Bushcraft Gear: What this Instructor Carries!
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
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Stay in the Woods,
Dan
I also carry a small axe on my belt. Someone once said "A man in the woods with a knife will live well. A man in the woods with an axe will live like a king."
You can't drink an axe. 🤦🏽♂️
@@toferj7441 lmao
I cary 3 knifes and a gun/ cold steel shovel.
I carry what I carry. I do okay... Lol
Makes no sense, but hey if it helps your mental power, more to you!
I feel like there’s a very fine line between being prepared for everything, and carrying too much! I love the idea of finding the sweet spot!
In September of 1980 I was in Norway participating in the NATO Exercises. We (USMC) were making war games with British Commandos and the Norwegian Army. I was assigned to a Recon patrol with 2 other Guys, looking for possible LZ’s and such, out five to ten miles ahead of the battalion... anyway, what we did at night was stake down three corners of our poncho (flat) and slip the sleeping bag under. Then pull the fourth corner over your head. Very low profile.
It got down to 25 degrees most nights, but this seemed to work very well for staying warm.
No blow-up mattress, but I believe it’s similar to what you’re describing.
During what season? 25 degrees at night sleeping on the bare ground with only cover on top seems like a recipe for a very uncomfortable night if not hypothermia. The earth is going to sap the heat from your body. Did you put nothing to create air pockets below you? Boughs? Anything?
@@toferj7441 Marines defy thermal conductance 😎
@@toferj7441 many military guys carry a little foam mat that goes under your bed / moisture & temp barrier. Its just part of your gear and just rolls up tight.
I was there for a similar exercise in ‘96; semper fi
@@toferj7441
We were there in September.
And they said they were having a heatwave.... never got above 49 degrees Fahrenheit.
I don’t remember doing anything to the ground (leave no sign). No leaves or grass or anything. But we did lie under small bushes and out-of-the-way spots.
Never got too cold. And never too much condensation. Although some mornings the poncho was frozen stiff
Dan, Answering your mat request...This could be a long one.. I rarely post my opinions but I have enjoyed advice from your channel since Alone. So I hoped that maybe I could help you out for a change.... I Hunt camp, fish camp, cot camp, weekend tent camp, minimalist camp, hammock camp, and section hike camp... I genuinely have had and used at least 12 or more sleeping mats. The best mat I've had and best nights sleep i got at a base camp, was on a Cabelas Elk Camp self inflating mat. I believe it was made by Thermarest. And a Northface 0 degree bag. I never should have got rid of that setup... Currently I use an Exped Multimat as a base, and depending on the situation an inflatable mat on top of that. The Exped Multimat is awesome! It has been on the AT with me and every camping trip in between. Sit on it, kneel on it, sleep on it. It works as an under quilt and or liner for my hammocks as well,...Dries in a few minutes if it gets wet and its light... So now inflatable mats. You look like a pretty big guy and if you don't mind carrying slightly heavier weights, then I would look at the Exped line of mats. They are durable and I have had extremely good luck with their stuff.. If your concern is ultralight, ultra compact + serious winter camping then the Thermarest Xtherm is the way to go. Very versatile in my opinion. (Very very noisy and more delicate compared to some of the Exped stuff though). My top quilts are either a Big Agnes 40 deg or Feathered Friends 20 deg down bag just opened up. Hope this helps.
Lots of people use a windshield blind for a ground mat. Most of them come with the reflective side as well. Enjoyed the video. Be blessed
Double nicely as a fire reflector too I'd say.
I like that idea. Thanks!
I use a piece of tyvek for a ground barrier. Light as you can get and tough as nails.
Additionally, there always seems to be Soldier who has forgotten their gloves. They can not shoot if they cannot move/feel their fingers so I carry a few extras to help out
ALWAYS bring a good pair of deer hide gloves.
great point, noted
I have a pair of leather bike gloves for hefting and rubber in the fak, need some rubberised gloves for general though.
Nice load out!
