Top or Bottom Bunk

[ulticamp]

Which bunk is better and why? :feedback:

Chris
Ultimate Camp Resource

[Smudge]

cos you dont end up banging your head on the base of the upper bunk like you do when you are in a bottom bunk.

However if you in a bottom bunk you have less far to fall when you fall out of bed.

[Angel_Jenny]

I prefer bottom as it is easier to get out of without disturbing campers!! That is both a morning and before bed! Also if there is a single bed in the room I take that as I can see all my campers then! If any of the campers need me during the night it is easier being ground level too. There are always a number of things I would forget to do and going up and down ladders would be a hassle! I prefer not to have campers above me though if there is going to be a spare bed hehe. Oh and I have a tendency of rolling alot in sleep and it's a safer bet to roll out of a bottom bunk that a top hehe

[these.city.lights]

Bottom is better.
Basically, on the top you have limited space to put your glasses/watch/book without it falling down the side.
On the bottom you have the floor at arms reach to place stuff. Also shoes and stuff can be stored under your bed.
Its just better!

[Smudge]

Unless it is in some of the youth hostels i have staying where there isn't even enough speace to sit up. Everytime I woke and sat up to check the time or something I banged my head cos the there was so little space between the bottom and top bunks.

[Life_Saver]

I enjoy the top bunk the best!

One of the reasons I prefer it over the bottom is because the bunkbeds we have at camp are extremely noisey and the person on the bottom can hear every time the top person moves.

I also like it on hot days because there is a nice breeze from the windows.

It's also nice because I feel like there is more privacy.

And we stack 2 crates so I I do have a place for my lantern, book, glasses etc. up there with me.

[annknee]

I prefer the bottom cos then you can spread all your stuff on the floor and under your bed. Only problem is that campers tend to go to the botoom bunks first in the middle of the night

[gabor85_hungary]

Advantage of bottom bunk:
-it's easier to get into/out of the bed.
-you can place and easily reach some of your personal belongings under the bed
-you can sit on the bed more comfortable

Advantage of the top bunk:
-others don't sit on your bed when playing in the cabin (Eg: card games)
-you are more separated

[happy_camper]

If there's a single bed, then I prefer the single. But if only bunks are available, then TOP!

1. People don't sit on your bed.

2. You don't knock your head when you get up (unless your ceilings are really low)

3. At my camp, there's actually 2 shelves right next to the top bunk, so its easier to get to your stuff than on the bottom, where you have to walk around a half-wall to get to your shelf.

4. The bottom is kind of chlostrophobic because you are against a wall, you have two half walls against the other two sides, and there's a bed on top of you, so you only have one open side.

PS -- our singles have better mattresses and don't squeak! The bunks are squeaky metal and have bad mattresses!

[laurathistle]

Bottom Bunk. Always. I have never banged my head on the bunk above, but then I am quite short. Also, the last youth hostel I stayed in had 23 beds in the dorm and I had a bottom bunk and was able to tuck a large towel under the mattress of the top bunk to make myself a private cave!

[clarabelle1985]

i prefer top bunk on whole as more room to move about liek to strtch legs as dont feel incloses in msotly on bootm bunk at camp or single bed if was one cause campers always wanted top excep ones excepts needs week when i had top cause campers werent allowed them other councellor also joined me on top bunks during week as was scared of pne of campers.

lol jenny jsut rmebering when we stayed at hsotel in manchester and i fogot to put ladders on to top bunk and woke up at 6 am needing to pee and sat ther till u realised i couldnt get downa nd rescued me with the step ladders lol

[Angel_Jenny]

Lol fully remember that too! Was funny! Tried to call Jenni to help u but she grunted and rolled over ha! See I was on bottom and u were on top there too :)

Oh and this poll is a pretty close one don't u agree?

[these.city.lights]

We need more people to vote!

I remember when I had a high bed with a ladder and I used to try and walk around the room with the ladder as a stilt kinda thing.
The DENT I made in my door cos I lost my balance was massive!

