Cots

[Cutfingers]

Does anyone have any pictures of "cots" used during the fur trade period.If no pics then at least a good discription of one, assuming they exist.

 

[jtmattison]

Maybe they did exist but I think the most common "cot" was a spot on the ground with a nice cozy mattress made of available flora. If it was cold a nice bed of hot rocks or coals were buried under them to keep them warm overnight.

HD

 

[jethro224]

Iff'n ye wuz lucky, ye cot ya a mess a beaver. :grin:
Iff'n ye wuzn't, ye got cot by Blackfeet. :shocked2:

:haha: :haha: :haha: sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Cutfingers]

Guess I need to clarify. I have a friend who has a lot of physical problems from Nam. Wants to remain as P/C as possible, but finds it extremely hard to get up and down from the ground any more.So, therefore, I'm researching "cots" that are P/C.

 

[greyghost]

Get a regular old military style cot and hide it when you take it into the rondy. If they get upset, just explain that your friend and many others like him, including me have paid a dear price so that they can go play rondy in the hills without fear, and they should have no objection. Let's enjoy it while we can before these liberals take it all away. :wink: :hmm: :cursing: :shake:

good luck
John

PS You can borrow my soapbox anytime !!!! :grin:

 

[Trkdriver99]

There were cots, there is a picture of the one that Washington had and used, I think it is either Mt Vernon or Valley Forge where it is now. Check the web for an image that one and there is some that Officers of the day used kind of like the military cot of today.
Ronnie

 

[ameling]

George Washington's folding camp bed was a pretty elaborate affair. It was a full-sized 4-poster bed that folded in several places to be more ... compact.

There is a version of a camp cot shown in one of the Book of Buckskinning series. It is made a lot like those folding canvas camp stools - only around 4 or 5 times as long. And then with a head/foot board that slips through holes in the ends of the side rails - to kind of lock it together. But the side rails and legs only fold together to ly flat.

I just checked. It is in Volume II of BoB, on page 199 - article by George Glenn. A Rev War Camp Cot. Pictures/drawings, and how to make it.

What a lot of people do is use a modern camping cot - either aluminum or the old wood/canvas ones. They then make sure to cover it up completely with blankets - so that it cannot be seen when the tent door is open. Out of sight, out of mind.

Yes, it is getting harder and harder to sleep on the ground - no matter how much "padding" you scrounge up. And even harder to get back up from down on the ground! That old saying comes to mind: Getting old ain't for sissies!

Hope this helps.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. I have several friends that need that positive air flow breathing unit when they sleep. So they have that machine and a deep cycle battery in their camp. But it is always carefully covered up and out of sight. Otherwise they would not be able to attend any over-night events.

 

[Cutfingers]

Thanks for the BofB lead. This is exactly what we were looking for.

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

Richard & Regina Toone at the Living History Shop make a reproduction of Washington's field bed. You can see it here.
Living History Shop

I'm thinking that your buddy will find a modern cot covered with blankets much cheaper and easier to pack.

Some of the SCA folks have some great websites with knock-down camp furniture.
Blood & Sawdust

GreyDragon Furniture

 

[PaulN/KS]

There is a reprint of the book "The Prarie Traveler" that has a picture of a folding bed from the 1840's. The book was written as a "how to" for people crossing the plains to Oregon and California. It can be a pretty good source for some camp stuff info.

(I'd disregard it's first aid info on snake bite tho...)

 

[Travis Gregory]

Amen brother. I understand that people want to be as pc/hc at rondys as possible but as you say this guy paid a dear price for folks to "play mountain man". If he were with me and someone complained about the cot after the circumstances were politely explained that someone would get a busted beak.

 

[ameling]

Amen brother. I understand that people want to be as pc/hc at rondys as possible but as you say this guy paid a dear price for folks to "play mountain man". If he were with me and someone complained about the cot after the circumstances were politely explained that someone would get a busted beak.

You need to tread very carefully with an attitude like that. So much depends upon the stated/published guidelines for any specific event.

Once you see the "rules", it is then up to you to either meet or exceed their "rules". If you cannot do that, then you need to decide not to attend that specific event.

Plus the "rules" or guidelines vary a lot between events/sites. There is no generic set of rules/guidelines to cover all events.

If you are unsure about some of the possible rules/guidelines for a specific event, then contact them to ask and find out BEFORE you show up at the gate. It is not up to the event to change their rules to meet your circumstances. Most will work with you - IF you give them a chance to do so, and any accomidations are not too far outside their existing rules/guidelines.

So be careful about an "in your face" attitude. It can get you booted out or even banned.

Just some thoughts to share. Take them as such.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

- who once had to deal with a couple who DEMANDED to be able to park their camper right next to their tent in the middle of camp - because they didn't ... want to ... sleep in their tent, and the parking lot was just too far away (50 yards). They offered to drape some canvas over it to "hide" it. NO, they did not have any medical reasons/conditions for it - just their desire to sleep in their camper. Their ... bad attitude ... about it was even worse than their request! They were told to not bother coming back again - even before they started playing their casette tape of "pow-wow" music non-stop!

 

[Cutfingers]

Thanks Turkhunter. My pardner is one of the early members of the American Mountain Men, AMM, and always desires to be as P/C as possible. He has just come upon some hard times due to the Nam War and comfort is no longer an option to be over looked in order to be 100% P/C. Even with the cot anyone would be hard pressed to find anything to criticize our camp for.
I again wish to thank all those who offered suggestions for a P/C cot and we have now built one based upon those suggestions.

 

[Bryanbrown]

Washington had 4 beds, from 4 poster rope models (2of them) and a row of backless stools that tied together to for the cot with a tick mattress on it (also 2 sets).

The GI wooden WW2 cot is taken from a ROMAN ARMY manual 400BC. Rather predated 1840.

May I suggest http://www.amazon.com/British-Camp...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243038108&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Cabinet-Make...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243038149&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Gentleman-Ca...Chippendale/dp/0486216012/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
http://www.amazon.com/Cabinet-Maker-Upholsterers-Drawing-Book/dp/0486222551/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

You will find a number of examples of 18th and 19th century camp furniture from which to base documented examples.