I spent two summer nights in the Sierra Nevada mountains using two small wool blankets on top and lying on an oilcloth mat (half tarp). I froze my ... tail ... off. The next night I tried one blanket on the mat and one over me. It was still cold, but much better. Thirty years later, I spent a spring week in the Cascades (much colder) with the same mat and two very thick very large wool blankets. I laid the tarp with one blanket on the ground. On 1/2 of that blanket, I did a “cowboy wrap” in the other blanket, then pulled the other half of the bottom blanket over me. During the night, I woke up cold, folded the first blanket underneath me with only the top blanket around me, and I slept like a baby. Yeah, it only took me three decades to learn that, barring a cold wind or rain, insulation under is better than insulation over.
Bring folding saw with you, one of the greatest tools
A good practical load-out and a good start point. Keep these excellent vids coming. Really appreciated!!
Got a street bike for my means of transportation. Working on a minimal kit now. Love it! 🏕
I've mostly done backpacking hiking and bikepacking. Laying down miles.
Started watching these bushcraft videos and I'm thinking of trying it out. It definitely seems to be more about being in the woods as opposed to traveling through them.
Thanks for all you do love ur shows
Another great video! I’m really enjoying your channel. U have a positive attitude, good intentions and the Bushcraft mindset. We’re listening Coalcracker. 😁👍👍
Oh another great video as always, great looking kit .it's channels like this that inspired to set up my channel Thanks for sharing
I'm out here rocking a spinal cord injury doing this stuff. A couple months ago I dropped a sub special video where I used a woobie and a wool blanket below freezing. Stayed warm enough that night. Love your content man! Always a great video!
Learned this a few decades back..a woobie and a military grade poncho..since then I added a very thin and lightweight nylon ground cloth which was waterproofed...I lay those three, flat against my back, inside my pack. The haversack I have is another very light nylon "fold inside itself" type bags..very cheap. Lasted many years for the same as you...food packed in, trash packed out..G.P. otherwise. Good video, thanks brother.
Love it!
Nothing too much, use-based, and not too high tech. Thank you!
The bit of experience I have with your suggested sleeping arrangement tells me that it is definitely necessary to have a ground blanket (like what you showed) underneath the self inflating isolation! These self-inflating things are so easily pierced by sticks or stones … I’d love to have more robust versions of them!
I'm in a hammock 100 percent of the time. Physical disabilities & pain are my main reason I can't sleep on the ground. But, I'm going to try a pad instead of an underquilt this year. I have Rothco foam pad with mylar on one side & a Klymit insulated static V which will both work well with my 2 layer Warbonnet ElDorado. I also have a OneTigris Ultralight 3 season quilt that I am loving. However, it appears to be sold out & OneTigris does not always bring things back. It might be a one time run. If you want to try a synthetic quilt, check out Cedar Ridge Outdoors UP synthetic quilts. They are on par with the quality of Hammock Gear's down quilts. Best wishes Bro.
I have an Amok hammock which uses an inflatable pad as support and I use components of my MSS adjusted to season instead of a top quilt. That and a tarp takes me just about anywhere because I can drop it to the ground like a bivvy if necessary. I got a gathered end hammock now, too, but no quilts or experience in it yet. Thanks for the update, Danno! I hope the Coalcrackers all stay well.
Thanks for the video and all kits are subject to personalization to needs and environmental conditions. Short hikes and scouts, basic kits that create micro climate, obtain water, and create fire are more than enough for overnight. Having food is a bonus!!!!
Very useful information. Experience is a great teacher. Thanks for sharing the lessons that you have learned. - Smoky
Nice gear selection - thanks for sharing this video.
Very helpful and good inspiration. Thank You
Thanks for sharing, love the quality of the videos. Cheers.
Thank you for the info stay safe and healthy God Bless you
Good vid & thought process. My ground set up is the same insulated Klymit inflatable pad I use in my hammock with a “space blanket” under. I then use a silk sleeping bag liner topped by my quilt, sometimes encased in SOL Escape Bivy, sometimes under my poncho. Has worked well for me in the Smokies, Cumberland Plateau (TN fall, winter, spring); San Juans (CO summer, fall).