[Angel_Jenny]

SNAP!!! LOL only it was wall not door ;)

[these.city.lights]

Well I did the wall too. But didnt dent the wall half as bad as the door.

Also with my high bed, I couldnt reach the light switch to turn it off, so basically had to lean across OUT of me high bed across the room and use the wall as support or I'd fall 6 feet to the ground. I swear it was soo dodgy!

[Angel_Jenny]

lol my lightswitch is by my door and I used to picture my room before switching off and was proud at knowing exactly how many steps forward and to left etc before reaching ladder! To be honest I still do everything in the dark now too lol and my rooms a mess so I think step around chair and miss the stool etc! Will end up breaking something one of these days ;)
My sister had used red hair mascara one evening but instead of streaks she had her whole hair covered and it wasn't dry. I was out for the night and my mum had given her permission to sleep on my bed :-o anyways when I came home next day there was a nice big red patch on my ceiling from when she got into bed and I had to look at that for the next few months till someone got around to buying ceiling paint hehe

[these.city.lights]

Haha great story Jenny!

My room is a COMPLETE mess right now. One of the thigns on my list of things to do before I leave is to tidy it.

The amount of glasses and plates in there is... well lets say we have like 2 of each downstairs at the moment.
IM A TEENAGER I CAN DO IT IF I WANT TO.

Does anyone else "Prepare" their room for when you come home from a night out drinking?
Just to make sure there are no drunken stumbles onto the wrong things.

[Smudge]

When i was younger we live in a ground floor flat and my cousin lived with us so we had bunk bed in the bedroom. At the same time my uncle who was into rock climbing had been teaching us to absail down the airs (and I think once at a climbing wall for kids). Anyway our bunk beds ended by the window, so we decided to use the curtains to absail down the bed. It went well until my cousin swung through the window - breaking the window and getting us in trouble.

[Possum]

I love bottom bunks. They're easier to climb in/out of, and as I keep a lot of junk on my ladder rungs (they're flat wood), I don't have to worry about knocking anything down. Also, you have an option of being next to a window (depending on which side of the room you're sleeping against).

The only thing I really don't like is people assuming your bed doubles as a personal couch! It doesn't bother me all that much, though - only when I've just made my bed.

[c3divers]

I like the bottom bunk.
1 easier to get in and out
2. I come to bed late so I don't want to climb to get in a bed
3. closer to the floor when I roll out

[ArtisticEric]

Bottom for me ... Mainly because when you come back late from a night out at the movies or whatever you can just roll into bed. Its also handy to roll out of in the morning... i find it less noisy then climbing out of the top bunk when I get up to get ready.

[prettysocks]

Bottom!

1. Ladders are scary to climb when you're dozy. Or.. all the time.
2. I like that people come and chill on your bed with you! It makes me feel loved.
3. I like sleeping in confined spaces. I wrap myself in blankets and sleep in a ball.
4. I'm not going to fall and die from the bottom bunk, but I just might from the top.
5. You can reach your crap without having to risk your life crawling down a sketchy ladder.

The camp I work at in the summer doesn't actually have bunkbeds, but other camps I go to with my Brownies through the school year do. Bottom!

[campnerd99]

As a camper I always went for the top bunk.
Now as a counsellor I fully appreciate the advantages of a bottom bunk where all of your stuff is easy to access.

It doesn't make a huge difference to me though, they both have advantages.

[coach1974]

I fell through on my co counselor one time. I out weighed him about 50 pounds.

[collissimon]

It's all about the top! I work with the youngest kids on camp usually, so it's all about not getting weed on!

Also, I can put stuff in the rafters, but I really like being able to see the whole room. The only bad point is when it becomes a dumping ground throughout the day, it's a pain in the backside to clean.

[Smudge]

The last time I had to sleep on a bunk bed at camp (other than during pre/post camp) I was the only person in the room - whole 2 room cabin actually (only female day camp counsellor on a mainly res camp). Anyway I took the mattress of the the top bunk so that the light could come through and also so I had a decent thickness of mattress and used the bottom end of the top bunk as shelves (but not the area above my head)

[collissimon]

I've slept just me in a bunk before... but it really freaks me out! I don't like it at all, turning the light out when you want it out etc, and it's feels too quiet.

