A simple photo of a raised bed sparked a surprisingly deep discussion inside the Primitive Camping & Bushcraft Facebook Group. In this episode, Chris Speir explores the debate over raised beds, hammocks, comfort, skills, insulation, and why the real question isn't whether a raised bed is worth building, but what problem it's trying to solve.
What are your thoughts on making a raised bed for camping?
That simple question generated a lively discussion inside the Primitive Camping & Bushcraft Facebook Group and revealed something interesting. People weren't really debating the raised bed itself. They were debating comfort, effort, experience, age, skills, and what they want out of their time outdoors.
In this episode, Chris shares the story behind a raised bed built during a camping trip years ago and explores the many viewpoints that came from the community discussion.
Topics include:
• The original raised bed photograph and camping trip
• Raised beds versus hammocks
• Sleeping off the ground
• Insulation and staying warm
• Cedar boughs, pine needles, and natural bedding
• The reality of sleeping on cold ground
• Comfort versus tradition
• Age, injuries, and camping differently over time
• Long-term camps versus overnight camps
• Skills versus convenience
• Leave No Trace considerations
• Florida, Mississippi, and regional camping differences
• The biblical story of Jacob and the stone pillow
• Why good gear and good skills both solve problems
• The importance of understanding the "why" behind outdoor techniques
The biggest takeaway?
The raised bed isn't the story.
The problem it solves is the story.
Join the discussion in the Primitive Camping & Bushcraft Facebook Group and let us know:
Would you build a raised bed, or would you rather sleep in a hammock?
Hi, welcome back
to the Primitive
Camping &
Bushcraft
Podcast.
My name is
Chris Speir.
Today, we're
going to talk
about something
that sparked a
pretty
interesting
discussion
in the
Facebook group.
The question was
extremely simple,
and it has
sparked a huge
debate within the
Primitive
Camping &
Bushcraft group
on Facebook.
Y'all ready for
the question?
What are your
thoughts on
making a raised
bed for camping?
I posted a
picture, and
before I get too
deep into this, I
want to explain
why I posted
that picture.
Now, if you've
spent any amount
of time around
bushcraft
circles,
primarily of
camping circles,
you've probably
seen them.
Some dude out in
the woods, and
it's always been
fast-forwarded.
It's
always sped up.
Some dude
building some
shelter out of
mud or the side
of a hill,
raising
his bed up.
He's got poles, a
bunch of
saplings, got a
couple of cross
members, maybe
some cedar
boughs or some
pine needles or
leaves piled up
for insulation,
nothing fancy,
but just
a sleeping
platform built up
off the ground,
and everybody's
seen it.
So, I figured
when I posted the
photo, I'd get a
few responses,
but golly,
man, let me
tell you.
So what happened
was we were
camping, my
brother and I,
and it was late
July,
early August.
I'd say, it would
have been a long
time ago, 16,
2016, 15, 16,
somewhere
in that fact,
something
like that.
You know, 10, 11
years ago,
something
like that.
I don't remember.
But we went
camping.
We owned this
property.
We had four acres
out in the middle
of nowhere.
It was surrounded
by creeks.
It was
essentially
an island.
Actually, it was
in 2013.
So that was 13
years ago, 14
years ago now.
Crazy.
So it was this
little island,
and it was four
acres, and it was
crazy because it
had flooded.
The Yellow River
or Yellow Creek
or whatever the
name of the place
was, it
came up and
it flooded.
I mean, it washed
out our road,
washed out
everything all
the way across.
We had a cohort
down there there.
And I can
remember it being
so muddy
and nasty.
I used a hammock,
and Aaron made
this bed.
He made this
raised bed.
And that is
what's pictured.
It was slept on.
It was used.
If you notice in
the photograph,
there was some
dog fennel laying
on the bed.
Now he did have a
sleeping pad and
laid down on it
on top of it.
A lot of people,
because what was
pictured, you saw
what was
pictured, but
what you didn't
see is what was
actually used.
And you didn't
see what we
were doing.
Right next to it
was a 55 gallon
drum with a
garbage can with
a drum
liner in it that
held all our
water because we
could not get any
fire to start.
Crazy.
We couldn't get
our water boiled,
and it started
raining.
So we collected
rainwater, and we
got at least 20
or 30 gallons of
rainwater.
So we filtered it
out with a
handkerchief, got
all the bugs and
nasty off
of it, and
drank it.
But I figured
when I posted the
photo, I'd just
get a couple of
responses.
Maybe a couple of
folks would say
that they liked
the photo or what
I didn't
expect was
how divided the
answers would be
and how some of
the answers would
be very pointed.
Very not only
just pointed, but
just like it
sparked
controversial
debate within the
group.