The ground mats are amazing, super light weight. And you just use your breath to pump it up
I do Civil War reenacting as a Union soldier. Already got a gum blanket. Have slept out in the woods in Virginia just on my gum blanket with wool blanket over me.
Im about to turn 60 this summer. Old injuries do not allow for sleeping on the ground anymore. Hammock hanging all the way. Ingenuity, common sense and a little tenacity will keep your load out light. I smiled a little when you said blow up pillow. Ah the creature comforts. I also use one if I want to actually sleep. A roll of electrical tape makes a great band aid, its sterile and wrap it tight. I live, work and play in the bush( logging). Your right, stay in the bush as often as you can. Nice vid.
Awesome gear and setup, my over quilt ground sleep system is a Big Agnes Lost Dog 0 degree over quilt and the sleeping pad is a inflatable ECOTEK Outdoors insulated Hybern 8 4 season Ultralight with R value of 4.25 and the sleeping pad just slips into a bottom sleeve of the over quilt, used this system back in January with temps down in the low single digits near zero and stayed nice and warm almost to warm for me cause I'm a warm sleeper and I have used this sleeping pad in hammocks to and works great, Thanks for sharing
I've done the minimum bedroles on overnights. Soom good, some liked to have killed me by morning. Now for the most part, I use a 5'x7' tarp, an inflatable mat w/built in pillow and an inflatable pillow I picked up from Outdoor Vitals. My wife made a slip bag out of polar fleece to put my air mat and pillow in. Makes it real nice! As for what I cover up with, that depends on the temp for that night. Being 55, I have gotten to that point to where I need that little extra under me. If I'm out for just a night or 2, that's what I generally use.
On a side note, something that always goes with me, is a role of electrical tape. 2 reasons. It works great if you get injured to the point that you need a tourniquet. It doesn't pinch the skin like a cord or a belt does. The other is, if you have to unexpectedly build a shelter real fast, you can use it instead of rope. If you leave out the first few inches of the tape before you wrap it, you can even tie it.
In summer i have done well with an uninsulated ground pad with my snugpak jungle blanket here in the blue ridge mountains. In winter an insulated ground pad and quilt work well. In Montana elk hunting teepee with insulated ground pad jungle blanket over the ground pad for extra insulation from the ground a down quilt over another synthetic quilt made it through -11 F
I like that, simple effective gear.
sleep pad and quilt is amazing. Made the switch and wont look to a sleeping bag again. My quilt is thin, not fo rwinter. but mid spring to fall. so good. add in a wool blanket and i can deal with winter temps too.
I use a closed cell foam shooting mat as my ground tarp and a wool blanket because whenever im in the hills I am shooting as well. Up in the rocky mountains this set up only works in the summer , during spring I add a poofy top and poofy bottom with a thin shell to block the wind, also no tent just a poncho.
Hope this helps , take care and thank you
First sensible comment I've read regarding sleeping on the ground. You must have something underneath you or the earth will sap your body heat. Noting that the lightweight less bulky option is only really viable during the summer months is spot on.
This guy is right my bags are different according to each trip . I can kayak/camping trip or hike miles into the woods all different gear
Great info. Thanks
I have used a thin mouth inflatable sleep mat and and Navajo wool blanket on overnight hunting trips and I would deflate it and roll it up with my blanket and strap it under my pack and it worked great for me. I could hardly tell a difference than just carrying my blanket when I was carrying it but It definitely made a difference when it came to sleeping. It was also useful for me because I could have camp packed up ready to go in about a minute. Love the content btw!!
It really all comes down to knowledge, experience and preparation. Know what you need, practical experience to handle a variety of expected and unexpected situations and prepare accordingly.
Nice stripped back kit. Love it!
Bugnet hammock and a cheap 8x10 poly tarp is my go-to. I use the hammock as a bivy inside a tarp tent configuration most of the time. Folding thermarest on the ground and a cheap sleeping bag. Cost $120. Although I need to upgrade the sleeping bag.
Once I switched to a quilt I never looked back. The only time I don't use it is when I'm using a wool blanket. I use everything from closed cell to insulated and lightweight pads. Hammock and ground. I love it all!!
