Years ago, I mentioned that the soldiers during the American Civil War packed rather lightly for their time in the field. There was a good conversation about what did they actually carry. How much of a unit 's equipment was carried in wagons bringing up the rear...

I have found these answers and more in the YouTube videos made by Kenneth Kramm of East Texas. He covers camping in an historical sense of how bedrolls were used by soldiers and civilians, Bindles used by HoBo 's, etc, through the years.

I used a bedroll when I first joined the Army. It was smaller and lighter than the issued sleeping bag. It was made by stacking and rolling these things in this order:

Poncho
Space Blanket
wool blanket
poncho liner

It could be carried in different ways as it was flexible. I slept in temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit with it. Not exactly toasty but functional and I could sleep.

I would have preferred slightly larger items to ensure better coverage when I was rolled up in it though.

I just googled "bedroll" in an attempt to find wildman's reference and came up with this gem. Usually we tend toward the "light and cheap" end of the spectrum, but for a refreshing change, here is an item that is not only heavy, it is also expensive! Who would buy this? https://www.duluthpack.com/pathfinder-bedroll.html

Put Kenneth Kramm in YouTube's search engine and look over what he has posted. His video's are uniquely different.

Nice find! Yet to watch the vids, but I like the Russian bedroll version much more. It's based on the standard issue felt greatcoat (overcoat), which works as a great wool blanket, water repelling, but quite heavy:


Can be carried in various ways, stuffed with gear and supplies, but the best way to carry it, imho, is "skatka":




What I like best is that you can distribute the weight in the front and in the back evenly, as well as its "best in the industry shoulder strap padding"



When wearing the coat, the stuff goes into the super simple backpack - a plain flat square bag with the single loop of quite a long and strong strap (often just a rope) attached to the lower corners, tightening the neck of the bag by its middle length to form two shoulder straps):

I decided to be a tough girl on a weekend outing a few years back and used this combination, under a second poncho that I hung as a modified lean-to. It keep me warm and dry, and I slept pretty well - except for the Spring bugs. A head net helped but didn't stop the constant buzzing.

I don't remember where I saw this link, whether here or elsewhere in the last week or so.

http://www.elliscanvastents.com/products/cavalry-bedrolls

A heavy woolen greatcoat or blanket has been used as a makeshift bedroll for a very long time. It works, I've tried it on more than a few occasions myself, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's superior in any way to a good sleeping bag.

Back when my dad was in the army, they were still issued woolen blankets and long winter coats in the cold months. They must have been among the last generations before sleeping bags were issued. From what I've heard - and it's one of the topics more frequently brought up when dad remembers his army days - the greatcoat was hated by most. It was warm all right, but hard to keep clean, irritating to the naked skin and tended to absorb rain water very quickly. Once proper sleeping bags were introduced they were universally welcomed as a superior solution.

This mirrors my own experience as well. Wool is not really water repellent, certainly not in a major downpour. It absorbs water readily, which makes a wet woolen coat even heavier and uncomfortable to wear. While wool still retains a lot of its insulation qualities when wet, it takes a long time to dry. Which is oftentimes quite impractical in the field.

For all its good properties wool is no magic material. A traditional woolen bedroll works reasonably well in a cold dry climate. In a cold wet environment though, it's problematic at best. Back in the day when no better alternative was available, people would make do what they had - they would wrap themselves up in a thick greatcoat or blanket and try to spend the night the best they could. But don't delude yourself for a minute that it was particularly cosy or warm.

These days, a modern sleeping bag provides more comfort and protection from the elements, in a smaller and lighter package. So I don't really see much point in going backwards, unless one is a dedicated traditionalist for tradition's sake.

I am not advocating a bedroll as better than a modern sleeping bag. It works if that is what you have. Wool does absorb water, though not as quickly as cotton, and unlike cotton, it will retain its insulating capabilities to a great extent even though wet. Wool is also fire retardant, and I have tested this many times as a demonstration for my scouts and their families; I would say that 100% wool is almost fire proof. I have burned cotton, and the synthetic fleece and other synthetic materials go up very quickly, melt to the body and continue to burn (I have witnessed this first hand in a parachuting accident where someone landed in power lines).

When I first joined the Army we had a cotton sleeping bag, with a cotton cover, with some poor synthetic insulation inside, sometimes you could get a down bag, but these were rare and in poor condition. The bag was bulky and would not keep you warm when wet (made by the lowest bidder!). The bedroll I described was a better solution in many ways, snd worked better in most conditions. It also had the advantage of being there when you needed it, unlike the bulky and difficult to pack sleeping bag.

Today's sleeping bag technologies are far superior than older bags in insulating ability and compressibility. I would only advocate someone sleeping out in very cold weather with a bedroll as a valuable experience to help you understand the capabilities and limitations of such gear. If you are like me and generally carry blankets in the car instead of sleeping bags, it would be helpful to understand the limitations and the best configurations of what you have. Testing is always good.

I actually have an old Russian greatcoat that I have used in the woods, and it was very warm, though it is a rough wool that itches terribly. You don't want it on your bare skin.

I am surprised to hear about the poor quality military sleeping bags you experienced. Again, going back to "starving student times (1950s)" one of the better mil surp items I used was an Army "mountain" sleeping bag, filled with a down/feathers mix. It was heavy and a tad bulky, but I know I slept out in a snow cave at -30F rather comfortably. Must have been Korean police action vintage....

If it hadn't been for mil surp, I would never have been able to venture beyond the pavement. I retain fond memories of that bag.