No tent camping/sleeping

[Buffalobob]

I live in a tent about 25% of the year.

[glebo]

Man, i love them birch trees. Haven't seen any of them for awhile.....wish I could swap out these damn NC pines...

[lksteve]

Originally Posted by glebo

Man, i love them birch trees.

Those birch look a whole lot like aspen to me...

[lksteve]

Originally Posted by Pete

There is no "need" for a tent most of the time. Unless you're deep into some winter warfare FTX - or civilian equivalent - you can throw down and sleep anywhere.

Tree pits are good in the winter...you may need a poncho overhead if you do any cooking as snow will melt and fall on your punkin...snow trenches work, if you're not planning to stay too long...

[jsteiner]

I agree with the old style poncho suggestion or a hammock in warm weather. I still keep both both handy. The hammock I routinely carry is the cargo netting hammock issued at 10th SFGA back in the 80s; both are light and go in my large Alice every trip (lots of camping with the Boy Scouts). The poncho is either a ground cloth or an instant mini-tarp or I throw it over the ruck if the ruck is left outside whatever else I am "in."

The hammock is quite comfortable at anything above 40 degrees - poncho liner or sleeping bag make it more comfortable...poncho overhead if it rains (it covers most of me and the gortex sleeping bag cover takes care of the rest).

I use the gortex sleeping bag cover (part of the sleeping bag system of bags the army has had for a while now) to keep me and my bag dry, regardless of what I am sleeping in, on or under. I generally use a lighter sleeping bag, inside the gortex cover, and simply stuff a poncho liner inside to make up the difference on colder nights.

At the other end of the spectrum, and something you and your son can enjoy for years to come, I now swear by the Kifaru 6-man tipi with woodstove. The tipi is 7 lbs; the stove is 4 lbs. The tipi offers 7' 6" head room, no floor, one single pole, line around the upper portion of the tipi to dry wet clothing, tent pegs around the bottom, plenty of space and two zipper doors on either end. It is an expensive toy, (new $1,500 with stove) but made of parachute material. The stove breaks down to about 10" x 14" x 2". And it packs up nicely.

3 seasons I leave the door flaps open (about 5' tall) and the screen unzipped at both ends for breeze and quick exfil as needed (when my 50% security goes to 0% or when my bladder says it is time to water a tree). Because a single tent peg anchors both sides of the screens, the screens just naturally hold together like they are velcroed in place. Leaving the flaps folded open gives you about a 3'-4' view out either end of the tipi.

Winter camping I close the flaps (quick large zippers), crank up that stove, anchor the tipi with deadmen anchors on top of the snow and get the tipi up to 75 degrees inside easily. Of course, you either feed the stove or 90 minutes after you cease work it is back to whatever winter temp you would be enjoying outside...it only takes 5 minutes to get it warming in the a.m....and you can cook on it! It really is the cadillac of winter camping. I found mine used on Craig's List for $800...a steal in my book (it was in Idaho and I am in New Hampshire). But if you find one, and can get it for a decent price (4 man option is great for 2 and gear inside; my 6 man will hold 4 and gear inside easily, even with stove) I encourage you to join the tipi world.

Good camping to you.

Jim Steiner
An Eagle Scout still young at heart

[Quaker]

When backpacking as a civilian I would just curl up in a small tarp. They are nice because you can use them for many different things, plus they can keep you dry and block wind. Those two things alone go a long way towards comfort. Throw in a small blanket and that should work for a decent range of conditions. Added bonus if you make a bed of leaves or something to keep the ground from sucking your warmth. +1 on the hammocks. I was just issued one however it has not been in use yet. I knew a lot of friends that preferred them to sleeping on the ground.