SEPARATION
Conductive heat loss through contact with the ground can rapidly sap body heat. Sleeping pads don’t just exist for comfort; their primary function is to provide insulation from the ground. In lieu of a dedicated sleeping pad, one can create a field-expedient “browse bed” by gathering together ground cover like leaves, pine needles and pine boughs. There should be enough material for 4” of depth when compressed by the body weight of the soldier.
