Sleeping on Concrete

[Corfe]

A couple of miles from where I live there's an old RAF radar station left over from the Cold War, and on average I will sleep out there about once a week, fire up the old hobo stove and sit puffing a pipe and watch the stars.
All very nice - and handy - the headland is a windy place, and I hate tents. But I'm of a certain age now, and the last time I slept there on the concrete floor of the pillbox - for want of a better word - my back killed me for a week afterwards. It was a fine, sharp night with a heavy frost, but I never felt cold - I use a British Army arctic bag, and I was toasty. Under me I had a karrimat and a Gelert Xtreme Lite self inflating mattress.
I've used this system for some time now with no problems - cold is definitely not an issue. So I was wondering if anybody had pointers about spending a comfortable night on concrete....

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

sounds like you just need more air beneath you. For me exped are the gold standard but not cheap. Alpkit dirtbag have a following too and are cheaper. sure outdoordude uses one and likes his.

 

[santaman2000]

An inflatable air mattress rather than (or in addition too) a sleeping pad.

 

[Shewie]

The big Alpkit mats are a great buy, I have a couple of the older Fat Airics which are more or less the same.

The Polish army mats look interesting but you don't want to be trying to pack one

 

[Hog On Ice]

is the station large enough to hang a hammock or would that be a problem putting up a couple hooks?

 

[hogstable]

Camp cot and thermarest underneath the sleeping bag. Slightly less roughing factor more comfort.

 

[cbr6fs]

There was a post here recently where a guy collected local branches and put together a makeshift bed, is there enough dead fauna around to do something like that.

Concrete is a nightmare to sleep on, to be honest i'd sooner sleep outside on the ground rather than inside on concrete, if it's not raining.

 

[rik_uk3]

Personally I'd go for a camp cot with cell mat or other type of mat to insulate you from the cold air.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3408427.htm sort of thing, with your army bag you'll sleep comfy and toasty warm.

 

[jorn]

, is there enough dead fauna around to do something

You wouldn't want to be stacking dead fauna to sleep on, it'll be very smelly i reckon.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Maybe it is not the cold concrete, but the fact that it is hard and dead flat... Perhaps what you need is something that is more contoured to your body shape, or rather that can flex enough to fit to your body shape.

That makes me think that a thick (100mm - 150mm) air mattress or maybe even a wire and canvas camp bed might be what you need.

I'd be tempted to go with the camp bed. Probably a little bit heavier, but about the same volume when packed, and you won't need to spend half an hour blowing into it to get it ready.

 

[bushwacker bob]

You wouldn't want to be stacking dead fauna to sleep on, it'll be very smelly i reckon.

It works for Bear Grylls.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

It works for Bear Grylls.

Camel seemed to make a good shelter IIRC

 

[knifefan]

Without doubt - the most comfortable mat I've ever had is my exped downmat, nearly as good as a normal bed

 

[MONKEY8MAV]

was that the one john fenna did ?

 

[santaman2000]

It works for Bear Grylls.

I was thinking of Hans Solo and the banfa.

 

[Corfe]

The pillbox is on a bare, windswept headland with no trees for miles. I usually sleep in it in winter as the last time a pitched a tent there in January the wind ripped the tent pegs out of the ground! Been thinking about a camp bed, I'll admit - I have an old army one which would do the trick, it's just the weight and bulk of it puts me off - though it's only a couple of miles from the house, it's a rough, rocky hike to the pillbox.

Damn, I should just admit it - I'm getting old!

 

[mountainm]

The pillbox is on a bare, windswept headland with no trees for miles. I usually sleep in it in winter as the last time a pitched a tent there in January the wind ripped the tent pegs out of the ground! Been thinking about a camp bed, I'll admit - I have an old army one which would do the trick, it's just the weight and bulk of it puts me off - though it's only a couple of miles from the house, it's a rough, rocky hike to the pillbox.

Damn, I should just admit it - I'm getting old!

Fit some eye bolts in the pillbox walls and hamock it.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Fit some eye bolts in the pillbox walls and hamock it.

If there are cracks and crevices in convenient places, would climbing nuts or cams be safe for hammock hanging?

 

[Outdoordude]

What you want is an alpkit dozed or dirtbag. The dirtbag is portable but not as thick. The dozed is 7cm thick but weighs about 2kg. Depends on how far your walking. They will give you a far superior kip to the average thermarest.

 

[resnikov]

If there are cracks and crevices in convenient places, would climbing nuts or cams be safe for hammock hanging?

If it's a pill box there should be the gun/observation ports, stick your tree straps through one and back in another. Repeat at the other side and Bob's your uncle