Natural bedding material in winter?

[lub0]

In winter, the ground is always wet so a good bedding material is important, but the problem is, what suitable material is there an abundance of during the winter season? And also what is the best way of drying said material?

In my local forest, there's pretty much only sycamore oak and beech trees which offer no leafy comfort like they do in summer. I did however find two or three clusters of Fern. I must say they worked quite well but I could of done with a lot more of it.

 

[John Fenna]

Strangely enough prickly stuff like green holly and Gorse make good bedding - if you hace a bit of something thornproof to go over them....

 

[inthewids]

Pine branches are good to, get a few layers down and its rather comfy

 

[lub0]

Ah I think I saw a green holly tree or two in the area.
I suppose the thornproof layer could be the fern!

Next time I'll be sure to arrive earlier to search and gather the materials and try this out.
Thing is though, could a Holly thorn rip a sleeping bag? The snugpak kestrel bag I've got feels awfully fragile.
I guess a very dense layer of Fern would be needed to avoid this.


Any other idea for natural winter bedding material and techniques for drying said material because all I did to "dry" the Fern was lay it in a semi-circle around the side of the fire and kept rotating the back to the front to give it all a good amount of warmth but the result left a lot to be desired.

 

[Shewie]

I`ve used bracken, fern and leaves inside bin liners before, just half fill a couple and stick them underneath a groundsheet. It`s a bit noisy but everything else stays dry. A couple of biners can be folded up in a back pocket and not even be noticeable.

 

[lub0]

Hey good idea shewie. I guess bin liners aren't really pushing the limits of "survival". A ground sheet however is cheating

 

[mjk123]

Bin liners are a good idea though. They stop the material from moving apart as you move in the night. A hessian sack is quieter, and is strong enough to double up as one of those "three pole deckchair" thingmys. A bit bulkier though, I must admit.

 

[w00dsmoke]

I'm amazed noone has mentioned heather. Certainly in my Fathers day, those that could not afford horse hair mattress'es (nearly everyone in the village couldn't), used heather in their box beds. A wooden frame was set on top of a sleeping platform, usually resessed into a wall. Heather that had been cut, was stacked as it grew and packed into the frame. A heavy cloth usually canvas or something similar was laid on top.

I often rig a tarp on top of heather and you get an amazingly comfy sleep, there is no rival as it's so springy.

WS.

 

[Toddy]

Another vote for the heather here and if you get some bog myrtle in with it, it will smell wonderful and be anti midgie too

cheers,
Toddy

 

[8thsinner]

I can't remember why right now but in my winter survival course with dave we where encouraged not to use ferns...

Long grasses are usually abundant on forest edges though and easily stacked as a firewall to dry.

Make a bed lattice fire style packing loosely with rocks on the last two layers, the rocks create air gaps and it gets you off the ground....

Make a hammock from wood and cord if you have enough, check out baden powells method in the scouting for boys book. similar system whether with grasses or twigs and branches

 

[Dogoak]

Maybe you were not encouraged to use fern because of its carcogenic potential, low level i believe. Quite a few years ago a friend of mine gave up using it to wipe his a**e with when he found this out, gave us a good laugh as he was getting spooked about how many times he'd used it

 

[John Fenna]

- silk hammock, silk and Kapok sleeping bag, hemp tarp?
All natural bedding system, but not quite what you are after I think.....

 

[bikething]

I can't remember why right now but in my winter survival course with dave we where encouraged not to use ferns...

IIRC it was because of the amount of moisture they held - The theory being that moisture would rob heat from you as it dried out..

 

[8thsinner]

Well it could be either of those, the toxins however I was told only to avoid them during summer autumn switch because this is when they are released into the air.

I doubt however realistically that one night of using this would be enough to do any damage, I would put my life on that, just don't put yours on it just incase your loved ones start hunting me down.
lol

 

[Sniper]

Hey good idea shewie. I guess bin liners aren't really pushing the limits of "survival". A ground sheet however is cheating

Sorry if I'm being thick here but, cheating?????

Perhaps I've missed something, and if so my apologies, in what way cheating, cheating what or at what? If you are referring to survival in severe form or primitive style bushcraft then using a sleeping bag is out, along with any other form of material other than what can be found in the woods. In less severe forms of survival using a poncho, tarp or groundsheet is perfectly acceptable surely, as is an emergency bivvy bag. Of course in my old befuddled head and way of thinking, anything that will give me a comfortable nights kip is good sense, and not using something that will provide me with that to me is unacceptable. Martyr I am not, bushcrafter I like to think I am, and bushcraft is all about making a stay in the woods good and enjoyable.
Perhaps you have some kind of goal in mind, or are testing yourself in some way?
Sorry I just don't get the cheating bit is all.