Covered coals for sleeping?

[.22-5-40]

Hello, I read this in Alen Eckerts book The Frontiersman..but never have tried it.  He said if in hostile country, he would dig a hole about the size of his head, build smokeless fire before dark & let it die down to hot bed of coals.  This he covered with dirt from hole, sat cross legged over it with blanket or robe over entier body..would stay warm in coldest weather.

[Old Fart]

In the movie Jerimiah Johnson they did that.
But he didn't cover it enough and caught on fire later in the night.

[Bugflipper]

You can also put rocks in the fire as well to hold a bit more heat.

[Pat/Rick]

Used to do something similar while in the Army. I would put one of the heat tabs in a empty C-rat can, light it, close the "lid",  and sit over it with my poncho on. Oh yeah, leave a piece connected when cutting the top off the can. I would typically use the cans that had the crackers and stuff(B-2 and B-3 Units IIRC)cause they were already "clean" after removing the contents.

[D Crockett]

when winter camping I always take a solid brick with me and a bunch of news pape with me I would set the brick by the fire let it get hot wrap it up in the news papper and put it in my sleeping bag I would be nice and tosty all night long while my friends were cold but that trick did not escape them long before we all had bricks by the fire and reading the news paper while waiting on the bricke to get hot D Crockett 

[sidewinder319]

The "Long Fire", is used to this day in Rocky Mtns. I knew an old Livestock Detective that used this method for winter stake outs.  They usually dig a pit body length cover with a ground cloth and then a sleeping bag.

[RWK]

I know this woman that has no air conditioning, she uses frozen blocks between the sheets to keep cool.

[BW56]

"I know this woman that has no air conditioning, she uses frozen blocks between the sheets to keep cool."


Since ac costs so much to run at a decent temp , I use one frozen 12-16 oz water bottle, rotate between hands, chest, ribs, neck, thighs and ankles. Its still cool in the morning and no WET sheets. Ok damp maybe.

[hillbill]

Hello, I read this in Alen Eckerts book The Frontiersman..but never have tried it.  He said if in hostile country, he would dig a hole about the size of his head, build smokeless fire before dark & let it die down to hot bed of coals.  This he covered with dirt from hole, sat cross legged over it with blanket or robe over entier body..would stay warm in coldest weather.

alan eckerts, i havent heard that name in awhile.the frontiersman was a good read, didnt he write another book also?

[SteveHawaii]

I agree that it is better to sit on a hot brick or rock (if available) rather than coals.  No chance of a fire.  I do something similar around the house, only using a cloth bag about 75% full of baked rice.  Keeps you nice and warm (microwave) or cool (freezer), is comfortable, and smells good too.

[SteveHawaii]

True, I think this was common in the west too, at least before the time of matches, that people would travel with a pot of embers.  Read that in a history book somewhere, sometime. Maybe that should be in my survival kit - an ember pot.