The tenderfoot styles himself a woodsman by displaying willingness to sleep on a poorly prepared bed, even boasting of the smallness and lightness of this part of his outfit. He is out to “rough it,” you know. The seasoned campaigner on the other hand prides himself on the comfort of his nightly abode. The native Indian can and often does sleep on a hard bed and you can simulate him when you are accustomed to it but probably you will not have the time to get used to this on the short vacation you will have.
A man may abuse his physical powers by day in the most exhausting work. He can go into the wilderness expecting to pay small attention to a comfortable and rejuvenating night’s rest but he can not stand up under it. One can make out for a few hours on most any kind of makeshift for a bed if his sleep is from exhaustion but sooner or later he will be disturbed by the inequalities of the earth’s surface, rocks, sticks and mounds, and when awake his muscles will be stiff and sore, his powers unrefreshed and he will soon go to pieces.
A good bed is no disgrace. The men who are obliged to live out of doors all the time, on the range or forest trails are likely to be the very ones most particular about their beds and to see some of them at work on browse bunk and rude shelter one would believe they were preparing to spend the rest of their days in that particular spot. So no matter how light you travel provide for a suitable night’s rest. Should your fastidiousness lead you to add any foible to the already completed pack let it be on this essential item of wilderness equipment.
By careful choice the bed need not be cumbersome to pack and yet be ample to satisfy all needs. It should protect the sleeper from the cold which is greatest near the tent’s floor and from the winds whose greatest force is spent when it contends against the properly pitched shelter overhead. Provision must be made for keeping the bedding off the ground and for allowing an egress of moisture in the summer and a retention of heat in winter. One has a variety of styles to choose from, ranging from sleeping on the warmed bare ground to luxuriating on the latest invention for creature comfort when camping--the combined pneumatic mattress and blanket bag.