For a long time I used an inflatable sleeping pad and wool blanket. I don’t know if that’s what you’re talking about but I loved it.
Good presentation. I’ve used a surplus mat and blanket for sleeping and can tell you it was only comfortable for me into the 40’s. If it got lower than that I either had to add cloths, bring a sleeping bag or add a Mylar sheet on top of the mat. I’ve thought about glueing a Mylar sheet to one side of the mat.
Nice job loved it thank you have a great Thanksgiving
Hey, would love to see that bedroll bag loaded with your hammock gear and attached to your backpack. We often do the weekend scout camping and I’ve gotten us down to basically just backpacks. Would love to see your weekend setup. Thank you as always for what you do!
I essentially live out of my bag and only adjust it in the later colder months.
Main knife 🔪 multi tool 🔧, gumboi saw🪚 , speznaz shovel🪓, sharpening stone🪨, pathfinder canteen set🧃, small titanium cup☕️, plashplaka tarp/blanket, main tarp, wool blanket, bug net, hammock and , ultralight bivy, clothes, fire kits, sewing needles and thread 🧵 🪡, battery pack that has flash light, small folding solar panel,
1 bar of soap, tooth brush, gloves, fishing line and hooks, couple other odds and ends.. little food, salt, spork.
Snugpak jungle bag
36lbs, I add a quilt and swap to a big sleeping bag for winter which brings me to just over 41lb
I tend to carry a bit extra warmth as it can get cold up here in Canada at night.
Definitely helps to have a good quality bag
The first time I used a thin mat and an over quilt was by accident. Single digits in a large tent. My 20 degree sleeping bag opened up and was in essence now a top quilt, I was warm. The wind outside was 25 to 30 m/ hr. Now I always use my bag as a top quilt it works for me. Also it helps to put your coat on top of you to help out. A mummy bag has a spot for your feet. Take care.
Amazing movie!
My school had a pretty cool survival setup for those interested one of the milestones was two of you taking one of the teachers out for a 2nighter,
You were the 'leaders' for that exercise, Teech brought nothing and was literally the millstone round your neck and a lot of us were in shock when we rocked up with gear and Teech had no kit, the first wakeup moment was before you even left :-D
i made my own over quilt from a kit from ripatopbttheroll (modern ultralight outdoor fabric/sewing store) and paired that with a thermarest z_rest. it was by far my favorite sleeping option (lightweight backpacking), worked on top of a ground cloth, in a tent, or in my hammock.
small inflatable pads can be a great lightweight option. One consideration, are the temperatures you will be using it in. If it is warm in the summer, that it will suit you just fine, but as soon as temperatures drop, you may be more comfortable in a pad that is insulated, it adds just a little bulk and a little weight, but it is very nice when it gets 'nippy'. I have a small insulated pad that I have taken everywhere, at this point it doesn't leave my bag, I don't mind the extra weight, as they are light enough. Just a opinion from a Utah outdoorsman.
Great stuff 👍
Insulated ground mat and top quilt is a great way to go. (I use Exped Downmat and 20°F down quilt; with baelayers on, it's warm enough down to the upper teens (°F) 👍 Great video(s). Thanks.
Tyvek can be noisy at first but its a good ground mat and can be used in a pinch as a tarp. Super light weight and occasionally you can bum a piece off of a work site for free
USGI bivvy shell that i rubberized the bottom to make more durable. Can be used as a heavyduty browse bed as well. I usually use the bivvy and my klymit air pad. I include a wool blanket as well. If you get to hot, just open the wool blanket up a bit. This setup is great for all seasons. During the summer just sleep on top of the wool blanket.
The backpack just broke my bank right off the bat lol....
If you have a ground tarp to go under the insulation mat, then just add insulation underneath the ground mat. For example, springy branches with dry leaves or grasses, moss, whatever, interspersed throughout the branches. This would provide both a mild amount of cushion and better insulation. Put the ground tarp on top of that to help smooth out any bumps or sharp twig ends, put the sleeping mat on top of that, then yourself and finally the quilt. Just make sure your base layer of branches is distinctly wider than the mat, and a little higher around the far edges of it, so that it holds it in place like the walls of a nest. Last thing you want is for your sleeping pad to slip out from underneath you on a cold night!
