Trekking Tricks of the trade

I don't think there is much I can pass on that most experienced woodsrunners don't already know. I use a bed of sticks to get me up off the ground, if there are any dead ferns about then I may add these. I keep a store of kindling behind my bed under shelter in case the fire should go out in the night. I keep a store of firewood close to hand at the head of my shelter so I can stoke the fire without having to leave my blanket on winter nights. I do not make a large camp fire, I keep it small with a rock reflector at the back & sides with the ground scraped out for the actual fire. I carry extra clothing in my blanket roll which I put on over my day clothing on winter nights, a Monmouth cap, a woolen shirt, & a wool cloth waistcoat. I also have a half-blanket as part of my winter clothing. When I erect my oilcloth shelter, I look for a straight pole to slide over the cross beam & under the oilcloth. This raises the center of the oilcloth so there is no droop & it sheds water better. I also use this pole to hang my kettle over the fire. As the fire is close to the shelter, a tripod would be an obstacle, & this pole is very secure, no chance of knocking it over like some other kettle hanging methods.
Keith.

If ya gotta pee, get up and do it. Your body will naturally expend energy to keep the fluids warm inside your body. So while you may want to stay in your blanket and you feel shivered, get up and go. You'll warm up faster dumping that extra load of water!

I also never wear tight fitting clothing to bed (tight stockings, leggings and the like) does absolutely nothing for insulation value and usually is just a feel good insurance policy. Wool socks, breeches and a shirt with a wool cap is all I ever wear personally.

I also will eat a good snack or small meal before bed. With calories to burn obviously that translates to staying warmer longer.

Pillow... for me it's a must and usually comes in the form of a naturally stuffed shirt or extra linen sack I keep.

Keep your feet and footwear dry to the best of your ability. Allow time for footwear and feet to air out.

I've got a host of things I've learned from playing in the woods from years of backpacking and period trips. To much to share in a single post as I'm sure that's the case with us all.

I find the holes with charcoal forest for keeping feet warm interesting. I have always struggled with staying warm, especially when sitting still for more than an hour or two, even in moderately cool weather.......
Except my feet. My feet only seem to get cold if damp and in footwear that won't let then breath. The rest of me, particularly my back and neck can be miserable, shivering, almost painful as I tense up, but, my feet are warm.

I have not tried it, yet, but I like the idea of sitting cross legged with the hole with the fire in the empty space between the knees. I think this was attributed to Simon Kenton.

My first inclination was that the design Franklin mentioned and which I now realize, thanks to Spence, seems to be for reasons of stealth.
Much like the Dakota fire pit PARanger mentioned.
There is a whole genre of modern/bushcraft camping that is known as “stealth camping”.
I wonder how much of a concern this might’ve been to the old boys?
They were usually choosing the off season for war and raids to hunt although they did get jacked occasionally in the “off season”

Lol, PaRanger, not everyone did SERE...

Some milder period form of it would help build character!!!