Sleeping Outdoors in Seattle

[Guest guest]

>My question to all of you is, how does one go about sleeping

>outdoors in Seattle during the inclement months? We are planning to

>build a covered platform in the backyard for yoga/tai chi/

>meditation/eating outside in the rain/etc., and figure this can also

>become a sleeping platform. What about maintaining bedding? I

>prefer bed-like situation with a comforter, etc. to a sleeping bag.

>Are there others out there sleeping outdoors here year-round? What

>do you do?

 

I sleep with the window open and a fan blowing the fresh air towards

me. Though not ideal, it is a compromise and better than the

window-closed majority of people. If was building a platform/deck, I

would make it big enough for everyone to sleep on, including the

comforter you would like. If I had a solid roof on it, I would make

it easy to attach canvas or netting " walls. " In the cold months, the

canvas would help with the low temperatures and rain. Some screened

vents under the eaves would help provide the fresh air. I'd probably

include an extended roof on one side for a screened door (like a

tent). That would help keep the rain out.

 

If this is attached to the house it could be a screened porch.

 

Ahhh, to be a property owner!

 

Jeff

[Guest guest]

In the " old days " , homes often had " sleeping porches " , which are still often

found in college fraternities/sororities, etc. (At least they were when I

was first in college and aware of such things, but that's been over 30 years

ago...I don't know if they're still using such things.) My mother was born

to Swedish immigrants, and they built a simple home along the Columbia River

in Oregon (near Astoria). It had a porch, and my mother would sleep out

there, sometimes awakening to rather frosty (and snowy) conditions. I

believe that there was some netting to protect her from the mosquitoes in

the summertime.

 

I also feel much more refreshed when I sleep either outdoors or with the

windows WIDE open. I did that at our home in Oregon as well. (The same

home that my mother grew up in, but the porch had rotted away & we replaced

it with a deck.) That's always most refreshing when one doesn't have the

neighbors' cigarette smoke drifting from next door, nor the sounds of those

same neighbors' dogs tromping through the back yard when they hear some

phantom noise from two lots down. We were rather spoiled on our place down

there - not only did we have over 7 acres of our own, but for many years the

24 acres to the east was vacant, as was the 2 acres to the west, which was

bounded on the other side by a large wetlands estuary. Our nearest neighbor

was 1/4 mile away, and " traffic " meant that the people on the island nearby

were leaving in their fishing boat to go out fishing (commercial). We were

the last house on the road, so nobody came down our driveway unless they

belonged there (or were totally lost or trying to sell something). No cars

racing up & down the street. In the fall, the owls would call back and

forth, and sometimes we could get them to respond to our calls. It was

great. Too bad there weren't any jobs there! But then we probably never

would have discovered the healthier eating style, would still be raising our

pigs & chickens and eating them, totally clueless.

 

I'm wishing I hadn't missed Victoria's presentation, but I'd been gone most

of the prior week, including the weekend, and had to work on Monday, which I

normally don't do. I just needed some " down time " .

 

Sue

 

 

 

tinaanitb [bystrom]

Sunday, July 27, 2003 10:20 AM

RawSeattle

[RawSeattle] Sleeping Outdoors in Seattle

 

Greetings, all. I attended the Boutenko's lecture with my family

and several friends (both raw and raw-curious). One of the foremost

inspirations I got from Victoria was to begin sleeping outside. My

kids and I have been sleeping in a tent since the lecture (I was

ready to throw a sleeping bag on the grass, but my daughter was

concerned that mosquitoes find her delicious, so we settled on the

tent). My husband is still sleeping inside (for the moment) but

with the window wide open.

 

My question to all of you is, how does one go about sleeping

outdoors in Seattle during the inclement months? We are planning to

build a covered platform in the backyard for yoga/tai chi/

meditation/eating outside in the rain/etc., and figure this can also

become a sleeping platform. What about maintaining bedding? I

prefer bed-like situation with a comforter, etc. to a sleeping bag.

Are there others out there sleeping outdoors here year-round? What

do you do?

 

I love how I feel when I sleep/awaken outdoors, and how our kids

appear to feel (we also have incorporated a 15+ minute evening walk,

which has does wonders for everyone's mood), and I would like to be

able to sleep outside all year.

 

Thoughts? Experiences? Advice?

 

Thanks!

Tina

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the good suggestions, Jeff.

 

Tina

 

 

>

> I sleep with the window open and a fan blowing the fresh air

towards

> me. Though not ideal, it is a compromise and better than the

> window-closed majority of people. If was building a platform/deck,

I

> would make it big enough for everyone to sleep on, including the

> comforter you would like. If I had a solid roof on it, I would

make

> it easy to attach canvas or netting " walls. " In the cold months,

the

> canvas would help with the low temperatures and rain. Some

screened

> vents under the eaves would help provide the fresh air. I'd

probably

> include an extended roof on one side for a screened door (like a

> tent). That would help keep the rain out.

>

> If this is attached to the house it could be a screened porch.

>

> Ahhh, to be a property owner!

>

> Jeff