Campaign Bed

[Mojave Jack]

I must be getting old. I still love my wall tent for camping, but I just don't like sleeping on the ground anymore. I'm fine with my old wood army cot, but the wife prefers to share a bed. We've been using a full-sized air mattress, which is large enough and comfortable enough for sleepng. But what I really miss being able to sit on the cot to tie my boots, etc. Anyone know of a good set of plans for a campaign bed? Preferably something that folds up compact enough to fit in the back of the Montero.

I've been thinking about a combination of these two beds:

Richard Wrightman Greydon bed

Box Bed

I like the simplicity of the Wrightman bed, but the foldability of the box bed. The box bed is way too elaborate, but some of the ideas, like the folding side rails, could be applied to a simpler design like the Wrightman. Any ideas form you wood (or steel) workers?

 

[Renault]

Often considered this same predicament.

I knew one couple that took a double bed everywhere and set it up in their wall tent on all their sojourns.

I myself have found a thin mattress just the thing for my old cot. It seems to help my arthritic bones a bit I have one of the old French army mattresses that I pack to the field. They occasionally show up on the bidding sites. It and a healthy dose of evening libations seem to help with the pain. Perhaps your missus can find some comfort in such an arrangement? But my old friends didn't seem to mind hauling the regular wooden poster bed either. Not really that difficult to assemble in the field.

On another note I've been considering a new wall tent myself. Just can't seem to part with the cash. May just retreat the old one again!

Good luck with your endeavor!

Renault

 

[Eric P]

Here is another idea,
http://www.jandrguram.com/index.php...category_id=69&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Here is another idea,
http://www.jandrguram.com/index.php...category_id=69&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

View attachment 17785

Thank you Mr P, I like that bed! That is what I call style!

 

[Texfield]

I think this might be what you are looking for.

And here is the article it came from http://http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/roorkee-bed

After I finish my roorkhee chairs, it is next on my list!

 

[Oldsarge]

Depending on how handy you are with tools, you might consider this. Schwarz is a very well regarded writer on furniture and its construction.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Depending on how handy you are with tools, you might consider this. Schwarz is a very well regarded writer on furniture and its construction.

That looks like an interesting book there, Sarge, thanks for the link, may get a PDF copy.

 

[Texfield]

I have his book. It is a great read. Schwarz is good writer. And, infinitely cheaper than Elegance Under Canvas which I will buy as soon as I can find one at a semi reasonable price.

 

[Oldsarge]

It's well worth the searching. I have a copy that I was fortunate enough to obtain when it was still in print.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

I have his book. It is a great read. Schwarz is good writer. And, infinitely cheaper than Elegance Under Canvas which I will buy as soon as I can find one at a semi reasonable price.

:eeek: Wow, I have just looked on Amazon, I am tempted to sell my copy but I like book to much that and British Colonial Style. I am pleased I got these when in print for a few pounds.

 

[Stearmen]

I thought some of you might get a kick out of this commercial. I hate to admit it, but my days of sleeping on the cold ground, with my motorcycle jacket rolled up as a pillow, are coming to an end! [video=youtube;wG_3jTBNVB8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_3jTBNVB8[/video]

 

[Renault]

Ha! Good one Stearman.

 

[Oldsarge]

Mine ended when the kids were small. Now I don't have any kids, just adults. Roughing it now seems to mean slipping into a teardrop trailer!

 

[Renault]

Pondering a new wall tent for several years now. But the pandora box to a nice roomy tent is you tend to try to fill it up with stuff like campaign beds and all the cool furniture that goes with it. Which equals to a day ( or sometimes more) just to load stuff to take to the field. There is always the trip home too! And the week or more spent reorganizing and cleaning. Even tho I have a good post camping trip system in place, it still wears a geezer out. The occasional appearance of a son or two on the outings does make things easier!

I'm beginning to again appreciate the philosophies of Col. Whelen, Nessmuk, Beard and others. My solo camp has drastically shrunk in size!!! As has my personal gear.

But I do admit, I really appreciate a good cot and thin mattress as I mentioned before.

 

[Oldsarge]

Ah, Whelen's On Your Own In the Wilderness! A grand book now long out of print and probably a style of camping no longer possible given the Canadian penchant for bureaucracy and regulation. But I still sometimes dream of a spruce bed, a Whelen lean-to and a set of glowing coals in front.

 

[Renault]

Instead of his old lean-to design, I've opted out for a 12' x 12' diamond shelter. Extreme ease to set up. I can even set it up where I can use my cot if I so desire.

Don't think much of what some of us have said here has really helped the OP's original inquiry, but it has been an interesting thread!

 

[Mojave Jack]

All good feedback, fellas! Thanks! My wall tent is an old 7' x 9' Boy Scout job. It's an odd shade of green, but I picked it up for about $40 on Ebay, and picked up the poles for free in the DRMO lot on base. When it's just me, I actually find my old army cot quite comfortable, but the wife just has a different view. I think I may just convince her to put the cots side-by-side and we'll both be comfy. I have yet to test the idea of putting the air mattress across the top, but I think I'll try that this weekend. I think, though, just on the basis of of room in the vehicle, that a real campaign bed just isn't practical. My wife accuses me of too much planning, which really translates to packing everything I own, "just in case!"

I just bought an angle set to replace the wooden poles, mainly to make it easier to set up when it is just me. I plan to pick up the conduit this weekend, and figure out how to cut it to length. I'm sure there's a rule of thumb somewhere on how much shorter to make the poles, but I have to drag the tent out and measure all the edges, anyway. The frame will help keep it from sagging, too, so I don't have to go out and tighten up the ropes in the middle of the night when the dew settles.

 

[Oldsarge]

The most comfortable bed on the planet is an Army cot with a semi-full inflated air mattress on top, an M16 between the mattress and the cot, a issue sleeping bag on top and having been awake for 44 hours! Migawd, it was heaven to pull off the boots and just die there.

 

[Oldsarge]

I couldn't access the 'box bed' that the OP first posted but did a google search of the term and found this. Damn, if you want a portable double to queen size bed this is The One.

 

[Renault]

"I'm sure there's a rule of thumb somewhere on how much shorter to make the poles"

Yes, it's call "be sure and take a saw with you for just in case!"