jags,
I like Richie's advice...hard to beat and something I do myself over and over and....
You know me, I happily sleep in what amounts to a bread wrapper (all tents look the same with your eyes closed, sez Dan), but that isn't for everyone.
Where you're looking to get a good night's sleep, why not go with the most comfortable? You don't want the tour to turn into a Death March because you've been awake half the night. My friend happily hauls his 3+kg, 3-man Tatonka Alaska tent for solo touring as his primary luxury item for just this reason. "Dan," he says, "If I don't sleep, I'm toast". Good point.
You might also consider more than the tent before and during the trip...what about your mattress and pillow?
Starting about two weeks before a tour, I always blocked off my bed so it was the same size as my camping mat, and I also substituted my camp pillow. Did wonders for easing the transition, 'cos Home Bed felt like Camp Bed. Unexpected side-effect: I eventually found the "luxury" version of my pad to be more comfortable than my mattress, so a pair strapped side-by-side became my home mattress. Best sleep I've had in years and I actually wake up rarin' to go and ache-free, just like when I'm on-tour. No transition at all.
Gotta recommend the Nemo Tuo Standard for touring (stack two for ice and snow camping in the open at -15C) and a pair of Nemo Tuo Luxury pads strapped side-by-side on a sheet of 1" plywood and made into a bed with real bed-sheets and blankets as the best bed I've ever had. The Nemo pads have two separate valves and air chambers; the bottom 1/3 is solid and inflated hard to smooth out rugosities, while the top 1/3 is cross-cored and set soft for comfort. Warm and greatly extend the temp rating of a light bag. They inflate flat instead of lens-shaped so no rolling off in the night. I still substitute my camp pillow a week before going on-tour just so I'm used to it.
As yet, there is no Mrs. Danneaux, which makes such things possible.
Nemo Tuo Standard:
http://www.nemoequipment.com/nemo2011-tuostandard-pad <-- Heavy at 1kg and worth every gram especially in bitter cold.
Nemo Tuo Luxury:
http://www.nemoequipment.com/nemo2011-tuolux-padCocoon HyperLite pillow:
http://www.rei.com/product/799192/cocoon-hyperlite-pillowWhen on-tour, I "dress" my pad by slipping a jersey over the head end, trapping my pillow between the shirt and the pad; lying on the shirt keeps the pillow nicely in place so it won't keep squirting out from under my head in the night and I reach the pillow and pad air valves through the arm holes of the shirt. Little things like that do wonders for getting to sleep and staying asleep. Never felt lost or alone in the middle of nowhere 'cos when I awakened I was always "home" in my tent or bag, familiar as always despite the new locale.
Best,
Dan.
