next day's walk (having already been washed previously that afternoon). I agree with Lynne, once you have had your shower and washed your clothes, you are (hopefully) clean! Anne

 

[alipilgrim]

I wear the next day's shirt and undies. Makes it easier for a quiet get-away in the morning as just have to slip on pants and shoes... nothing worse to those who sleep longer than noisy pilgrims rustling around! And keeps the weight of the pack down, not carrying extraneous clothing.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

I took a long, light t-shirt. I tend to keep quite warm at night and prefer to change into something fresh in the morning. Personal preference.
Margaret

 

[Canuck]

Buck naked!

I don't sleep in albergues... :twisted:

Sweet dreams,
Jean-Marc

 

[mlcamino]

I started out on my first camino with a special sleep outfit, but quickly abandoned it at too much trouble. Like many other on this site, I sleep in my next day's clothes. I usually take of the pants and hang them at the end of the bunk so that they're handy when I get up in the morning.

 

[Ribeirasacra]

Buck naked!

I don't sleep in albergues... :twisted:

Sweet dreams,
Jean-Marc

After thinking about you naked how can you say sweet dreams? More like nightmares :lol:

 

[Canuck]

After thinking about you naked how can you say sweet dreams? More like nightmares :lol:

Now that you mention it, I agree that the two don't go well together in the same post.

Back to sleep,
Jean-Marc

 

[mmonomm]

i put a special outfit, but most of it was thrown away after the first day (too much kg-s )
so mostly i wear the next days outfit.

 

[Tia Valeria]

I prefer not to wear next day's clothes to sleep in so I am taking Trekmate longjohns and long sleeved T-shirt. Lightweight, quick drying and wicking - not wool type. They will make pyjamas or warmer underwear - total weight 230gms. I also have a Rohan dress for evening wear, or nightwear if it is warm. Again lightweight - 185gms, crease proof and quick drying. Happy to carry both as both sets are dual purpose.
Buen Camino,
Tia Valeria

Our Camino was so cold at the start that I was wearing the long johns day and night. Only took them off for long enough to rinse the crutch and get it dry as quick as I could. Dried them on my towel to speed things up. I actually had 2 long sleeve tops, but they only got an 'under arm' job. Eventually the dress did get worn as a night dress when the weather finally warmed up but not as a dress.
I'll definitely take the same dual purpose combination again next year. At the moment a second pair of longjohns and one less short sleeved T seems like a good idea, but that isn't a final decision.
This was a May camino so I felt a choice etc was wise.
Tia Valeria

 

[gittiharre]

Hi so far I have gone in fairly warm weather in May June August and September. I have a first layer T shirt which I can wear as an extra layer, but usually sleep in. Year one I wore a pair of silk boxers with it, now I just sleep in black undies with it, but wrap my sulu/lavalava around me when I go to the loo at night. The sulu of course is perfect on it's own to go to shower in and get changed under or wear as a makeshift skirt while you wash the 2 pair of pants you have with you.
I have also worn the sulu to swim in, by tieing it up into a swim suit shape. It is a great thing.
Gitti

 

[Artemisofephesus]

I slept in my thermal stuff/long johns for the next day, sometimes even my shirt and jumper. Got pretty cold in December... But it was really practical in the mornings, all I had to do was pull on my hiking pants over my long johns and my fleece jacket and off I went!

 

[ksam]

Having only done "warmer" weather, I just wore a very very large Tshirt (Technical fabric) and undies. Shirt was big enough to get dressed under! Very easy, relatively modest for all parties concerned! By it's being a tech fabric it was very light weight too. In the US, check for Football Jerseys or Big Mens Sport shirts or such in XL or eve XXL !

 

[Esauro57]

Wear the clean stuff you will use the next day for walking:- saves you time , space and most of all keeps your Mucila (Backpack) light. :wink:

 

[Forrest]

forgive me, but I am imagining climbing out of an upper berth bunk bed in a Tshirt and knickers. in a room full of strangers of all ages. . . not normally shy but will I disgrace myself??? should i bring something more?
also, do I need a pillow? sleeping bag? was thinking of bringing only a silk liner without an actual sleeping bag. I am startingat sjpdp on May 27 of 2013 anyone have any insight?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I am imagining climbing out of an upper berth bunk bed in a Tshirt and knickers. in a room full of strangers of all ages. . . not normally shy but will I disgrace myself??? should i bring something more?
also, do I need a pillow? sleeping bag?

You won't be alone. Leave the disgrace genes at home!

It might be cold in March. Most albergues have blankets. If you have to be warm to sleep, take the sleeping bag. Otherwise, the liner will be fine.

 

[gittiharre]

I wear a silky kind of a t shirt and a lava lava of light thin cotton which can also be used to go in and out of the shower, a wrap skirt, and tied creatively as swimming trunks, scarf, shawl, mosquito protection over your head at night.it is one of my most essential items, also ideal for first aid. If in bright colour, great during hunting season.

