Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

CAMP BEDDING 129ting is very warm for Its weight and does not takeup moisture so readily. It is cheaper than a blanket,and makes a softer bed, but is bulkier. Comfortersare much used by Western campers, alongwith a canvas " tarp." Whenever extreme compactnessof outfit is not necessary, I recommend thateach member of a party take v/ith him a wool comforter,even if for no other use than as a mattress.Warmest of all coverings of this sort are the socalledeiderdown quilts (leally goose down). Theyare expensive, and must be carefully protected fromthe wet.Sleeping Bags.— There is a good deal of wastematerial in blankets and comforters, especially at thefoot end. Suppose we cut them into a sort of coffinshape, to conform to the outlines of the body, sewup a side and an end and the lower third of theother side, then attach buttons or laces or clasps toclose the bag after one has got into it. A good dealof weight and bulk are saved.'^he objections are that such an arrangement ishard to air and dry out, it is not readily adjustableto varying temperatures, and the occupant has afeeling of constraint when cooped up in the thing=Still, in some kinds of camping, it is essential thatthe bed be very warm, waterproof, windproof, andyet as portable as possible. Hence the sleeping bag.It may be laid down as an axiom at the start thatno sleeping bag is worthy of serious notice unless itsblankets or other lining can be removed quickly andsoread out on a line to dry. A lining sewed insidea waterproof cover is an abomination. So is a nestof blanket bags that can only be aired by proppingeach one open with a stick. Such things get mustyand dirty. They are so bothersome to air that theywill be neglected.Of course, if the bag is of but a single thickness itmay be sunned first on the outside and then turnedrnside out. But no single bag is practical, exceotfnr a polar climate, when one adopts •*' fur basr