It's crazy.
I did not expect
how divided the
answers would be,
I guess.
Some people loved
the ideas.
Some people
thought it was a
waste of time.
Some people
immediately
started talking
about insulation.
Others that
countless,
countless
comments saying
hammocks.
Just bring a
hammock.
That's what a
hammock is for.
And as I sat
there reading
through all the
comments, I
started realizing
something.
People weren't
really talking
about the
raised bed.
They were talking
about what the
raised bed
represented.
They were talking
about how it
represented
comfort, effort,
skills, time,
experience.
And ultimately,
what they wanted
out, their
camping
experience,
basically.
So one of the
first comments
talked about
digging a trench
underneath the
bed and placing
coals under it.
Now if you spent
any time reading
old survival
manuals and
studying
primitive
shelters, you
probably heard
this idea before.
The concept is
pretty simple.
Heat rises.
You're going to
put some hot
coals underneath
and you'll stay
warm all night.
It sounds pretty
easy on paper,
but then somebody
pointed out the
now side, the
smoke, the
fire, and
the safety.
What happens if
the cold
pops out?
What happens if
conditions
change?
And right there
is where the
discussion got
interesting
because every
solution creates
another problem.
Every advantage
comes with a
trade off.
And honestly,
that's true for
almost everything
we do outdoors.
The more I go
camping, the more
I realize there
aren't many
perfect solutions
to anything.
There's an end
result, but
there's not a
perfect solution.
They're usually
just different
compromises.
You have to
compromise a
little here,
compromise a
little there.
Then there's also
another group of
people that
started talking
about
insulation, using
a cedar or spruce
vials and pine
needles, leaves,
natural
materials, all
these things
that come to mind
when you're doing
bedding.
If you've ever
slept directly on
cold ground,
yes, I have.
Raise your hand.
I see you back
there in the back
of the class.
Yes, I do,
right there.
I see you.
You probably
learned this
lesson
pretty quick.
The ground steals
your heat.
If you've slept
in a hammock in
the middle of the
wintertime
without an
underquilt, you
get cold quick.
It steals the
heat fast.
The ground
doesn't care how
expensive your
sleeping bag was.
They
really don't.
The ground also
doesn't care how
tough you think
you are.
When it comes to
the fight, the
ground is always
going to win.
That's one of the
reasons raised
beds have been
used for so long.
Not only that,
raised beds
really have been
used to get
people out of wet
conditions,
keep them up off
the ground so
they don't get
bugs and critters
and
scorpions and snakes
and stuff
like that.
If a snake's
watching, he's
still going to
climb off that
raised
bed anyway.
A scorpion
is the same.
It don't matter.
It just helps you
protect yourself
and keep you up
off the ground.
Raised beds are
not because
somebody was out
there trying to
build furniture
in the woods.
They're solving a
problem.
They're getting
you off the cold
ground, getting
you off the wet
ground, getting
you away from
the insects, from
the creepy
crawlers, and
getting you a
better
night's sleep.
And honestly,
this whole
discussion about
raised beds kind
of reminds me of
Jacob in
the Old Testament
where the Bible
says Jacob
stopped for the
night and took a
stone and
used it
for a pillow.
It's kind of what
we're
talking about.
I don't know
about y'all, but
my neck already
hurts just by
hearing that.
Just by thinking
about using a
rock for
a pillow.
It's killing me.
I used my
backpack for a
pillow whenever I
was in
the desert.
I slipped on the
floor, an airport
hangar on the
C-Met for a week
straight,
and it was
killing me.
Waiting on an
airplane
ride home.
But while he was
laying there on
the ground with a
stone up
underneath his
head, he had
one of the most
important
encounters
of his life.
He dreamed that a
ladder reaching
into heaven, and
God spoke to him.
Now I'm not
suggesting that
we all throw away
our hammocks and
start
camping on the
ground and using
rocks as pillows
and everything.
I think most of
us are a little
advanced.
A little bit more
advanced than
thinking about
stuff like that.
But, you know,
this visual does
remind us that
sometimes we get
so focused
on our own
comfort that we
forget why we
came out into the
woods in the
first place.
Sometimes the
greatest things
happen when we
slow down long
enough to
be still.
And I think
that's one reason
so many of us are
drawn to camping.
We step away from
the noise.
We step away from
the distractions.
And for a little
while, it's just
us, the woods,
and whatever the
Lord wants to
teach us.
Now one of the
funniest parts of
this entire
discussion was
how so many
people answered
with one word.
If you go back
through, there
was tons of
comments, tons of
comments.
And the answers
were hammock.
That's it.
Just hammock.
That's all
they said.
