Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire An old style bedroll?

The Ironman from Borneo is not gonna backpack with a bedroll

Ain’t it great? 😆

Montana ain't the only game around.

https://www.beckelcanvas.com/accessories/bedroll-tarp


https://www.davistent.com/product/cowboy-bed-roll-med/

Back in the *younger* days, a bedroll of a poncho and 1–3 wool blankets, depending on the weather, on the ground was fine. Now in my “older” years, I still use a bedroll when I am wanting to “pack lite”. The fact that I pack my bedroll in a nice camp trailer shouldn’t really matter too much, right?

Buy a swag...not one of those poofy tent thingies, a proper swag.

All I use. I can form it to the season. I wrap it all up in a handsewn hemp ground cloth and handwoven tumpline of my own fabrication.

I have a wide assortment of wool, cotton, and jean cloth (wool cotton blend) blanketing that fit any season.

Top item is example;

I do occasionally utilize a rope bed when we have a cantonment and tentage. And I have also added a tanned deer hide around the bedroll for extra insulation.

This coming weekend we are headed to an 1818 event at the Ford Blockhouse at Sandy Hook Mississippi. Will be flat camping in wedge tent with bedroll. We are doing a survey demonstration for the new state of Mississippi border with Louisiana. Open to public to any locals wishing to visit!!!

The cowboys we hired as day workers have a canvas outfit, mostly. But they are bigger, thicker, and bulkier than you'd want to carry, or tie onto a horse.

They are heavy too.

Yeah I imagine they are. When we go out on a "scout " I usually have my roll down to just one blanket and a ground cloth. Good ground cloth is a must have. And I always tie the bottom shut with a piece of rope, twine, or the end of the tumpline. I have weathered some pretty cold azz nights this way.

I do keep on my capote or heavy overcoat and a wool touque on my noggin too, if really cold. Keeping head and feet warm is the key.

Depending on the weather, insulate yourself from the ground. A couple of wool army blankets will usually keep you somewhat warm. Look into Wiggys gear, they are warm if you are in a cooler climate.

There are lightweight options that provide more comfort and better protection from the elements.

My hammock camping setup with a tarp, top quilt, and underquilt probably weights around half of what a bedroll weighs.

That goes for a good bag, bivy sack, and quality sleeping pad as well.

I also would lay in a good pile of firewood next to my bedroll on those cold nights. Build a small fire close by and generally when the fire died down enough I would wake up and add a couple of sticks. None of that Jeremiah Johnson BS of sleeping on coals. 🤣. Have it to where I could feed fire from my bedroll w/o having to get outvof bed.

One night in Crockett NF above Neches river I was on a solo scout. Man it was cold. Down in low teens. I stuck a sausage link on a forked stick in front of fire for midnight snack. Later something woke me up. It was ol’ grinner after my snack!!! I spoke to him calmly and he left at high rate of speed ( for a grinner anyway). 😁

What's a "grinner"?

G23

as a kid often used a WWI military bag or... a matress off a single iron spring bed water-proof canvas and a quilt. much better than a bag. i have woke up to maybe 4 inches or snow on me totally comfortable.

Possum, my brother in law calls the "smilies".

as a kid often used a WWI military bag or... a matress off a single iron spring bed water-proof canvas and a quilt. much better than a bag. i have woke up to maybe 4 inches or snow on me totally comfortable.

i did that sleeping on coals once it does work; it's smart to add a sufficient layer of sand over the coals however, i didn't. under the tarp in the bag pigs in a blanket sort of

as a kid often used a WWI military bag or... a matress off a single iron spring bed water-proof canvas and a quilt. much better than a bag. i have woke up to maybe 4 inches or snow on me totally comfortable.

i did that sleeping on coals once it does work; it's smart to add a sufficient layer of sand over the coals however, i didn't. under the tarp in the bag pigs in a blanket sort of


bear

Down here a grinner is a possum. In the muskogean Mobilian language a shakuta ( not to be confused with shakuti, which is one of the words for a frog).