[Sca-cooks] OT Air Mattress (was Pennsic Pity Party)

[UlfR]

Micaylah <dy018 at ncf.ca> [2006.05.30] wrote:
> Ulfr where do you hail from? For me its Canada. I remember a few times
> watching the snow fall at a camping event or whip sideways as it did a few
> years ago at a labour day weekend event. Perhaps our version of cold is 2
> different things. 

I'm from Sweden, and every now and then I teach wilderness survival
courses, including winter courses up in the subarctic regions. My
definition of cold is that below -20 C or so it is cold, and it's COLD
if it's below -35 C. 

> Plus, as I stated I have kidney (internal thermostat problems).

Reindeer furs are warm, two of them on top och each other is quite a bit
of insulation. When out winter camping I carry one thick (14mm) closed
cell foam pad and one bull reindeer hide (untanned, fall butchered).
That is plenty of insulation for underneath a sleeping bag. The one
thing you gain by having a higher bed is a protection from cold "ground
drafts", which I do agree makes a significant difference; I just can't
be bothered for mild weather SCA style camping with blankets available
more or less ad libidem. 

If it looks like a cold night one could allways heat a few rocks by the
campfire and take to bed[1].

> I also have a tent heater, but I don't fall asleep with it on. Even
> though I know logically that my tent has adequate ventilation it would
> make me really nervous. It sure does come in handy in drying ones hair
> of humidity before crawling into bed though!

I've slept in tents with a continually burning wood stove (the Swedish
army used to not issue sleeping bags except to officers and special
units...), but I generally prefer to use heat sources as a evening and
morning thing in cold weather tents. Saves on someone having to sit up
keeping the stove fed and the tent from burning down.

> Of course this sleeping around doesn't happen all the time, just when its
> cold. And gender is not an issue. With some folks I have a standing invite
> that says if I'm too cold, I can snuggle up with them. I'm lucky and blessed
> with good friends.

What does the gender have to do with the unstated implications?

UlfR

[1] Fist size or somewhat larger, heat until they reach the "hot potato"
stage, wrap in fabric (rags, spare socks, whatever) and place
strategically (feet, behind back, etc). Lasts several hours.

-- 
UlfR Ketilson                               ulfr at hunter-gatherer.org
Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface.