Just the mention of the phrase “camp bed roll” stirs up toddler images of a favorite cowboy hero sitting down to sleep under the western stars. In fact, many of us veterans probably remember how our mothers helped us make our own homemade sleeping bag so we could enjoy sleeping like cowboys on a warm summer night when we were young. We grew up and soon forgot the fun of the rude, as true westerners did. However, there are some real advantages to a camping bed roll once we look beyond the Hollywood western glitz of those old movies.
The true origin of the camping bed roll is unknown. No doubt some enterprising traveler developed one to protect themselves from the cold of nights traveling from one place to another hundreds of years ago.
In fact, until the early 1800s, most men wore cloaks or capes as outer clothing during the colder months of the year. When they were away from their homes at sunset, they would find a safe place to spend the night, build a fire to protect themselves and warm any victuals they might have, and wrap themselves in their cloak to sleep.
What we understand as the modern camping bed roll has been passed down to us in the mid to late 19th century from those men who helped explore and colonize the western part of our country. Many of these men traveled on horseback and developed a means of carrying sleeping protection rolled up neatly to fit the back of their saddles.
Usually the outside of the duffel bag was made of a heavy grade canvas. It was best if it was untreated canvas, as untreated material was easier to roll up and store in a tightly tied bundle than heavy treated material. Inside the duffel bag would be at least one cotton flannel blanket, and sometimes an extra wool blanket if the winter months approached. Mat dimensions were generally 32 inches wide by 84 inches long for the inner blankets. The outer canvas may be 40 inches wide by 96 inches long. Some pieces of outer tarp from the bed roll can be folded wide to provide protection above and below and sometimes function as a makeshift shed cover on wetter nights.
The advantages of a camping bed roll are simplicity. Reducing the amount of weight to carry when riding long distances or hiking for many days was the first big advantage. Second, the camping bed roll would take the place of a backpack or panniers as the traveler could place their personal belongings inside the blanket and roll it all up into a nice neat package that was easy to fit on the chair. riding. If you were on foot, it was simple enough to tie a long thin strip of leather to act as a strap to suspend the pack from the hiker’s shoulder.
Another advantage is the sturdiness of a good tarpaulin when used as a ground cloth under the sleeping traveller. Many good beds were made of freshly cut pine branches laid in a good thick pile with the outer canvas covering holding them together to form the frame of a simple but rustic mattress on which blankets would drape the traveler.
Yes, the advantages of a camping bed roll are quite a few compared to the modern sleeping bag. Not many sleeping bags make a good shelter from the rain, and who would want to put their expensive nylon-covered sleeping bag on top of a pile of resin-laden freshly cut pine branches? There are some good modern sleeping bags out there, but none reward the camper with nostalgia for sleep like cowboys did with their old trusty camping sleeping bag.