Also... I find it gets really cold at nights, without 9 campers farting away!

[Angel_Jenny]

Don't ask but I have slept "Under the bunk" at camp before LOL was ok till I woke in the night to bang my head!!

[Smudge]

I've slept just me in a bunk before... but it really freaks me out! I don't like it at all, turning the light out when you want it out etc, and it's feels too quiet.

I hated it - i couldn't sleep most nights - eventually I asked if I could borrow the camp CD player (I had brought CDs for my after camp raod trip but didn't have a discman) and listen music every night. I also used to lock both doors to the cabin.

Cos the camp was in the woods and my cabin was on the outskirts of the regularly used part of camp the deer used to hang out behind my cabin and the cracking twigs and branches really got to me cos at the camp i had been at the previous year we had actually had peeping toms hiding out in the woods behind one of the cabins in which 2 of the life guards where changing out their swimming gear - luckily it was session break so there were no campers on camp - but you can understand why i was edgy cos of the deer.

Never slept in cabins with the kids - the only camp that might have happened they kept me in day camp which suited me. At GS camps we have staff cabins and camper have seperate cabins/tents and the one time I could have had to sleep alone I stayed in the lodge which was alot more central and counsellor hung out with me when they had time off (my unit went on a trip but I was needed on camp and refuse to stay in the unit on my own cos it was the most outmost unit being used that session).

[these.city.lights]

Don't ask but I have slept "Under the bunk" at camp before LOL was ok till I woke in the night to bang my head!!

You expect us NOT to ask why you were asleep under the bed?! :D

Are you kidding me?!

WE WANT TO KNOW NOW!

[Angel_Jenny]

LOL! It isn't that exciting ;)
Just I apparently went a little loopy last year on a Thursday whilst counselling and One night I was singing away to myself when it was lights out and a camper kept turning the flash light on so I struck a different pose when the light went out so when she turned it on she saw me in that pose! (of course it caused a giggling fit in Our cabin :-o). That same night (I don't usually sleep walk) I had settled down (after about 1 1/2 hours - apologised to campers in morning LOL) and fell asleep. At about 6:30 am I needed the loo so went to sit up and 'THWACK!!' of the bed and I shouted out in shock ;) It woke a couple of campers up and their giggling at me trying to wriggle out of there woke the others up so I had to then wait till next door cabin was up to watch my campers instead of being able to sneak out whilst they were asleep!!

[happy_camper]

Never slept in cabins with the kids - the only camp that might have happened they kept me in day camp which suited me. At GS camps we have staff cabins and camper have seperate cabins/tents

Me too! I am always in the counselor cabin with other counselors. This summer though, at my 2nd camp (the special needs one) I will be in the cabin with the girls. I'm not sure how that is going to work out, because I am used to being able to wake up without worrying about waking the girls or go to bed later than them, etc.

I'm not sure I would want to be in a cabin by myself -- it would get really creepy and lonely.

[KiwiCRB]

I've slept in a cabin by myself before and I haaaated it! We ended up moving to a different unit after like 2 nights because it was a really stormy week and the cabins we were in definately weren't storm proof. Solved that problem!

[Smudge]

I personally think that isn't fair that they left me alone every night in that cabin cos there were beds in the building where the programme staff and heal care assistant lived and yet they left me alone in the woods (without even a phone or anything) - ok I was totally alone there was a cabin across the road and down a bit but that wasn't any comfort at night when I couldn't sleep.