I use a ground mat and over quilt, and wouldnt do anything else. I use a DIY quilt with 5oz climashield insulation, very easy to make for under $80. I never use inflatable pads unless it's winter, military thermarest foam pads cut to torso is prefered for width and I use it as my backpack's frame. best part about quilts is you can wrap yourself in a wool blanket and put the quilt on top. if you DIY a quilt, i'd recommend doing a closed foot box, unless it's a summer quilt that you want to turn into a blanket at some point, which i havnt found the need, sinch footboxes have an air gap that chills the feet.
5x7 lightweight tarp, a Thermarest Ridgerest pad and my 20 degree sleeping bag works perfect for me. I'll bring along my 8x8 sil tarp for cover if needed. I've found that this will work 90% of the time anywhere I go in the SW Arizona areas. Summer, I'll bring my military woobie cause it never gets below 60 degrees at night.
Lovin’ the sassy hip pouch pose
Hey coalcracker family..thanks for another great video with good content as always.everything I own is in storage stuck in midwest trying to get home to east coast to hang out with my brothers & sons..I can tell ya that when those jokers go "out" they will carry a air mattress & a welding blanket at times😂🤣I can only speak for the southern men in my clan but when they drink TN whiskey and build fires nomex gloves & them blankets are friendly😘😂🤣I say that with love..glad you and your family are doing as well as you can..stay safe till next time..
All year round in UK I use the webtex poncho and poncho liner (woobie) with a foam sleep pad between the layers then when it gets cold I add a wool blanket in there too, I use another poncho as a shelter if I'm expecting heavy rain if not I just deploy the bed roll and sleep under the stars
I have used a heavy reusable space blanket as a ground cloth combined with an over quilt. This was in the Sonora desert of AZ in late March or early April. Night temps in the high 50s to low 60s. For comfort more than insulation I added a 1”+/- inflatable mattress (non insulated). Not exactly PA weather I realize.
I use a Klymit hammock V pad and fold the wings underneath for some extra padding and thickness and on top use my Hammock Gear top quilt and I've been good down to freezing temps. The Klymit is a 4. something R value and the top quilt is rated to 20 degrees. Like the videos.
Inflatable mat and overquilt can work, but the R rating of the mat becomes super important. Encapsulating both in a breathable bivi is pretty sweet, and probably adds a season to the set up (protects the mat too).
As another Woodsman said: "the more you know, the less you need"!
Ya'll are overlooking tech; how 'bout, having a drone fly in your beer, food or a wheeled drone that follows you like a dog!
It is already here, I'm certain Special Ops are using them right now! It won't be long!
I have been looking at trying the quilt and pad as well. I am currently using the Klymit Static V insulated pad and it's pretty nice. Don't have the quilt yet, I'm still looking around.
I often sleep with the groundmat (pretty basic thermarest) and sleeping bag combo, under a lightweight 3x3 tarp. But the bag is often open and i use it like a quilt, this way ive found i manage how hot or cold i am without waking up. I use this in temperatures down to about 5°c, if its gonna be colder than that the bivvy comes out to play
Belt pouch...dependable fire starters, hand full of ammo, cord in case you lose your pack. If you lose your belt you're dead anyway. Your vids have always been on point.
I'm your Huckleberry ... :D
Honey is really good to keep along for cuts and scrapes it's it also tastes good make sure you're using honey from the location you live in
Ground mat and a moving blanket from Harbor Freight work well
looking forward to your 2021 video
Nice loadout.. I've reorganized all my different BOBs probably 3 different times in the past week or so. Cant wait till I can disappear into the woods for a few days. Its overdue..
I, really, like your minimalistic way of choosing gear. This is kinda phenomenal in U.S., I suppose! 😀 I enjoy watching ....
