Bedding...

[TheViking]

Hi...

When you sleep out with no mat, what do you use for bedding material??
I tried it twice and used sprucebranches both times! :wink: :wink: ):
Very warm if you lay at least 20 cm.! :chill:

Well, what works for you?? 8-)

[TheViking]

Sorry... been sleepin' more than twice outside, but I meant with natural materials as bed! :wink: :wink: Now we are straight.... :wave: :wave:

[stuart f]

I never use a sleep mat so always use natural materials when out and about. Mostly i use whatever is at hand i,e dead branches, grass ,moss,leaves anything thats lying around really.

[Douglas]

Doesnt' spruce have needles all round the branch? I guess that's what lifts you off the ground for insulation, but isn't it like having a rather complete (and painfull) accupuncture session?!? Or how do you protect yourself from the needles?

[I don't think I'd risk my sleeping bag to those needles anyway though...)

[TheViking]

Hi...

In the bottom of the layer, it doesn't matter if the boughs are 1-2 cm. thick or so. But when you get up to the body layers, the boughs has to be thiner. Just whittle the very tiny boughs of with a knife and lay them in the top. At least a 10 cm. layer of thin.

[Douglas]

Do you mean shave them off the top part of the branch (the side you'll be lying on), or just select branches with shorter/suppler boughs?

And I suppose you have to cut them off live (or very very freshly fallen) trees? (just to not uselessly harm a tree if that's not the way I'm supposed to do it).

[TheViking]

Shave them off........ :wink:

I usually saw fresh branches of spruce of, as this prevents pain!
Be aware that some spruce needles stings and others don't. Can't remember which does and which doesn't. :wink:

[Douglas]

OK, I'll try that one of these days (surelly quite soon since I'm on holiday ). Thanks for the help!

[TheViking]

The pleasure was on my side! :wave:

[RovingArcher]

Learning to make up a pine bed, firebed or other natural shelter is very important, however, and this my way and I don't suppose to apply it to anyone else, I was taught as a child and believe that respecting and living in concert with the bush means not taking more than I need or taking unnecessarily. For that reason, I use my mat whenever I am in bush. I will however take debris from around the area for a shelter, but the living woods aren't disturbed unless absolutely necessary.

[Justin Time]

Sitka's spiky
Norway's Nice!


spruce that is...

I've a vague memory that one trick with spruce is to stick the twigs vertically into the ground and pack them closely together, perhaps saw that on a Ray Mears prog.

In my debris shelter in late aumn, early winter I've used a mixture of dock stalks, Willowherb stalks and dried grasses. worked well, but needs to be very thick. I noticed also that the "duff" layer that hasn't been walked on or otherwise compressed is considerably softer, obvious really.

[RAPPLEBY2000]

i made a really nice bed once, i think i got the idea from a magazine.

find 2 straight logs your height+ a little, place them parallel bed width apart,
fill the gap between the logs (make sure you shore up the head and foot ends!) withferns or leaves,

when the container (bed base)"full" place a springy sapling branches across the gap every inch or so. when complete, add further ferns or leaves ontop.

when complete you will have a "sprung" matress

both layers of leaves will insulate, and the saplings act to keep your body from squashing the insulation! also it cradles you!

very comfy everyone should try it!
very easy to do and it stops all the insulation dissapearing in high winds too!

[KIMBOKO]

This
http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/nativ...willow_bed.htm

[Batfink]

...respecting and living in concert with the bush means not taking more than I need or taking unnecessarily. For that reason, I use my mat whenever I am in bush...

Too true! (Plus its ever so much more comfortable!)

[Adi007]

Too true! (Plus its ever so much more comfortable!)

I agree!

[Stuart]

me too

I use a hammock which means that i require insulation but I dont need the depth required for comfort (the hammock is already comfortable) so i can sleep on top of somthing like a bushshirt