 

[nreyn12]

forgive me, but I am imagining climbing out of an upper berth bunk bed in a Tshirt and knickers. in a room full of strangers of all ages. . . not normally shy but will I disgrace myself??? should i bring something more?
also, do I need a pillow? sleeping bag? was thinking of bringing only a silk liner without an actual sleeping bag. I am startingat sjpdp on May 27 of 2013 anyone have any insight?

Starting in late May you should be fine with just a silk liner. I'd also suggest a pillow case or scarf of some kind to cover the pillow that's provided (the only place I've found that doesn't provide a pillow is the central albergue in Leon).

As for disgracing yourself, there are two sides to this - how you feel about it, and how the person who gets flashed feels about it. I've seen things on bunks above me that I really didn't want to see - like the bottom end of a man in his knickers maneuvering himself into his sleeping bag. One could argue that it's all part of the albergue experience...I'll just look away...

 

[forcade]

Juventus Home Shirt is my pajamas. Large comfortable to wear.

 

[jirit]

I generally wear boxer shorts and a t shirt and change into my hiking clothes in the morning

 

[PMSLAW]

On our Camino earlier this year I took a set of black surgical “scrubs”. They proved to be very useful. I wore them for “after Camino” lounging, as sleepwear, when laundering my other clothes, the shirt actually looked kind of dressy (clergy-like?), and had lots of handy pockets. They are inexpensive and cut loose and comfortable. They rolled up very tight in my pack, and the fabric was stain resistant and designed to shed dirt. I am not recommending them for use during the actual walk, but then again they could work for that too. If you are obsessed with counting every gram then I am sure that there are other products/options. However, for pure utility and daily use they were one of my best packing choices. Pete

 

[Sixwheeler]

I've used surgical scrubs when travelling/trekking as they are light and practical. Very easy to buy online.

 

[mspath]

Walking in late autumn/winter when all albergues are not necessarily heated my 'evening dress' is a clean set of runner's winter tights, short sleeve technical tee shirt, long sleeve technical tee shirt, loose night socks and a wooly hat when it is bitter cold.

 

[gerardcarey]

Wear the clothing you're going to walk the next day?
That aint gonna happen.
Boxers and a base layer do double duty.

 

[hecate105]

I took an old, long, sleeved top, that spared anyone having to look at my wobbly bum. It also meant I had an extra top if cold or if everything else was wet. Luckily I had a sarong at the bottom of my bag. I saw a lady using hers as a privacy screen over the edge of the bunk - she could read/change etc without bothering others. After my micro towel was nicked and my husband's lost - we shared the sarong as our towel for the last two weeks!! I could of course have used the sarong to sleep in too....!

 

[mikevasey]

Depends on what time of year i am walking. When i walked in november my kit was 2 baselayers/ 2 midlayers/ 2 trousers and long johns, the johns and one of the midlayers were on permanent night duty wear. If i walk in hotter times then i have a pair of lightweight pyjamas, which when i am in the albergue i tend to live in. Have tried walking in the clothes i slept in but they always seems to end up chaffing, even after a shower.

 

[leviro]

I wore a thin silk dress. Brought my grand child's baby pillow.
Didn't like having a "wanker" in my lower bed. Was too tired to make a drama out of it.

 

[Karenpriest]

Hi there!

It may seem stupid, but I'd like to ask: what did you usually wear to sleep, at the camino?
You already wear the clothing you're going to walk the next day?
Or is it better have a different t-shirt for sleeping?

There was a great 'pillow topic' at the forum, so i'd like to hear more complete explanations about what you all did when you went to sleep ^^

I took a super light weight pair of yoga pants, topped it off with a clean shirt...super comfy for sleeping and good for after hours too!

 

[stevenjarvis]

I wear whatever my valet lays out... I didn't know there was a choice... "Jeeves"

 

[wayfarer]

Jocks and T shirt which were to be worn the next day, I left my valet at home, he walks too slowly....

 

[Cathy Simpson]

Hi there!

It may seem stupid, but I'd like to ask: what did you usually wear to sleep, at the camino?
You already wear the clothing you're going to walk the next day?
Or is it better have a different t-shirt for sleeping?

There was a great 'pillow topic' at the forum, so i'd like to hear more complete explanations about what you all did when you went to sleep ^^

Hi there, I just completed Camino France in October. I did not bring extra anything esp something to sleep in. I just slept in whatever I was wearing the next day. This worked well for several reasons. Packing lighter, already ready to begin next am without too much fuss. The only time it became an issue was when I could not wash my clothes day before. Worked for me.

 

[Magwood]

I'm definitely not a 'sleep in the next day's clothes' person. On warmer nights I slept in pants and vest top and when it was colder I wore long johns and long sleeve t-shirt. I was lucky enough to granted a lower bunk every night except one, so I didn't have issues of dismounting with all on show. Although I have to admit that no-one was in the least bit interested in what I was wearing, and after a couple of days, neither was I!

