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Bedrolls


Subdeacon Joe

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Seems to me to be pretty darn big and heavy for the trail.

 

https://cowboyaccountant.com/2020/12/08/a-cowboys-bedroll/

 

The foundation of the bedroll consisted of a thoroughly waterproofed white canvas tarpaulin made of “number eight” ducking weighing, most often, 18 oz. per square yard (i.e., 9 sq. ft.), and measuring either 6 feet by 14 feet, or 7 feet by 18 feet. 

fde1400a-f4c2-4bf8-81de-d064dbf7b644.jpe How to roll a cowboy bedroll.
Image: J.M. Capriola

To prepare the bed for sleeping, the cowboy laid it out with the tarp folded roughly in half at the middle, creating a near-square 6–7 foot wide and 7–9 foot long, and centered his bedding between the two long edges, with the top side of the tarp (2.5 to 3 feet longer than the bottom, so it could be pulled completely over his head if desired) turned back. If the weather looked threatening, he folded the sides under to the edge of the bedding, thereby preventing water from entering, and pulled the flap up when he turned in.

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.... sure doesn't look like that thin little roll we are used to seeing tied to the back of a saddle in the movies ........

 

    ....... but then I never figgered where/how they carried a coffee pot, skillet, tin cup or any trail food in those little saddlebags either ........  :mellow:

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1 hour ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

.... sure doesn't look like that thin little roll we are used to seeing tied to the back of a saddle in the movies ........

 

    ....... but then I never figgered where/how they carried a coffee pot, skillet, tin cup or any trail food in those little saddlebags either ........  :mellow:

Or a complete change of clothes

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What you see tied down in movies is probably just a slicker..,maybe a blanket. On the trail by yourself unless you had a packhorse your options for luxury items are limited.

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3 hours ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

.... sure doesn't look like that thin little roll we are used to seeing tied to the back of a saddle in the movies ........

 

    ....... but then I never figgered where/how they carried a coffee pot, skillet, tin cup or any trail food in those little saddlebags either ........  :mellow:

Or got all the firewood & rocks out in the desert! Those coffee pots were huge! Or when they buried someone under a pile of rocks with not a stone in sight with a stick cross when there's no trees.:lol:

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On a trail drive, the bedrolls were usually packed in the chuckwagon, along with rifles and other gear of the sort.  Too much weight behind the cantle of a saddle can sore a horse's kidneys.  A lone rider might use his slicker for a ground sheet, and the saddle blanket for what warmth it might provide.  Up North, a lone rider would probably wear a buffalo coat or heavy wool jacket to keep from freezing to death!  

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The mountain man would come into the Rendezvous, where after revelry he'd pick up his 50# sack of flour, his keg of salt pork, his bag of gunpowder and bag of new ball. Add that to his rifle, his big buffalo robe, and his cooking pots, and his steel beaver traps, put it all on his scrawny pony, and off he'd go; good for another year.

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And somehow I say my Jeep Wrangler ain't enough to carry my camping/travel/trail goods... shame on me. Pisspoor excuse for a cowboy I make. :o

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There are several sites online that will make cowboy bedrolls. They look pretty doggone comfortable and weather tight as well but they ain't cheap. I've always thought about getting one but it seems as time goes by I have less time to use one.

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I'm no cowboy but a modern light high quality down sleeping bag and a small lightweight tent are great on the trail. Grab one of those newer self-inflating pads that fold up to nothing and you've got a whole lightweight package. You don't even need the horse-- you can carry it yourself!

 

But I assume a modern cowboy can put something along those lines together that'd work great. I'd guess there are cowboy versions.....

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1 hour ago, DocWard said:

 

 

Thanks!  I especially liked the photo in there of the chuck wagon loaded down with the bedrolls.    I was thinking that those would weigh 15 to 20 pounds each, and say you have a dozen of them that's a fair amount of extra weight.

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1 hour ago, Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 said:

I'm no cowboy but a modern light high quality down sleeping bag and a small lightweight tent are great on the trail. Grab one of those newer self-inflating pads that fold up to nothing and you've got a whole lightweight package...

 

Over the last 3 decades I have tried quite a few self inflating pads. The best I have found is not quite fit for backpacking but it's perfect for tent camping from a vehicle or a horse. It's from REI and inflates to 3 and a 1/2 inches thick and it's one of the very few that has a healthy R insulating rating to keep you warm. And it works very well.

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15 minutes ago, Dantankerous said:

 

Over the last 3 decades I have tried quite a few self inflating pads. The best I have found is not quite fit for backpacking but it's perfect for tent camping from a vehicle or a horse. It's from REI and inflates to 3 and a 1/2 inches thick and it's one of the very few that has a healthy R insulating rating to keep you warm. And it works very well.

 

When I tent camp these days, either old-time car camping with the grandkids, or winter camping in a big expedition tent to XC ski, I always use cots. So much easier on spine and every other joint.

 

I still backpack once or twice per Summer, but I take one- or two-nighters, not so many miles in as before but still doing it. For that, I carry two of the lightweight backpack self-inflatable pads. Very little extra weight for what we do, and a lot of extra comfort.