Over and
over again.
Hammock.
Hammock.
Hammock.
One person even
joked that their
favorite raised
bed was called a
hammock.
Well, honestly,
they were
not wrong.
All a hammock is
is a modernized
raised bed that
you could take
almost anywhere.
I didn't
realize it.
Sailors used
hammocks.
Making their
olden days.
They used
hammocks.
A hammock is
different
materials than a
regular wooden
raised bed.
It does have a
different design.
But the same
problem has
been solved.
Are we starting
to see a pattern
with the past
several episodes
of this podcast?
Where a problem
presents and a
problem is
being solved.
So with this,
staying off the
ground is solving
the problem.
One of the
problems is
better sleep.
You're getting to
sleep better.
You're staying
away from the
moisture.
You're staying
off off the
roots, off the
sticks, off the
sweetgum balls.
I don't know if
you guys, that's
just a South
Mississippi
thing, but
sweetgums, god,
lead her
everywhere.
It helps with the
problem of
keeping you away
from the creepy
crawlies.
And it's really
the same concept
of raised bed
hammocks.
Raised beds.
Same thing.
Now I've talked
about this for
years with
hammocks.
I mean, I just
did a video today
for NightCat.
One of their
Layflat hammocks.
They sent me for
a review.
And I did a "How
to Put It
Together" video.
And it's on my
YouTube channel.
And it is a true
Layflat hammock.
And it's very
comfortable.
Their newer
version, it comes
with a, it's kind
of weird because
it comes with a
sleeping pad or
air mattress.
And then it has a
dry sack.
And it's like a
dry bag.
And you put all
your stuff
in there.
And then you can
turn around and
use the dry bag
as a pillow.
I mean,
it's crazy.
The thought that
went into this
thing is
ridiculous.
Most modern
camping gear
exists because
somebody found a
better way to
solve an old
problem.
And like we
talked about last
week, everything
is a gear.
Every piece of
gear solves a
problem.
Everything that
you carry into
the woods solves
a problem.
Everything that
we have, you
know, all
these books.
All the survival
books, all the
camping books.
All these books
from all these
individuals.
They solve a
problem.
They have stuff
in there that
helps them solve,
helps the reader
solve a problem.
Take the Bible
for instance.
There's a lot of
stuff in there
for you so you
can solve some
problems.
And it's crazy.
It's the same
concept over and
over and
over again.
The problem
didn't change.
The solution did.
So after that,
another theme
started popping
up and this one
really hurt my
feelings.
But another theme
started popping
up and it
was age.
You know, what's
weird is that
everybody, not
everybody
understands that.
But once you
start hitting
your 50s, boy,
does things hit
different.
Golly, that's
crazy, ain't it?
You know, just 10
years ago, I
didn't have to
wear glasses.
Now all of a
sudden I can't
see and I have
bifocals.
That's crazy.
You know, some of
y'all are going
to understand
this immediately.
You know, several
people basically
said the same
thing that, hey,
my back hurts.
I'm too old to
sleep on
the ground.
Getting up and
down isn't as
easy as it
used to be.
Oh, and I get it.
You know, 20 year
old Chris, he'll
sleep on a pile
of rocks and wake
up the next day
and conquer
the world.
52 year old
Chris,
not so much.
The older you
get, the more
comfort starts
making sense.
The more you
start making
plans around your
comfort.
And it ain't
because you
got solved.
It's because you
have collected
some miles.
You've collected
a few injuries.
You've learned
that being
miserable isn't a
requirement for
enjoying the
great outdoors.
When I was a kid,
when I was a
youngin', you
know, I would go
camping.
I wouldn't bring
anything except
for a
fishing pole.
And that's how I
went camping.
Chris don't do
that no more.
And that leads me
to another
interesting
question.
At what point
does a campsite
become a camp?
Hmm.
Think about that
for a second.
A camp,
what the heck?
I have tables.
I built a
cooking area.
I've got a
fire pit.
I built a
shelter.
I built, I got
this log where I
do all my
teaching and
filming and stuff
like that.
But at what point
does it stop
being a temporary
campsite and
start becoming a
semi-permanent
camp?
And I can
honestly say, you
know, camp what
the heck is a
semi-permanent
camp?
Hunters do it all
the time.
Hunters will have
like a little
cabin miles into
the woods.
They'll go out
there, they'll
hike out there,
take a
four-wheeler,
take an ATV, OTV,
whatever.
Some kind of
conveyance.
And they'll go
out there and
they'll camp out.
And they'll go
hunting and
they'll
come back.
Whenever they're
done,
they'll go home.
Bushcrafters
do it.
Trappers do it.