.....Camino Frances with my daughter: http://magwood.wordpress.com

 

[Leanan-sidhe]

I wear a set of Helly Hansen 'Dry' thermals (the capri and the longsleeve shirt, 300g together) not only are they very very comfortable having a seperate 'sleeping set' not only makes you feel clean it also keeps your sleeping bag clean which increases it's lifespan (because it doesn't need to be washed)

the thermal set has the added advantage that if it should get unexpextedly very cold it serves as an added layer (instead of bringing a longsleeve shirt for that purpose)

 

[Tammi Murray]

I will preface this by saying that I have not yet walked the Camino. I have, however, gone hiking in Washington State. When I am hiking or traveling, I generally tend toward two sleep options, one for warm weather and one for cold weather. For warm weather, I prefer a tank top and men's boxer shorts. For cold weather, I prefer my Capilene base layer (Patagonia). If it's really cold, I add whatever else I have on hand until I am warm. I can't bring myself to wear the same clothing for hiking as sleeping and I really like to start of my day with fresh undergarments and socks, so I anticipate already that I may be carrying along one more 'change' of clothing than most seem to recommend and probably twice as many undergarments. That said, in general I have found that as with most things, people have their own personal habits and preferences and what people prefer when walking/hiking will probably follow what they prefer in their regular life. When I traveled to Uganda, I was provided with a 'recommended packing list' and I questioned the women who would be traveling with me (who had been to Uganda before) why I would need a robe because I had no intention of purchasing one or having one take up so much space in my luggage. Their response was 'for modesty' when showering, etc. This, however, made to sense to me as 1) I tend to sleep in an outfit that can be moved about in and 2) I tend to dry & dress before heading out of the bathing area and then finish my preparations elsewhere so as to free up the space for others. Again, what we feel we NEED depends on our personal habits and preferences.

 

[Monya]

I think I'll take one of my hubby's T's... Will be comforting, as well as comfortable.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

It was hot during my weeks in Spain so I slept in just my underpants. If I needed to slip out of my sleeping bag to go to the toilet I wrapped my self in my silk scarf (it is 1,5x1,5 meter and weights almost nothing, had multipurpose use of it). I slept wrapped in the silk scarf in my sleeping bag one night as it was cold. I also wore my socks that night.

 

[Diogo92]

On the Portuguese this year, I've slept mainly in underpants and socks, but once in a while, I would have to put my fleece sweatshirt on. And I was wearing an Ultralight sleeping bag, which gives you comfort until 5ºC!

Next year, I'm going to take some thermals, pants and shirt to sleep. They are light, and don't occupy much space on my backpack. Thing is, that it also depends from the time of the year that you are doing your Camiño. Since I'm going in May again, I'm counting to catch for example average temperatures during the day and colder temperatures during the night.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Alena]

It was hot during my weeks in Spain so I slept in just my underpants. If I needed to slip out of my sleeping bag to go to the toilet I wrapped my self in my silk scarf (it is 1,5x1,5 meter and weights almost nothing, had multipurpose use of it). I slept wrapped in the silk scarf in my sleeping bag one night as it was cold. I also wore my socks that night.

I agree on scarves! So glad I took mine as well, not only it weighs next to nothing but it surely can be used in variety of ways.

 

[rsmith0000]

I followed the advice of many, on my first camino, and wore the next day's clothes for sleeping. I think this advice works better for men than women, since their boxers are basically shorts. Next camino, I will take a super lightweight nightgown or PJs. It will be well worth the extra weight!

 

[TaraUltreia]

I started out wearing a spare t-shirt for sleeping in along with the leggings I'd brought for cold days. By the end of the trip I was wearing the t-shirt or vest for the next day and just my undies. I think next year I probably won't bring anything special to sleep in because I did find it very easy to just get up and throw on a pair of trousers or shorts in the morning. Despite my initial doubt about wearing the same thing overnight as I was going to wear in the day, I really didn't find it gross or smelly or anything. It wasn't very hot though... I might have changed my mind if I'd been all hot and sweaty at night.

 

[obinjatoo]

Such interesting responses. Here is mine: Since I'm not maniacal about washing my clothes, I have a particular way to do things. I have one pair of long pants and one pair of hiking shorts and a very light tennis skirt. I also have super light running shorts that are very short. The tee shirt I walk (quick dry variety) in and maybe one extra. I sleep in a fairly clean cotton tee shirt that I pretty much only ever sleep in. If it's cooler, I will add one of my lighter weight warm layers. On the bottom it's either my one pair of long johns or shorts. I usually don't sleep in my unds and I definitely do not sleep in my bra. I find it too uncomfortable. If it's very warm, I may wear very light weight running shorts or my tennis skirt so I can get up easily.
In the AM, I've gotten stealthy about changing out of my bed clothes right at my bunk. I don't really care who sees me, I'm just not that interesting to look at.
I like to travel very light and only carry what I think I will absolutely need.
Good luck