What the legionaries on campaign slept on?

[Tita Iuventia Martia]

Avete!

I would like to ask a question about legionaries on campaign. What have they sleept on? What did they use as bedding?

I would like to make/buy something to sleep on but I'm not sure what it should be. I don't think that I've ever read something about legionaries' bedding in marching camps. Is there anybody here who knows something about this? Can somebody help me and recommend some books or websites?

I saw auxiliary soldiers on Cohors II Mattiacorum's webpages carrying rolled-up felt mats on their furcas. I think that this is a handy idea 8)

G. Julius Ceasar recommended using sheepskins, which also looks like a good idea.

I can also imagine something like oiled leather or waxed linen being used for this. It must have been something that was not too bulky, a soldier could have carried it himself, did its job and was sturdy enough.

So, what are your experiences?

Best regards,

[jvrjenivs]

Okay, here my experiences during marches and events.

I use my peanula as a sleeping bag. After some tryings you'll find a way to cover your whole body if you've a big peanula, as I have. Some other miles added a seconde piece of wool for their lower feet and lower legs and peanula for the upper part. Use a tunic to lay your head on.

Under the paenula I used sheepskins or just plain straw. Both work very well. In the summer I only need a peanula, althoug a sheepskin or straw are welcome to be more confortable. In wet and cold conditions you certainly need a layer of straw or sheepskin, to prevent the cold or wet surface can effect your body!

I also remember having read somewhere you can use your scutum to sleep in. (for legionaries).

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Certainly help deflect the rain some! Especially a Republican one!

[petrinus]

late republic and early imperial scuta were the same large curved rectangular shields yes?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Republican were the large curved oval(ish) scuta....but there is a possibility the one with the cut off top and bottom were around in Caesars period.

[Tita Iuventia Martia]

Thank you for your advice, jvrjenivs. I think that I will buy myself some sheepskin.

How do you carry your sheepskin? Rolled-up on your furca?

So far I've tried to sleep as a roman legionary twice. Once it was on a May event. I slept in a tent, with a thin alu sleeping pad on the ground and my subarmalis on it (I have a subarmalis that has fastenings on both sides, so it is about the size of a sleeping pad when unfastened), and used my sagum as a blanket. I was really cold. The temperature fell to some 8°C (some 45°F) that night so it wasn't exactly a warm spring night...
My second experience was this June in Bulgaria, when I slept under the open sky. I had straw under my subarmalis, and I used my sagum as a blanket again. It was comfortable but... This time it was HOT.

I want to use something more period tahan a modern sleeping pad, and you can see I'd be happy if I could use it in all kinds of weather.

[M. Demetrius]

Radka,
In some places, people bring a canvas or linen bag the size of a cot mattress, and stuff it with straw or grass and leaves. It rolls up to be pretty compact, and when you leave, you just dump the straw out, and go on your way. The ones I've seen open down one long side, not at the ends, to make it easier to stuff straw in.

Did the Romans use them? Don't know. Not sure if anybody has any info on it, but if anyone does, could you please post it for us? Regardless of provenance, it would be better to have one of these rolled up on your furca than a foam pad, don't you think?

[jvrjenivs]

How do you carry your sheepskin? Rolled-up on your furca?

Yes, it's rolled-up on my furca. If you've a good peanula this will be warm enough most of the year. Remember the Romans weren't on campaign in winter season, so they could have more comfort during these cold days.

And remember you'll always sleep in a tent. Never under open sky, as your contebernium (and the whole legion) has to built up their tents.

[Centurio]

First time I slept with my contubernium in a tent in Karelia (close to Finland border) in June on a felt underlay bundling up in a sagum and it was a bit cold. Furthermore, countless mosquitos made that overnight a real nightmare, but we survived because of the mulsum that we drunked before :lol:
Next time I slept in the tent under both sagum and paenula on the felt and it was quite comfortable and warm, but another problem appeared - my comrade snored into my ear the whole night

[M. Demetrius]

my comrade snored into my ear the whole night

So now you know the real reason for the pugio! :lol: :twisted:

[caius matinius mattius]

Are then any records of an oil cloth form of ground cloth being used? Having read Gates of Fire, Pressfield mentions the spartans having one as part of his marching kit, would this be a literary device or something actually used?


caius matinius mattius

[Magnus]

I carry two sagum cloaks. One to sleep on, one as a blanket.

[John Conyard]

This is very straight forward. Don't use anything you don't need for another purpose. So try not to take anything just for sleeping on.

Your spair tunic, soaks, cloak are kept inside a woolen (good, rain repellent and warm) or leather bag tied to your forked stick. At night you wear all your spare clothes, your arms go inside the body of your tunic, your feet go inside your woolen kit bag, and you go in the cloak. Sleep on your subarmalis. My leather shield cover goes under that as a damp proof layer. This time of year I sleep on leaves, as many as I can get.

If you want to carry an extra skin you need something that acts as a barrier against the cold and wet ground. Sheepskin can get very wet. Red deer skin is a good compromise. And try using it hair side down. Reindeer and elk are great but too heavy to carry. Fallow deer always seems too thin. Boar just stinks and gets too wet. Varnishing the skin side can help.

I really really like the idea of sleeping inside a curved scutum :lol: I once tried using a flat shield as a blanket. But I may have had a drink.

[Tita Iuventia Martia]

Radka,
In some places, people bring a canvas or linen bag the size of a cot mattress, and stuff it with straw or grass and leaves. It rolls up to be pretty compact, and when you leave, you just dump the straw out, and go on your way. The ones I've seen open down one long side, not at the ends, to make it easier to stuff straw in.

Did the Romans use them? Don't know. Not sure if anybody has any info on it, but if anyone does, could you please post it for us? Regardless of provenance, it would be better to have one of these rolled up on your furca than a foam pad, don't you think?

Salve Demetrius,
Thank you for your idea, It seems to be also a cool and handy tip :-) this linen bag would going to be quite wet, if the day will be a bit rainy ;-) ) But, I also have to say, that sleeping on this stuffed bag have to be really comfortable :-) )

Thank you for your post and best regards from Prague :-) )

[Tita Iuventia Martia]

How do you carry your sheepskin? Rolled-up on your furca?

Yes, it's rolled-up on my furca. If you've a good peanula this will be warm enough most of the year. Remember the Romans weren't on campaign in winter season, so they could have more comfort during these cold days.

And remember you'll always sleep in a tent. Never under open sky, as your contebernium (and the whole legion) has to built up their tents.

Ave,
one more question about rolled up sheep skin on your furca, is not it a bit big package :?:

Now, I have only one cloak - Sagum, but I am going to buy or make myself other one: the paenula, because as I can see, this cloak is really handy :-) )

vale and thank you very much for your experience, best regards