A bed of some description is necessary to every camper. It is foolish
not to have it dry, warm and comfortable. The most durable and
economical are the canvas and wood cots which can be folded and packed
into a small space during the winter. One is the government standard
folding army cot, the other the telescope cot. Still another is the camp
made cot fashioned of posts and strips of wood, with rope interlaced
between the strips, and a sack filled with clean dry hay for a mattress.
Spring cots and mattresses can be used but require a great deal of
storage space during the winter and for many other reasons are not
practical. An old sheet, a piece of heavy cotton cloth or bed ticking
made into a bag and filled with hay can be used as a mattress on top of
a canvas cot and makes a very warm comfortable bed, especially for cold
nights.