Mattress,cot or...?

[PaulN/KS]

So what does everyone use to sleep on?We have been using an old foam pad with blankets covering it but are thinking of an air mattress as an upgrade.Between the wife,the 3 year old and my 50 year old back comfort is a priority.

 

To be quite honest, I've been think'n of make'n myself a "straw matteress", the ground git's harder and colder each year, and I've got both the straw and canvas to make it out of!! :hmm: :snore:

YMHS
rollingb/turn'n "sissy" :haha:

 

I know what you mean about bad backs. I'd love to use something else, other than the ground. I've read about feather mattresses being used by Creeks, and seen them on 19th century trade lists in the South. I might invest in one. Wal-Mart has them for around $40.00.

Pare-

 

[sir henry]

Tried the pad the air device cots ground and mud but think the straw is the way to go! I have a bad back to and have slept better on straw then anything else. Its also handy made a huge bed wit 2 bales cover with canvas drop cloth slep 2 grandkids wife daughter and myself cumfortably they all headed back home a day early they had to work not me. redid the bed to three feet thick never slept better. plus the straw you can use to cover mud spots nicely! :m2c: :imo: :redthumb:

 

[three]

We use army cots and self inflating air mattresses. Real cushy and DRY. Sheep skins for pillows. :m2c: I don't mind walking in mud but I HATE sleeping it. The wool blankets cover everything but the wooden legs so we can leave the flap open and it give us a place to hide those annoying modern things.

 

[No Deer]

When wife goes with me I take a four poster bed that I made that can be assembled and disassembled without tools. On this bed is an airmattress. Covered with wool blankets, nobody can tell.

 

for long drive-in encampments I have a mattress out of a 'hide a bed' sofa covered w/ a 'sack' made of old sheets.. no body has EVER said anything against it... :relax:

 

[Ohio Joe]

I just go around in circles kneading my bedding area... What??? Oh!!! My wife just told me it's the cat that does that!

I sleep on an old canvas Army cot and use wool blankets to cover it so you can't tell what it is. It's comfortable! :thumbsup:

 

[Kenney Moore]

Howdy,
We went to a 7" piece of foam my wife ordered from J.C.Penneys a couple of years ago on an iron bed a blacksmith friend of ours made for us. We use flannel sheets year round. Sounds crazy, but it helps with warmth in the cool months and wicks away the sweat in the hotter months. We then use quilts or wool blankets depending on the weather.
The bad thing about air matresses we found was that they are cold to sleep on in the cool months. As long as you can insulate yourself from this they are confy.
I have friends that sleep on cots and they say in cool months you need some type of ground cloth between the grond and the bottom of the cot. This is just what I have heard.

Hope this info. helps. :m2c:

 

[PaulN/KS]

Thanks guys,this is just the collection of info I was looking for.Gotta love this site...Best rgds,Paul

 

[gabi]

well, we use an air matress. :imo: it is cold, i don't like it. But there is a saving grace. Walmart and cabela's have a air bed frame that unfolds like one of thse flat lander camping chairs. I think it will help with support, but more importantly, it will stop the air matress from pulling the cold from the ground. Also, who wants to climb up from the ground? Not me. One of the guys that comes to our vou. has a bunk bed set that he has for his kids. The only problem with his completly comfy way of sleeping is that in the time it would take me to set up and pull down my camp, it takes him to put those bulky things up. If you like the air matress thing, check out[url] cabelas.com[/url] for air matress frames. I think i am going to get one. i think cabelas sells the whole set for like 70 dollars. walmart is probably cheaper

 

[vradin]

Walmart and cabela's have a air bed frame that unfolds like one of thse flat lander camping chairs. I think it will help with support, but more importantly, it will stop the air matress from pulling the cold from the ground. Also, who wants to climb up from the ground?

I got one of these a few years ago for about $50 off-season at KMart. I have the full bed size, and it holds me quite comfortably with no fear of it collapsing or folding up on me middle of the night. Takes plenty of weight, seems quite a sturdy piece, even after 5 years of heavy (pun intended) use.

Two improvements I made- Put a sheet of insulated space blanket on the frame, shiny side UP. Then I cut a few slots in that, and on the frame straps and bottom of the mattress added some glue-on velcro to match. Really keeps the warm in and the mattress from shifting around. Regular sheets, a wool blanky, and a down comforter kept me toasty down to mid 30's F.

OH, one other thing... and it's not PC at all, but get the Coleman inflater. Takes 4 D batteries, but will save your lungs and can inflate the full bed in just a couple of minutes. Best of all- NO moisture in the mattress means easier to keep the cold out.

vic

 

[76monza]

Paul,

I use a nice homemade folding cot that along with some wool blankets does the trick for me. they also serve as sideboards on my truck when coming and going to events.

Smokeydays

 

[Dave Poss]

Paul, there are major differences in sleeping gear depending on the type of camp you are attending. At many rendezvous', you can have anything in your camp (modern or not) that can be hidden with blankets or hides: alum. frame cots, air mattresses, foam beds or whatever...as long as you can make it primitive appearing.

a fully primitive camp usually has a date associated with it (example 1840) where nothing is allowed that wasn't availabe prior to that year. Then you are pretty much limited to rope beds, hay, stacks of blankets , hides or such to sleep on.

Treking is done with minimal bedding since it is carried on your back and usually used for several different encampments.Your comfort here depends on useing what is available in the woods to shield you from the ground...usually piles of leaves or pine boughs.

This was a little long-winded, but it's just a reminder to know the rules before you head out to a camp and end up, due to rules of the camp, bringing the wrong stuff. Hope this helps.

 

[Old Charlie]

A while back Muzzleloader Mag. had the plans for a fold up wooden cot that dates back to the 1700s.
Old Charlie

 

[Dave Poss]

Opps! You are right, Charlie. That cot would be fully acceptable at any primitive camp. I should have remembered that...guess I spent too much time sleeping on the cold ground...froze some brain cells! :crackup: :crackup:

 

[Riley/MN]

A while back Muzzleloader Mag. had the plans for a fold up wooden cot that dates back to the 1700s.

Hey Charlie,

You don't remember how far back, do you?

I am thinking of getting a full-size futon mattress. It would be similar to a feather bed. And then make a break-down frame.

 

[Old Charlie]

I am having CRS again. It is not in Muzzleloader Mag. It is in the Book Of Buchskining II.
Old Charlie

 

A way too small folding aluminum cot with a way too thin and small mattress. But we cover them up with blankets and a bear skin on mine. Looks good with the flaps open and is more comfortable with the additions.

We have a queen sized air mattress but I am afraid our two chocolate labs will dig a nail into it.

 

[ReSmiley]

Hello All

For the drive in rendezvous with the wife we use a full size rope bed with foam mattress. Used to use air they didn't hold up. If just me I have a single size rope bed with straw mattress or folding army cot. For Trekking depends on how far and what weather, Winter with snow roll up and throw the cot size straw mattress on the tobagan. Fall, spring and summer pile up leaves and pine boughs.


Take care

Smiley