I have noticed that a number of responses include using pine needles and or pitch wood from conifers. I took a short hike a while ago around one of our state parks and noticed that it was older hardwood forest, without a pine tree/needle in sight. When leaves from hardwood trees get wet, they tend to matt down and remain damp/wet.

Anyone with some thoughts on how to achieve similar results, with respect to bedding, insulation, shelter, fire building that people are describing in a coniferous treed area, but in deciduous forest?

Pete