• I've also been lured by the packable inflatable mattresses and they're ok but in my experience nothing beats natural foliage. When wild camping look for a spot with lots of soft leafy branches/shrubs and you really don't need many to cover the area where you sleep. My favourite is ferns and I used to make a very comfy pile that I would then pitch my solo tent over. The result was an excellent mattress that also offered some insulation. Would recommend.

  • Bracken.

    I remember gathering a big pile of that to put under my tent before pitching, many years ago, then getting home and hearing a warning on the news about bracken spores being carcinogenic, and the previous weekend having been the peak time of the year for them.

    I think you would need ot inhale a lot of them to have an effect, but I've been a bit wary of the stuff since.

    Also it's hard to find in places like bus shelters and parks, where I often end up 'sleeping'.

  • That's a bit alarming although 30 seconds researching the subject suggests that they need to be ingested which I tend not to if I can help it. I've generally got a decent groundsheet between me and the deadly foliage so hope that keeps away the worst of the spores (on a side note, are spores ever good or inherently nasty??). Taking a long view on this, I think city cycling, the odd cigarette and very rare exposure to northern European soleil might outweigh the risk from cancerous ferns. Besides I'll be using rocks from now on, ideally of the flint variety that hold a sharp edge when smashed.

  • Bracken is also a wonderful place to meet some ticks, no thanks, although to be fair dead bracken shouldn't be as bad

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