I only done it the twice, it was while I was on a multi day hike/camp opted for a hammock as there looked to be a lot of trees but ended up two nights unable to set up the hammock due to the lack of trees 😂 I did fine with just me mat and overquilt, until I rolled over either side I ended up with a draft up my back each time which would wake me up. Definitely doable though especially if you’re a back sleeper
I just used my top quilt and a Klymit insulated inflatable pad last night, so I am glad I just watched this video. I generally prefer a hammock, but when I take my dog I use a sleep pad and overquilt. The insulated pad and top quilt combo works great for me. I use a lightweight poncho for my ground tarp/rain gear to protect the pad because the pads are just so damned expensive when they are insulated and I really don't want a hole in mine. Also, wear something on your head like a shamagh or wool hat and use a pillow that is comfortable enough to give you less reason to move in your sleep as the quilt and pad will give you some cold spots if you move around a lot in your sleep. All in all, I am never going back to a bag (for now), but I still love a wool blankie every now and again. Happy trails and may your beard touch your toes.
For the last year, year and a half, I’ve used an Exped sun at and a quilt as my sleep system around the year. Works super under a tarp, in a tent or I’ve even had it in my hammock without an under quilt.
It should be Exped Synmat... 🤷
That is a scout pack--survival essentials from your main pack in case you get lost taking a poop or something. Protection from the ground? Tyvek.
Great video man. I’m a huge fan of sleep pad and my top quilt under a tarp! Fan of Big Agnes, they make 3-4” thick pads that pack down really small, rugged and easy to inflate! Check em out
Ive had good luck with the regular military sleeping bag, with the canvas shell, then add the goretex shell over that and thats it. If its really cold I will lay out any extra clothing under my bag. I sleep in a bivvy and put a tarp over it.
Personally I have tried using a cheap foam pad from a local Walmart with a shower curtain liner as a ground barrier. On the cooler nights (around in to 50s) I found that grandma's old fashioned quilt was good enough for me. I would still pack a light blue blanket with me just in case.
I have been a Soldier for 23 years now, I have spent many a night sleeping on the ground with either an OD green inflatable mat or a polypad. In SC a Poncho liner (Woobie) is enough over quilt 6 months out of the year. The inflatable is trash. I am rough on gear and have busted several leaving me sleeping on a groundsheet instead of a ground mat. In cold or wet weather the mate goes inside the gortex bivy sack along with the woobie and or the medium mummy bag and or the heavy mummy bag. In emergency or small applications I use lots of "hot hand" hand warmers. Often I will put one in the bottom of my bivy sack and it keeps me nice and toasty, but I also put one in the pocket of my cap and into several pockets and my gloves to keep me warm when wearning less clothing. Especially when speed and mobility are key components.
The sweet spot. Has to be learned and earned with dirt time or woods time. Being a former BSA in the 60 and 70s and both a Cold War Vet and then a 1700s Reenactor my views on what kit should do is similar, but what I use is different. Essentially your saying what Mors Kochanski used to say regarding the sweet spot, or as he called it the State of neither nor. Neither too much nor too little, neither to heavy nor to light, neither to long nor to short, regarding what we want to accomplish. I luv your vids because I have a chance to look at another perspective and approach by someone with decades of experience. For most of my day trips I run an old BSA canvas patrol pack which includes a hammock. For a hike or a scout of a new area I use a military harness and belt system spray painted medium and dark brown with tan highlights, which includes a buttpack. For overnight camping a medium ALICE. For winter and weekend camping a large ALICE pack. What’s nice is that both ALICE packs fit the same frame. My Milice kit has a medium size shot bag with jerk, tea, small cooking vessel, and skin. And my tumpline carries blanket roll with anything else. I wear my Capote and tuque.
I use two wool blankets from Harbor Freight(10 bucks apiece), one tri-folded to lay on and one to cover up with. I've slept out to 30* with these.
I have rode across our country a few times I am a fan of pockets if it was pocket size it went in a pocket I would park 2 tires on the edge of the tarp pull tarp up and over motor cycle stake the opposite two corners down instant shelter frog togs make excellent durable 70-80 mph and dry good for 3-4 years on a motorcycle weather always gets worse
I haven’t personally used the Matt on the ground but I live in an area where I can use a (hamack?) so I do so and when it is cold out the Matt adds some protection against the cold in tandem with the hamack
Watching this video again, and I may have misunderstood what you were asking about the sleeping system.
