Straw tick?

[Alric of Drentha]

I like my cot, it's really comfortable. But I would like to be a little more period (11th century Anglo-Saxon). My question: what would an Anglo-Saxon with enough money to afford a nice geteld sleep on in that geteld?

My guesses are either the ground or a straw tick. Since there's nothing to keep the rain from getting into my tent, I'd like to put something between me and the ground. For those of you with experience with a straw tick, would this help? Or would it just guarantee me a wet bed for several days after the rain had stopped?

Are there any other solutions, short of building a portable bed (Would a soldier really have taken a bed on campaign? It seems like overkill to me?), that I'm not thinking of?

[Jehan de Pelham]

I am reminded of the constant refrain that was told me, less is more. If I had to do it over again, I would have done it with "rushes and such gathered from where-ever I was." A pallet is kinda a nice luxury item until even pretty late in the game.

Best,

John

[Cian of Storvik]

If it's for SCA, I say go all out, as you're supposed to be nobility or atleast wealthy commoner at tournament.
If it's for a living history group, where you are portraying a common soldier, then you want to be more reserved. (Would a common soldier even have their own tent much less a pallet?) You'd probably have your garments and a cloak to wrap up in, and nestle next to a fire and hope you don't set yourself alight.
According to Giraldus of Cambrensis, the Welsh would all huddle together and sleep together on grass matts and as they got too cold they would get up and warm themselves by the fire and then lay back down again. And do it repeatedly all through the night. (Aren't you glad for centeral heating??!!)

I haven't done it yet, but I'm making several of my storage chests all the same height (armor, clothing, camp goods are all 16.5"), with the intent that I can stack them in a row for keeping me off of the cold ground. Because they are chests, air won't move around beneath you like on a cot, so you should stay warmer. You just need a straw/grass filled mattress and a down filled padding to go over it.
I'm not planning on actually using grass in the mattress, as I have a stack of cheap wool blankets I purchased a while back (It was like 10/$12).

-Cian

[Peikko]

not medieval, but an appropriate example of the common soldiers thinking: "An Allentown, Pa., Joe, Pvt Joe F Etti, of the Field Artillery, advises newcomers to dig two-man foxholes. Here's his sound reason.

"Me and my buddy dig a trench wide enough for two men to seep in. By using a two-man hole we have ten blankets to keep us warm instead of five, which is the case if you sleep alone. We sleep on four and have six for covering up. Our shelter halves go on the bottom. Over straw, when we can get it, or over a mattress of fir boughs. We had no trouble getting boughs for back-to-nature mattresses in the Hurtgen Forest. This tip is for men who prefer blankets to the sleeping bag, which is hard to get out of when time is important." (Stars and Stripes on January 28, 1945.)

[Steve S.]

I made a "bed roll" out of linen. It was just a giant linen bag. When straw was available, I'd fill it with straw and it was extremely comfortable.

When no straw was available I put a single air mattress inside it. That was also extremely comfortable.

When empty, it folded up to nearly nothing.

Steve