Trappers, they
get on the
trappin' line and
they gone for
weeks, if not a
month at a time.
People have been
doing this for
centuries.
And that's where
all the raised
beds start making
more sense.
If I'm going out
for one night,
I'm probably
gonna take a
hammock.
If I'm gonna stay
somewhere for a
week, I'm
probably gonna
take a hammock.
You know, maybe
that thinking
will change.
If I'm staying
somewhere for a
month, I'm
definitely
bringing some
kind of a bed.
You know, like
the Lay Flat
hammock, I
can do that.
But it's
definitely
gonna change.
The longer you
stay, the more
valuable
infrastructure
becomes.
The things that
you bring with
you, they're
gonna be more
valuable to you.
And then no
matter where
you're talking
about a raised
bed or a table or
a shelter or a
cooking area or a
tripod or a pot
and pan,
whatever you
bring is gonna be
more valuable
with you, more
valuable to you,
the longer you
stay at
its place.
And that was
another comment
that brought out
something that I
hadn't really
considered, and
that was
location.
One person talked
about Florida.
Now, if you spent
time in Florida,
you know, there's
a lot more reason
to get up
off the ground.
Yeah, a lot of
snakes, a lot of
spiders, fire
ants, mud
moisture, you
know, not much
different in
South
Mississippi.
But getting off
the ground starts
making a whole
lot more sense.
And that's one of
the big lessons
about camping.
Context matters.
What works in
Arizona may not
work in
Mississippi.
What works in
Alaska is
definitely not
gonna work in
Florida.
What works in
Texas may not
work in Canada.
What's funny
about it is that
the environment
always
gets a vote.
Then you got to
leave no
trace, folks.
Some folks
pointed out that
building
structures from
natural materials
leaves an impact,
and you're right.
Bushcraft and
leave no trace
don't always walk
hand in hand.
Sometimes they do
overlap.
Sometimes
they don't.
I'm not taking
sides on that
discussion today
or in this
episode.
I'm just going to
simply point out
that it's a valid
consideration.
If you're cutting
materials and
building
structures,
you're going to
be changing the
landscape.
Some people
absolutely are
not comfortable
with that.
Some are.
But that is a
decision that
every outdoors
person has to
make for
themselves.
But one thing I
noticed is that
very few people
were against the
skill itself.
Nobody was
sitting there
saying, "Hey, you
don't need to
learn that. You
don't need to
learn how
to do that."
A lot of people
were just saying,
"I think I would
rather use
something else."
That's a big
difference.
Knowing how to
use a raised bed
and choosing not
to build one are
two completely
different things.
Me personally, I
know how to start
a fire primitive
with primitive
methods.
That don't mean
I'm going to
leave my lighter
at home.
I know how to
purify water with
natural
materials.
I'm still going
to bring my grail
geofress with me
when I go out
into the woods.
One thing that
I've noticed in
this adventure is
that skill gives
you options.
Gear gives you
convenience.
And the best of
all the outdoors
folks understand
both of those.
So where do I
stand on the
raised beds?
Well,
here's my answer.
I honestly think
everybody should
learn how to
build one.
Not because
you'll use one
every weekend,
but because it
teaches valuable
lessons.
It teaches you
insulation,
shelter,
construction,
material
selection.
It teaches you
problem solving.
It teaches you
how to plan.
All of those
lessons carry
over into the
outdoor skills.
Am I going to
build a raised
bed for an
overnight trip?
Probably not. I'm
going to grab my
hammock.
Would I build one
for a long term
camp? Maybe, but
I'm still going
to grab my
hammock.
I'm still going to build one for a long term camp.
Would I build one
in a survival
situation? More
than likely.
Because now the
equation changes.
Now conserving
energy is going
to matter.
Now staying warm
is going to
matter. Rest is
going to matter.
And that's really
the lesson from
this whole
discussion is
that I'm still going to be able to do that.
And that's really the lesson from this whole discussion is that a raised bed
isn't the story.
The problem that
it solves
is the story.
Go ground, wet
ground, poor
sleep, moisture,
insects,
comfort, rest.
The raised bed is
simply one more
solution to a
problem that
people have been
dealing with for
thousands
of years.
And that problem
is trying to get
a good night's
sleep outdoors.
So let me ask
you, would you
build a raised
bed? Or would you
just hang a
hammock?
Food for thought.
All right, guys,
head on over to
the primitive
Camping &
Bushcraft
Facebook group
and join in on
the conversation.
I really, really
would love to
hear what you
think. I would
really love to
see your comments
and just see what
your input is.
So until next
time, remember in
all your ways,
acknowledge him
and he shall
direct your
paths. God bless
you. And I'll see
you around the
next campfire.