I like sleeping on the ground. It touches something primal inside me. No tent, and usually just a simple lean-to in the rain. Makes me feel like part of the forest... (one with nature, you know, all that crap) 😉
I was given a sleeping mat (Thermarest ProLite) about 12 years ago. I resisted using it (thinking it was excess gear).
But after using it once, my old bones were convinced that this was the way to go. It rolls up with my BASHA and doesn’t take up any more room. But saves time and energy used making a leaf or bough mattress.
I have two of them now. A half-length mat for most hikes. Just fits the torso.
And a full size one for extra cold nights, that keeps my legs insulated from the ground.
Sleeping on the ground is a young man's game
I used a simple tarp from Walmart folded around my inflatable ground mat. Coupled with an Eddie Bauer quilt and a small fire, I was comfortable fall camping!
Edit: finally did this because my hammock straps broke while I was out in the Pa wilderness 🤦🏻♂️
I drift around North America the vast majority of the year. And, the vast majority of those nights are spent either on natural earth, or man made surfaces. I travel light, so some kind of ground insulation and something to cover myself up with is usually how I sleep, barring inclement weather.
My body temperature at night must run a bit higher than normal, because I’ve heard people complain about being cold, if their choice of ground cover is thin, and doesn’t insulate well. For myself, unless it’s approaching freezing, on earth i use a canvas tarp or blanket that I double over. I’ll throw plastic sheeting/vinyl tarp under that if it’s wet. When it’s extremely cold (and I’m talking northern Idaho cold) I use a cheap foam pad, the kind someone may use for yoga, around a centimeter thick. In civilization, if don’t have that, I’ll use two or three layers of cardboard, or preferably styrofoam. In the bush, a pile of leaves and/or straw works well.
I cover up with wool, or a wool blend. I know people swear that wool insulates when wet, but I sure as hell have never known it too... lol. It does seem a bit warmer than synthetic, but if I have to use a wool blend, or even 100 percent 100 percent synthetic blanket(s), I’m not bummed at all. When it gets down into the double digit negative numbers, I rely on my clothing, and either a couple of extra blankets or a sleeping bag if I have one and have managed to not destroy it.
I’ve very very rarely had an uncomfortable night.
... I use my haversack with essencial, super light, with some redundant items...and never regreted it!
PS: my Filson Journeyman arrived yesterday... expensive, yes (because of Custom fees here it toped to well above 500$) but you are right: it's awesome, and I am excited as a kid in Christmas night! (I am in my mid sixties!!!) Thanks, I bought it because of your opinions!
I use two poncho liners and a poncho ( not the army one), make a sleeping bag. I also carry a medics bag.
👍🏻 Dan ✌
Nice one! Wish I could stay in the woods 😜 I like your rubber ground sheath. What is it made of and where can you get it? Thanks and stay safe! Cheers, Martin 🤜🏼🤛🏼
My kit only changes from the MSS for winter and then back to the queen wool blanket for spring summer and part of fall and I’m using a oilskin tarp now instead of the DD 3x3
July 4th weekend last year I stayed on my arcturus survival blanket as the ground cloth and my DD under quilt as my blanket in the woods close to home it was chilly but comfortable in the morning I used my best made ditty bag as a pillow I had some kit for cooking and simple food and whiskey to boot it was a good solo two night camp and look forward to kinda bare bones this year my self I have so much dam gear at times I take too much I'm going to try to just use my gortex bivi as my whole shelter system that's it my clothes will be my insulator
Tnx
I've done many field training exercises in warmer regions using nothing other than a closed cell mat and my woobie to sleep in. When the temperatures were cooler, I have noticed that just a closed foam mat has not done much for me to keep the ground from sapping the warmth from me.
Lucas Smalles My nephew, who is a US Army Ranger, Air assualt, Airborne, Pathfinder and Sniper instructor swears by his woobie. Thank you for your service. MMC(SS) USN Ret.