[carrottop]

Most of the time i'd say top bunk as being nearly 6ft tall its nice to sit up without banging your head however last summer one of the cabins i was in, i slept on top bunk and sat up in the morning and the cross beams in the cabin were forehead height and i smacked my head on it!! nice big bruise!! Although given the choice i'd stick the bunk mattress on the floor as bunks are usually too short and i end up whacking my feet on the end. If i can get a single bed with no end then i'll have it!! :-)

[prideeinpynk]

I've always had a phobia of bottom bunks. I don't like feeling enclosed. If I have it my way I'll have a single bed. :D

[CampFreak]

I prefer the bottom as it is easiest to get in and out at any time without disturbing anyone. At night it is a little harder getting up and situated. Also on the bottom any camper can easily get to you if they need something.

The bottom also provides the conveince of having a fan blown right on you and that you can keep your stuff on the ground and you can access it so easily.

I can remember though, as a camper I loved the top bunk for the sake of being on a top bunk.

Also when my cabin isn't full I never have a kid on top of me which leaves extra room for organizing anything and laying clothes on for quick grab.

[Melk]

Most of the time i'd say top bunk as being nearly 6ft tall its nice to sit up without banging your head however last summer one of the cabins i was in, i slept on top bunk and sat up in the morning and the cross beams in the cabin were forehead height and i smacked my head on it!! nice big bruise!! Although given the choice i'd stick the bunk mattress on the floor as bunks are usually too short and i end up whacking my feet on the end. If i can get a single bed with no end then i'll have it!! :-)

One of my campers hit her hed on the cross beam of the top bunk this summer. She ended up having to go home early because she brused the nerve that controls her eye and had to get glasses. We were so sad to see her go. I hope she comes back.

[these.city.lights]

At camp I used the bottom bunk to sleep in and used the top bunk for my clothes. Man it was a mess!

[Smudge]

I did that when I was at the camp I was in deleware - the one where I was in the cabin alone for most of the summer.

[Indigo]

Bottom bunk, all the way. It's just easier after a long day. And there's no hitting your head on the ceiling, which is dangerously low in the staff room of my lodge. There's usually too much staff to have an empty bed, but when there is one, I like to keep special things (like presents for graduating AWITs) on the top bunk.

[prettysocks]

Ooooh, funny story that I just remembered!

So at Brownie camp this one time, when I was a leader.. There were 4 rooms, 1 leader room and 3 girl rooms with 4 girls each. One night, we hear this giant loud THUMP, and get up to find that one girl has fallen from her top bunk, and was now sleeping on the floor. Her mom was there, so she woke her up, asked her if she was okay, and the girl climbed the ladder back to bed. In the morning she had no memory of this midnight event, but had earned herself the nickname Crash.

[NightOwl]

I prefer bottom... since I wear glasses, I find tops bunks to be a little challenging sometimes...

[KiwiCRB]

Oh man I went on a camp staff retreat (camp for new freshman coming into school, not my real camp) and I had to sleep on a top bunk and it definitely reinforced my feelings of dislike for sleeping up there. I think it was worse because these particular beds didn't have either a ladder or a shelf to put things on so it was very inconvenient. Bottom bunks all the way!

[code3cadet]

I think the top bunk is best because the bed wetters will not pee on you and you have more head room

[prettysocks]

Once I slept on a top bunk with no guard bar to save my life. I didn't like it EVEN ONE LITTLE BIT. No thanks.

[Strand]

I always liked the bottom. Gives me more room to put up posters, and engrave my name on the bunk above me, along with the other kids that had the same idea.

[twinrachel2]

Bottom bunk. I had always took the top bunk for the entrie time I was at camp untill my last year, but I love the bottom bunk! U don't haffta climb up to ur bunk every time you want something, and you can hang organizers from the bottom of the top bunk. Plus you have way more store. The only problem with the bottom bunk is that you are more pron to pranking, lol

[Campy Measius]

ALWAYS bottom bunk for me... you can get out of bed SO much faster!
I always have a sweater next to me and a pair of shoes ready to put on in case of emergencies. I've had to hop out of bed running on more than one occasion.

[erin90]

i use to love the top bunks but a camp i volunteered at had no ladders and like i brok all my stomach muslce trying to get up and down so many times a day i ended up with my matress on the floor.
so i def like bottom bunks also im not good with ladders and normally fall down them