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6 hours ago, Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L said:

I had a poncho in RVN for mine.  Most times didn't use it

You had a horse? Cool. They wouldn’t give me one. “Cavalry” they said.

Liars.

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4 hours ago, Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 said:

The mountain man would come into the Rendezvous, where after revelry he'd pick up his 50# sack of flour, his keg of salt pork, his bag of gunpowder and bag of new ball. Add that to his rifle, his big buffalo robe, and his cooking pots, and his steel beaver traps, put it all on his scrawny pony, and off he'd go; good for another year.

 

True but he was leading that pony not riding it.

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3 hours ago, Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 said:

 

When I tent camp these days, either old-time car camping with the grandkids, or winter camping in a big expedition tent to XC ski, I always use cots. So much easier on spine and every other joint.

 

I still backpack once or twice per Summer, but I take one- or two-nighters, not so many miles in as before but still doing it. For that, I carry two of the lightweight backpack self-inflatable pads. Very little extra weight for what we do, and a lot of extra comfort.

My wife and I pack with 3 well trained pack  llamas.  We have to hike and lead them, but we don't have to carry anything ourselves (I do carry a holstered .357 or .44 to protect the llamas. if needed.) 

They carry 80+ pounds each (that includes their food)  and we can normally make  12 - 18 miles/day, depending on terrain and elevation.  

We've been llama packing now since 1988 -- have packed thousands of miles through the Sierra Nevada Backcountry.  Good times!

 

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ill ditto the truck is never big enough - ive taken to pulling a trailer with a car top carrier taboot ......but then i seem to always have too much but forgot that one thing i need 

 

oh and ive been using thermarests , started with one then doubled it up , then tripled to get enough padding for these old bones  ...now ive added that cot mentioned above with the thremarest .....wonder when ill double up again ?

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2 hours ago, watab kid said:

now ive added that cot mentioned above with the thremarest .....wonder when ill double up again ?

How will adding a second cot make you more comfortable? :P

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19 hours ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

.... sure doesn't look like that thin little roll we are used to seeing tied to the back of a saddle in the movies ........

 

    ....... but then I never figgered where/how they carried a coffee pot, skillet, tin cup or any trail food in those little saddlebags either ........  :mellow:

And a guitar

 

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14 hours ago, Trailrider #896 said:

On a trail drive, the bedrolls were usually packed in the chuckwagon, along with rifles and other gear of the sort.  Too much weight behind the cantle of a saddle can sore a horse's kidneys.  A lone rider might use his slicker for a ground sheet, and the saddle blanket for what warmth it might provide.  Up North, a lone rider would probably wear a buffalo coat or heavy wool jacket to keep from freezing to death!  

For a big crew food was carried in the chuckwagon and beds, etc in the bed wagon

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Speaking of NOT sleeping on the ground anymore...

 

While my 3.5" inflatable and insulated pad is great, putting that on top of my cot is mucho better. Very comfy. And used with blankets, not a bag. I found I needed a larger tent however because once I get my cot set up thar ain't no more room in the tent for anyone else. 4 man tents can be easily transformed into a one man tent.

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Days past I used a 9x9 ft canvas drop cloth a 3x6 ground cloth and 2 4pt wool blankets as my bedroll/lean to set up.

 

I thank you for posting the links. I had seen some similar years ago and could not find them again.

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9 hours ago, Buckshot Sheridan said:

What is this sleeping on the ground or on a cot you guys are talking about?  Next addition to the tent is hopefully a platform/floor. E027A251-3F6E-4AAD-9021-6D126724A9F1.thumb.jpeg.8b81c3de1de12efa321971d2cc010d85.jpeg

 

Lo, these many years ago, when my wife and I were very active in the SCA I made up a queen sized rope bed.  Put a couple of movers pads on top of the ropes, then our regular bedding.  Two times we did the assembly at the campsite, then tore it down to pack.  Then I got the brilliant idea of just leaving it assembled all the time.  It was the last thing loaded on the pickup and acted as one of those cargo net type hold downs.  It was the first thing off, so we could use it to stage things onto as we unloaded.  

Similar to this, although I wish we had thought of the rope wrench.

 

 

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I used a bed roll for years when traveling on my motorcycle. I experimented with several kinds of sleeping arrangements and settled on a hammock.  I string up the hammock and then spread my bedr roll in it. When I bed down, I take the laces of my boots and tie them in a slip knot and hang them up on the head end of the hammock rope!  Some of the folks that I rode with who slept on the ground or left their footwear on the ground found critters of various description in their boots!!

 

Matt Hamilton made me a new bed roll a few years ago! It’s heavy canvas with a feather tic pad and flannel lining. It’s some bulky and takes a bit of work to roll up and stow, but it’s water proof and warm and comfortable.  When I tie it on the rack behind the seat, it makes a hell of a back rest!!

 

He don’t make ‘em very often, but Hamilton Dry Goods is the place if ya’ want one!!

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